Tips & Inspiration for Creating a Summer Fun List

I’ve made a summer fun list for 3 years and I find that it helps me to stay intentional throughout the summer. It keeps me focused on enjoying and celebrating summer.

5 tips for writing your own summer fun list:

1) When creating your list, think big and colorful! Put the chart in a place where the whole family can see it.

2) I like to brainstorm a long list on a separate sheet of paper before writing it all down on my official summer fun list. That way I can space things out nicely.

3) Don’t ask for you kids for input on the list unless they are able to share realistic ideas. You don’t want a list full of things things you can’t afford to do.

4) If you are having trouble filling up your list, write down repeat activities multiple times. One summer we registered for a recurring storytime at the library and I wrote it down each time so we would have more things to cross off.

5) Leave some room at the bottom of your list for extra ideas you come up with throughout the summer or if grandparents surprise you with fun activities.

6) Save your lists from year to year to help you easily remember what to put on your list each year.

Brainstorming Prompts:

The Big Things – Vacation, camp, bible school, etc. Don’t forget about the extra special things that you plan to do on vacation. Those can all be listed separately.

Special Occasions and Events – Are there any summer birthdays in your house? Do you do something special to celebrate July 4th?

Free Community Events – Parades, free concerts, story time at the library, etc.

Crafts – Search Pinterest for some extra special crafts to do with your kids. Check out my Kool for Kiddos board for some inspiration.

The Little Things – I always include the small thing that we do on a regular basis. Having bubbles, sandbox, and sidewalk chalk on the list helps us celebrate even the simplest parts of summer.

Active Things – swimming, bike rides, sports, etc.

Food – This just might be my favorite part! I always write down all the different ice cream shops we can visit, s’mores, and picnics.

The New Things – It is smart to have a realistic list so you aren’t met with disappointment at the end of the season, but it is still fun to try new things. Try to think of a few things you or your little ones have never done before that you can add to the list.