June 21, 2019.
Because checking items off a list of fun things you’ve always wanted to do is better than making New Year’s resolutions anyway.
A super-sized summer bucket list with something for everyone
Want to get the most out of this list? Aim for a healthy mix of summer fun with a few DIY activities that’ll make you feel accomplished by the end of the season:
1. Act like a tourist.
In your own city or in one close by: Start with national landmarks you’ve been meaning to visit and end by Googling a “local’s guide to [your city].”
2. Adopt a new sleep habit.
Get more daytime exercise. Go to bed an hour earlier. Use essential oils to wind down. The options are endless.
3. Alphabetize anything.
Start with a shelf of books and work up to a kitchen pantry. You’ll be thanking your past self later.
4. Attend a food truck event or visit a food truck park.
5. Bury a time capsule.
Fill it with mementos from everything summer ’19.
6. Camp out in the backyard.
7. Clean out your closets and donate.
8. Create a DIY craft rack.
There’s a multitude of ways to tame your craft table, making it usable and accessible for summertime activities.
9. Decorate the lawn with stars and stripes.
Save this one for the Fourth of July or whenever the patriotic spirit moves you. Sifted flour lawn stars are a thing.
10. Do sunrise yoga on the porch.
Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash
11. Download new audiobooks for bedtime.
Audiobooks are trending on Pinterest to help parents wean kids from the screen. Use Audible or download for free from your local library.
12. Find a cause and volunteer.
13. Have a driveway sparkler party.
14. Have a water balloon fight.
Use crochet water balloon covers on those days you want to stay dry.
15. Hit up a drive-in movie.
16. Hit up the dollar store and get organized.
These 200 DIY dollar store organizing ideas should keep you busy.
17. Host a donut decorating party.
Cookie decorating parties are to Christmas what donut decorating parties are to summer.
18. Host a neighborhood swap party.
19. Get a water bottle rack.
Odds and ends like water bottles are more likely to be used when they’re in plain sight.
20. Get on the road to nowhere.
Summer may be the only season when you have enough free time to pack up the car and the kids without a destination in mind.
21. Get up to watch the sunrise.
Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash
22. Go on a hike.
23. Go strawberry picking.
Pro tip: Search for “pick your own strawberry farms” in your state.
24. Go to a bonfire.
25. Go to an outdoor concert.
Plenty of cities host free outdoor summer concert series at local parks or amphitheaters, with lawn chairs, coolers, and picnic blankets welcome.
26. Go to a local sports game on family night.
27. Go to the roller rink.
28. Go to the zoo in a nearby city.
You’ve probably been to your local zoo more than once, so any zoo within a 90-mile radius might be worth the drive.
29. Impress friends with a new kitchen trick.
Insta-soft butter, anyone? Bet you haven’t tried most of these no-brainer kitchen hacks.
30. Learn a skill at the library.
Skip the storytime and scope out free classes: Options like baby yoga, knitting, cosplay, tai chi, and video editing may vary by region.
31. Locate a local hot spring.
Searches for R&R in the form of hot springs are also trending on Pinterest, with many states having access to one of nature’s heated pools within a short drive.
32. Mail a handwritten letter.
33. Make a blanket fort and watch a movie marathon.
34. Make an epic lemonade stand.
Lemonade ice cubes. Lemon-flavored cupcakes. A traveling lemonade wagon. Lemon-lime Gatorade for extra-hot weather. Need we continue?
35. Make art with items found in nature.
36. Make dinner using only farmer’s market ingredients.
37. Make s’mores outdoors.
Talk about fun. Download LoanFly, input your info, and find out how much house you can afford poolside — or wherever you happen to be.
38. Make your own cleaning products to save money.
DIY recipes that include carpet cleaner, air freshener, and dishwasher detergent are safe, eco-friendly, and basically free.
39. Make your own dryer balls to save energy.
Backed by the U.S. Department of Energy, DIY wool dryer balls cut down on drying time and help reduce the consumption of excess energy.
40. Make your own ice cream.
41. Master the 30-minute drywall fix.
A simple spackling and primer kit and a half hour of your time can have your house looking like new again.
42. Pack a breakfast picnic for the beach.
42. Paint a wall.
Today’s most popular non-neutral paint colors — like Dorset Gold, Caliente Red, and Hale Navy — might be better introduced as an accent wall before changing a room’s color scheme.
43. Perfect your summer playlist.
44. Pick one room to declutter.
45. Pick up a new pack hack.
Are you KoniMari-ing your suitcase so you can fly through security? You could be.
46. Preserve memories and throw out hard copies.
Use a service that transfers kids’ art into coffee table books and free yourself from storage bins filled with paper.
47. Quit one paid activity or service you no longer need.
48. Register for a grown-up or ‘Kid K.’
Kid K runs are often attached to adult 5K and longer distance races and usually come with fun music, characters, gear, and goodies to keep kids motivated.
49. Relax with a DIY spa day.
50. Research a new side gig.
Put together a plan to start earning some extra cash for Christmas or to pay down debt once school’s back in swing.
51. Restore that piece of furniture sitting in your garage.
52. Ride in a boat.
53. Road trip to a famous foodie destination.
One of Frommer’s “Great American Food Trail” road trips will take you there. Or, just plug your location into TV Food Maps and see what comes up.
54. ‘Seasonalize’ your closets.
Store heavier items and move lighter pieces to the front so all family members can pick and choose more easily.
55. Set aside a weekend to clean the gutters.
Doing this can help you avoid exorbitant repair costs caused by water damage and preserve your home’s resale value.
56. Set a new financial goal and start a budget.
57. Shop for secondhand puzzles and board games.
Waiting to see if any pieces are missing is half of the fun.
58. Spend the afternoon at an art gallery.
59. Spend the day at the lake.
60. Spend the day at an amusement park.
61. Start a summer book club.
Send out the invites now, and you might be able to knock out a quarter of The Washington Post’s 20 books to read this summer.
62. Swap out old containers.
For dried goods and baking ingredients, clear containers are everything. Cute labels are even better.
63. Take a full 24 hours off social media.
64. Take a nap outside.
65. Teach a man kid to fish.
66. Try a new recipe.
Test out a healthy dessert like this gooey chocolate zucchini sheet cake, and your kids might not know the difference.
67. Try kayaking.
68. Try skydiving.
Outdoor, if you’re feeling adventurous. Indoor, if you want to have a blast and still play it safe.
69. Try your hand at face painting.
70. Use an organizing hack to double your room.
Turning IKEA bed slats into a wall hanger costs $10 and is a clever way to get back your floor space.
71. Visit a national park.
72. Watch a full moon rise.
The Strawberry Moon just passed, but there are many more full moons to look forward to in 2019.
73. Whip up a family-friendly mocktail.
Treat kids and alcohol-free guests to a raspberry-lime slush or a watermelon mojito at your next summer bash.
Say hello to summer & goodbye to paying your landlord’s mortgage
You’re always going to be paying someone’s mortgage. Why not have it be yours? Breaking the rent cycle and buying a house gives you the golden opportunity to start building your equity, i.e., your own investment in your own property that can grow significantly in just a few years. Summer’s a time when the livin’ is easy, and it’s possible to find an affordable mortgage and get home in 10 days. Click here to connect with a local loan officer who can show you how.
For educational purposes only. Please contact your qualified professional for specific guidance.
Sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed.