Kids’ bucket list: 50 simple things to enjoy this summer

Family life
Kids' to do list

Every summer, we come up with a little list of family-friendly things we want to do. The only rules are that everything on the list has to be about celebrating the simple things in life and they can’t be too expensive. As we started putting this year’s list together, I thought it’d be a good one to share on my blog. So here you have it: 50 simple things to enjoy with your child this summer. Feel free to make use of this downloadable print out Cardiff Mummy Says Kids’ To-Do List – 50 simple things to do this summer 2015, ticking each one off when you’ve done it, or swapping for other ones that are more appropriate for your family. Enjoy!

Will your children be doing any of these things over the summer? Any others you’d add to the list? Do let me know in the comments below, over on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy

 

Llandaff Fields

  1. Eat breakfast outdoors.
  2. Run barefooted in the grass.
  3. Roll down a big hill.
  4. Make a daisy chain.
  5. Climb a tree.
  6. Take a bunch of cups, bowls and jugs into the garden for some water play.
  7. Have a water fight.
  8. Jump on a trampoline covered in water balloons.
  9. Spend the day in fancy dress.
  10. Have a picnic.
  11. Have a picnic indoors when it’s raining.
  12. Find a bridge over a river and have a game of Pooh Sticks.
  13. Go bug hunting in your garden or local park.
  14. Go for a walk in the woods.
  15. Do some bark rubbings.
  16. Get creative with some pavement chalks.
  17. Play a game of hop scotch
  18. Build a sandcastle.
  19. Dig a massive hole in the sand.
  20. Bury someone in it.
  21. Paddle in the sea.
  22. Collect some shells.
  23. Go looking for crabs.
  24. Take a pebble home and decorate it.
  25. Head to the local library and borrow as many books as you’re allowed.
  26. Stay up late because you’re having so much fun playing outdoors.
  27. Watch the sun set (if you’re allowed to stay up that late!).
  28. Play outside even when it’s raining.
  29. Have a disco in your living room.
  30. Build a den out of furniture, cushions and blankets.
  31. Feed the ducks or swans.
  32. Carry out a random act of kindness.
  33. Send a postcard to a friend or relative.
  34. Head out on your bike, scooter or roller skates.
  35. Eat chips at the seaside.
  36. Make home-made ice lollies.
  37. Have a family games night – board games, the Wii console, hide and seek… whatever works for you.
  38. Play ‘restaurants’ at meal times with the children taking the orders and cooking and serving the food as appropriate to their abilities.
  39. Make paper aeroplanes and fly them outside.
  40. Fly a kite.
  41. Visit somewhere you’ve never been before.
  42. Make homemade popcorn
  43. …and have a family movie night. (One of these 80s movies might give you inspiration!)
  44. Buy a scrap book and stick in mementoes from your summer fun, and write about it.
  45. Grow a plant from a seed.
  46. Do a treasure hunt in your house or garden. Or go geo-caching if you’re feeling adventurous.
  47. Put on a show for your parents/grandparents.
  48. Sort out your toy cupboard and give some things you no longer play with to charity or a friend who is younger than you.
  49. Unplug for a whole day – grown ups too. No TV, radio, computers, tablets, smart phones (except essential phone calls).
  50. Eat a massive ice cream.

What would you add to your summer to-do list? Anything else your children will be doing this summer? Do let me know in the comments below, over on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy

11 Comments to Kids’ bucket list: 50 simple things to enjoy this summer

    • Cardiff Mummy Says

      Glad you liked the ideas. Yes, I guess a few of them are difficult if you don’t live near the sea, but hopefully enough to keep you busy!

  1. This is a great list, Cathryn! The kids have already done a few of these – and as for number 29 (disco in living room), that’s something that happens at any time of year in our household … 🙂

    • Cardiff Mummy Says

      You can’t beat a good living room disco – such fun! Glad you liked the list, Tim.

  2. Mum2three

    Great list, will definitely be trying a almost all of them- reminds me of my own childhood holidays.
    I would just say to be wary of 15 though, this can be an extremely dangerous activity and there have been many recent reports of these collapsing and burying children alive. Needs to be a highly supervised activity and, most importantly, the hole MUST be filled in before leaving the beach to prevent other children playing in the hole without their parents realising.
    I apologise if I sound like some spoilsport or H&S nut job, I’m sure it goes without saying that all of these activities would be supervised, it’s just one of those things I personally have a ‘thing’ about- the filling in part before you leave.
    Let’s have a great holiday guys, but safely.

  3. Bernadette Llewellyn

    Cathryn great list we are going to be starting this today. Boys are so excited to have their own to do list. Thank you x

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