100 Things to do in the Summer

You can find Summer Bucket lists all over the Internet so I put together my own, with all the things I like doing over the summer by myself and with my husband and children.

1. Make fruit platter of assorted seasonal sweet summer fruits - berries, watermelon, nectarines and plums, pineapple, strawberries, cherries, kiwi fruit, mangos... 
   
2. Have a water balloon fight with your kids... or ditch the kids and have it with your partner or friends! 
   
3. Make your own burgers 
   
4. Eat popsicles in your front yard 
   
5. Visit the local pool 
   
   
   
6. Go on a nature scavenger hunt around your neighborhood. There are loads of printable lists on the internet like this one. 
   
7. Visit a local historic society and learn about your neighborhood 
   
8. Do a big pre-Fall/back to school purge and clean out all the closets of clothes you either no longer fit or haven't worn in a while. As the old rule goes, if you haven't work it in two years, get rid of it! I regularly go through my clothes and donate or throw out items I no longer wear Not only does it feel amazing but you can make room for new clothes!! That means shopping!! 
   
9.  Make your own Caramel sauce. It's great as an ice-cream topping, or for dipping fruit.  
   
10. Build a sandcastle 
    
11. Make your own Lemonade, perhaps help your children set up a lemonade stand at the curb and let them learn about consumerism and money. 
    
12. Go Berry Picking.  Here are some tips for when you go. 
    
13. Purchase your own Butterflies and journal about them until they are released. Have your children draw what they see every day. Look up the plants Butterflies like to feed on. Perhaps plant these seeds to attract more butterflies. 
    
14. Make your own bookmarks. You can choose some flowers from the garden and press them onto your bookmarks and then have the kids write their names and the year on them as a keepsake. 
    
15. On a rainy summer day, build an indoor fort and spend the day there, reading and telling stories. 
    
16. Grow vegetables, enjoy the bounty of your hard work. 
    
17. Visit the local library regularly 
    
18. Eat fresh summer corn 
    
19. Go fishing 
    
20. Make a really good sangria and invite your friends over to drink it in your backyard 
    
21. Make popsicles out of fresh fruit 
    
22. Pick a place that is within two hours away that you have never been to before and spend a whole day or two there exploring it like a tourist. This year we picked Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It was truly amazing! We never realized what a great city Grand Rapids was and so close to us!! 
    
23. Ride a rollercoaster 
    
24. Buy an ice-cream maker and make your own ice cream 
    
25. Make homemade jam out of summer berries 
    
26. Invite some children over and have them enjoy a pinata 
    
27. Catch fireflies 
    
28. Make mud pies with your children 
    
29. Enjoy local al fresco dining 
    
30. Walk barefoot in the grass 
    
31. Use fresh cherries to make cherry turnovers 
    
32. Eat salad for dinner for a week 
    
33. Turn the TV off for a whole week and enjoy being outdoors or doing quiet indoor activities 
34. Go on a boat ride 
    
35. Get ahead on your Halloween costumes 
    
36. Go to a local fair, eat funnel cake, ride the ferris wheel and have a go at a carnival game 
    
37. Let your children splash in the tub with toys and bubbles as long as they like, hey it's Summer after all! There's no school tomorrow! 
    
38. Ride in a convertible 
    
39. Cook hotdogs on your grill 
    
40. Enjoy a smoothie-only breakfast with the whole family 
    
41. Visit a local farmer's market 
    
42. Paint a picture outside 
    
43. Get a pedicure 
    
44. Spend a day and try out slow cooking BBQ at home. Spend the time to explore smoking meat, making your own barbecue sauce and buying the right kind of wood. 
    
45. Plant a seasonal flower bed 
    
46. Rearrange some furniture in a room in your home. It's like buying all new furniture!  
    
47. Play a game of tennis or golf - or both! 
    
48. Take an art class 
    
49. Take the family to a Zoo you've never been to before 
    
50. Watch the sunset
51. Watch the sunrise 
    
52. Squeeze your own orange juice 
    
53. Wash your windows 
    
54. Buy a whole watermelon. And eat it. 
    
55. Go for a hike 
    
56. Change your hairstyle
57. Cook all your meals at home for an entire week 
    
58. Go for a bike ride 
    
59. Jump on a trampoline 
    
60. Visit a splash pad 
    
61. Buy at least one Christmas/Holiday gift
62. Plan your Fall family photos
63. Get a full body massage 
    
64. Do a Sudoku Puzzle or a Crossword Puzzle
    
65. Take your mattress off and flip it, vacuum under your bed and behind it!
66. Re-stain your deck
67. Spend a week doing 25 sit-ups and 25 push-ups every day. Feel the difference by Day 7.
68. Introduce one new food into each family member's diet.
69. Wash all your winter blankets and winter linens.
70. Drink Tea instead of Coffee for a week.
71. Enjoy something with your partner you wouldn't usually enjoy together
72. Make a piece of jewelry
73. Try going dairy-free for a weekend or a week
74. Try Origami
75. Bake bread
76. Enjoy one of the free outdoor concerts offered locally in the summertime
77. Enjoy ice-cream for dinner one night in the summer! Seriously.
78. Donate a tree to your local council. They usually always accept donations for their parks.
79. Do a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle
80. Watch a documentary on TV with your children. Sit down after and talk about it. See if there is further study to be done, or an 'excusion' that can come from it.
81. Find a no-stitch craft project to do either by yourself or with your children, visit your local fabric store and then execute it! This summer we made no-stitch tutus! It was so fun!
82. Wake your children up to a room full of balloons. Just for fun!
83. Make your own lip balm
84. Take the kids to the pet store. Look at all the animals.
85. Color Mandelas buy yourself. It's tedious but so therapeutic!
86. Eat breakfast outside
87. Start a cloud journal with the children
88. Visit an aquarium
89. Ride a swing like you're a 5 yr-old!
90. Eat ice-cream curbside after dinner one night
91. Write a letter to a friend who lives far away
92. Make a milkshake at home
93. Get your car detailed
94. Go for a drive and listen to classical music the whole way
95. Make pasta from scratch
96. Clean out your freezer
97. Buy your own coffee beans and grind them to order. Taste the difference.
98. Churn your own butter in a mason jar. It takes forever, but it's totally fun to do as a family.
99. Write a short story
100. Go camping
101. Leave a note for your loved one in an unexpected place.