Summer is my favorite time of year. Creating ideas for a fun summer bucket list is something that I look forward to each May. The first thing I do is grab the bucket list from the previous ear. Then, I look over what is old, new and creative. To create a fun summer full of variety a creative mind is needed. My goal is to teach the kids to pivot off of what we have done and add to it.
How I add to it is to look at some of the ideas we had and expand on them. For instance, if we went hiking, then we would go hiking differently. Instead of always doing a water balloon fight, this year I added a water balloon game. Our sandcastles became a challenge that accrued a money prize as well as a dessert. For future years’ I will continue to add and tweak this activity. One reason is because we always go to the beach. On the other hand I like for them to build sandcastles so that we can build our sculpting skills with different textures. My third reason is so I can take a picture each year for our memory book. I’ll do a post on that another time.
Summer Bucket List of Fun
Thirty-two different bucket list ideas were on our bucket list this year. My husband did request that we approach them with fun and I had to put my goal setting personality aside. If it were up to me I would start that list and hastily work through it each day. Last year he said it felt more like a chore, so I relaxed a bit on the continuous activities.
It is hard though because when you look at how quickly time goes I am always afraid to miss something. My children are only young once and the past fifteen years have flown by quickly. Making sure their childhood is full of enriching activities is my parenting goal. Oh, and the fact that the fun activities stay in our below our budget. That is always a plus!
Easy Ways to Add Water Fun to Your Backyard
There are so many water activities that involve the garden hose. We used to get drinks out of the hose, and you will understand that if you were born in the 70’s. This summer before it ends add a DIY water slide to your fun, and for kicks sprinkle some olive oil on it.
My sons’ loved the oil idea. Adding in safety goggles and a few rules helped us to keep the slippery fun safe. I also had towels for them really close to the slide.
Sprinklers Are A Kids’ Best Friend
There are several games to play in the backyard with a water hose. Growing up, a sprinkler was a best friend on hot days. Many of my friends and I did not have pools, but getting wet to keep cool was important. We had slip and slide, water balloons, a sprinkler, and an all time favorite of throwing the hose over a clothesline.
Water bucket race is fun. Getting wet will happen so be ready. Fill up a bucket, then set up a start and finish line. Have the person hop, skip and do different activities to the finish line. Whoever has the most water left is the winner. Another fun water game is the water hose limbo. Use the hose as a limbo stick. Lower the water line each time the last person finishes.
Don’t Drop the Water Balloon Game
I used to love to play this game, especially like the two legged race. Add this fun game to your summer bucket list and the kids’ will love it! First, fill up several water balloons and have each person line up. My three sons’ line up in a row and place a water balloon between their knees. Next, I set up cones as a finish line, then they commence to waddle without dropping the balloon. If you drop the balloon, start over at the finish line. Fun tip is to fill up the balloon extra full. When it drops it breaks easily. Don’t forget the goal is to get wet!
Finally, my last suggestion to stay cool is the ever fun water guns. Nowadays they are more powerful, and a very good reminder like a nerf gun because the spray goes far. But, super soaker water guns will bring lots of wet fun to your backyard.
For more backyard tips on how to have backyard frugal fun as a family sign up for my newsletter, and follow me on Instagram @momsarefrugal.
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