Family Life || Our Summer Bucket List

We’re officially past the first month of summer and I’m in this weird stage where I’m excited for fall (because it’s my favorite season, at least the early part of it) but still wanting to hold on so tight to these amazing summer days and nights. I hit this stage every year – it’s usually right after the 4th of July because summer seems to pass by in the blink of an eye. Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels this way!

The past few years I always wrote down a summer bucket list for our family for the season. But this year I took a little extra step to actually laying it out on paper and having it printed, extra large, so we could physically cross off the items on list. I don’t know about you, but I find it so satisfying to cross items off a list – I just feel so much more accomplished.

So, are you wondering what’s on this year’s summer bucket list and how we’re doing with it? If I’m being honest, there’s some activities we’ve done multiple times (do I give them extra check marks?) and some that I keep forgetting about (or maybe felt overly ambitious when writing them, forgetting that summer isn’t an endless season here in Minnesota).

What We’ve Accomplished

• Make S’mores – this was cross off the list before summer technically started.
• Go Strawberry Picking – so thankful we got to do during Ivy’s summer photo session. The season is really only a couple of weeks and the weather we had this year made it hard for the farms to stay open long enough for us to get there otherwise.
• Host a BBQ – I’d love to host one again, so this might be a repeat.
• Family Twin’s Game – while we did it, I’m not planning a trip to another game with a certain two-year-old anytime soon. 😉
• Kid-Free Day Date – while not a “family” list item, the hubs and I enjoyed a (hot, hot) day date at the 3M PGA Open.
• Have a Water Balloon Fight – always a fun activity on a hot day!
• Build Sand Castles
• Have a Picnic – I think this is one we need to repeat with our friends at a park (have to enjoy the weather when we have it!).
• Go Paddle-boarding/Kayaking – so happy we had the opportunity to do both of these during our long weekend at a cabin my in-laws rented.
• Go on a Boat Ride – another activity that we crossed off on our cabin-trip (and probably my favorite summer activity ever)

What’s Still Left

• Try 5 New Ice Cream Shops – OK, this one may have been a bit ambitious, but I’m up to the challenge to complete it… but it might take us into fall. 😉
  • I did check out MN Nice Cream this past Sunday for National Ice Cream Day. I’m a sucker for soft serve so this adorable little shop was a dream (and the aesthetic was so fun).
• Visit Elm Creek Swim Pond – this man-made, chlorinated lake has been one I’ve wanted to visit since finding out it existed. Hoping we can fit it in soon!
• Go to the Minnesota Zoo – I’m going to say this one might get a half check because Ivy and her daddy had a trip to the Como Zoo (we’re so lucky to have two zoos in the Twin Cities metro). I might be crossing this one off because hey, a zoo was still visited.
• Visit 2 New Spash Pads – we’ve gone to one so far this summer, although it’s not a “new” one to us…
• Make Homemade Ice Cream – this should be an easy one to cross off… (*putting note in calendar to get it done this week*)
• Attend 2 Parades – a half check here, we went to one on 4th of July and Ivy loved it! I need to search out when there’s another one we can attend since we missed our local city parade while we were out of town.
• Run Through the Sprinkler
• Visit the Farmer’s Market – this should be an easy one since our city has a farmer’s market every Thursday. I guess I have more notes to add to my calendar.
• Make Homemade Popsicles – I’m the mom that pins all the recipes and doesn’t do anything with them… best start moving on these homemade treats!
  • I just came across this yummy recipe recipe for healthy funfetti pops on Baby Foode that I think I’ll make
• Have a Pool Day
• Trip to Hempker Park & Zoo – my best friend sent me a link to this place and we’ve been meaning to plan our trip there ever since.
• Trip to Fawn Doe Rosa – the cutest petting zoo with deer who want to snuggle right up to you (or so I’ve heard).
• Run in the Rain/Jump in Puddles – we’ve had multiple opportunities but I always forget to get out and do it.
• Go Fishing – this might not get a check; I was hoping this was something we could do on the family cabin trip but we never made it out to fish.
• Watch Fireworks – I should have know this would be hard with a two-year-old.
• Photo Shoot in Field of Wildflowers – might be settling for a field for strawberries for this one…
• Participate in a 5K – errr… I better get training for this one if it’s going to happen.
• Attend a Movie in the Park – I think there’s more of these in August that we’ll be able to check out, when the sun doesn’t set quite as late.

I’ve already started writing down ideas for our fall bucket list but looking at the “what’s still left” list has me thinking I need to focus on scheduling more of those activities first.

Did you pull together a summer bucket list for you and/or your family this year? If so, what activities have you crossed off and what are you still hoping to do? Also, if you have any fun fall ideas, comment them below so I can add them to my list!