46 Ways To Have Fun This Summer {plus a FREE printable}

I am totally one of those people who LOVES to-do lists.  I get a ridiculous amount of satisfaction when I put a little check mark next to something that is on my to-do list and sometimes I even add things to my to-do list that weren't there when I first made the list, just so that I can check it off.  Eat breakfast?  Check!  Brush teeth?  Check!  Make sure kids eat their veggies at dinnertime?  Double check!  ('Cause ya know, I have two kids...) *wink*

So it should come as no surprise that I'm also a big fan of bucket lists.  These are really the best kind of lists because they are all things that you want to do instead of things you have/need to do.  And really, what better time to make a bucket list than summertime?

Boating and playing on the beach at a local reservoir

Our family has a lot of things we like to do during the summer.  But sometimes I forget to plan something for the weekend or my husband's day off and then we end up either scrambling to find an activity or staying home and cleaning up the house or yard.  So in order to make sure we actually do lots of fun activities this summer, I've made a bucket list for our family.  It's all centered around activities we can do with our kids.

S'mores up the canyon with family

I think that by creating a list of activities to draw from, we can do more with the time we have together.  We are more likely to be intentional with our time since we know we don't have a lot of it available when my husband is home.  And planning ahead or having something to draw ideas from helps too.

Chalk Art Festival

In case you're having a hard time thinking of activities to add to your own bucket list, I've created a printable for you to, you know, print out and put somewhere you'll see like your fridge.  (Click HERE to print.)  When you do something, mark it off with a sticker, an X or a check mark.  You could even include the date you did it and then save your bucket lists from each year with a picture of each activity.  I think that would be a really fun summer scrapbook idea!

Of course, when it all comes down to it, it's not the check mark I get to put next to an activity once it's been done (although, yes, satisfying).  It's the memories and time spent together.  I've been feeling more and more that time goes by so fast and the time we have with our kids is really pretty limited.  So go ahead and check out my bucket list or make one of your own and see how many memories you can make this summer!

What's on your bucket list?