I realized a couple days ago that this is our sixth year of doing summer fun club, or our family summer bucket list for kids! It’s been such a fun way for us to have some low-key and fun goals over summer break. I never want to overload my kids with activities, and I want them to have plenty of unstructured time to play. But this has been a great way to make sure we take advantage of the long days to do some fun activities, diversify our reading, and learn a bit along the way.
Our kids love and look forward to Summer Fun Club each year, too. For instance, while they’re welcome to do a science project any time, there’s something exciting and extra fun about seeing it on a list. (One kiddo has already asked if he could make a solar s’mores oven!)
And while they generally choose all their own books through the year, this is a fun time for me to consider their interests and needs and choose some excellent, varied, diverse literature for them. I love it and it’s helped them find lots of new favorites (and some that aren’t their favorites, but that are still good for them to read ;)).
What Does The Family Summer Bucket List Involve?
We have 7 Summer Fun Club categories: Fun, Athletic, Reading, Life Skills, Academic, Arts, and Service & Faith. Many of the items are things we’d do anyway (like go on a picnic or play in the sprinklers or do swim team), some are fun reminders (do their online watercolor class, practice coding), and a few give them a push to carve out time for something that’s good to learn (First Aid class, learn to tie a tie, change the batteries in the smoke detector). And lots are things that are just ways for us to connect as a family (play tennis, make ice cream).
When they complete the tasks at the end of the summer, they get to choose a special activity with Mom & Dad. In the past, these have included things like a trip to our local theme park, dinner out at a fancy restaurant, a waterpark visit, or even a special bike ride and a treat.
Our 2022 Bucket List for Kids
Here are the items on my kids’ lists this year! And if you’d like a blank document to fill in your own, you can pop in your email below. When you open it, just go to File > Make a Copy to save your own copy that you can edit.
Family Fun Summer Goals
This category is the same for everyone and is maybe the most important! It’s so nice to have a few simple activities to look forward to, and it helps the kids get excited and have good attitudes, too.
- Watch a family movie in the backyard
- Visit a museum
- Make ice cream
- Go to the beach
- Play in the sprinklers/slip n slide
- Go fruit picking
- Go camping
- Do tent day
- Roast s’mores
- Have a play date
- Visit Great America & Gilroy Gardens
- Play badminton
- Go to a baseball game
- Do sidewalk chalk & blow bubbles
- Write a letter to a grandparent
- Play a board game
- Go on a bike ride
- Have a picnic
11 Year Old Summer Goals
LIFE SKILLS
- Create a menu & make a family dinner
- Create a basic budget in Excel
- Take Red Cross Babysitting Course + CPR/first aid
- Put together the grocery delivery order based on the weekly menu
- Navigate us somewhere with a paper map
- Help pack for Alaska trip
READING
I usually choose 3-4 books each for my kiddos to read, and then they choose plenty of others on their own. Since we’ll be driving to Alaska this year (and thus spending 9 million hours in the RV), I’ve included a few more than normal since they’ll have lots of reading time. 🙂
- Books of your choice + GCBC read alouds
- The Last Mapmaker (aloud)
- Birchbark House series (aloud)
- Read a poem
- Freewater
- Moneyball
- The Impossible Rescue
- Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World
- March
- The Martian (Classroom Edition)
- The Crossover
- My Friend Flicka
- Julie of the Wolves or A Wolf Called Romeo
- From An Idea to LEGO
ATHLETIC
- Go on a hike
- Run a 5k
- Play tennis
- Do swim team
ACADEMIC
- Read through a Bravery magazine (biography)
- Do a science project
- Research an Alaska National Park & present to the fam
- Practice typing up to 50 wpm
- Keep a trip journal
- 3 coding lessons
- Review states & capitals
- Review Constitution Preamble
ARTS
- Learn about an artist & musician from GCBC
- Perform Bach double 1st mvmt 2nd violin part for fam
- 2 watercolor class lessons
- Do young woodworkers kit
SERVICE & FAITH
- 5 acts of service
- Give a Family Home Evening thought
- Memorize James 2:17-18
- Learn a hymn duet on the violin
9 Year Old Summer Goals
LIFE SKILLS
- Create a menu & make a family dinner
- Change the batteries in smoke detector & air filter
- Take Red Cross Babysitting Course
- Learn how to check the tire pressure
- Navigate us somewhere with Google Maps
- Help pack for Alaska trip
READING
I usually choose 3-4 books each for my kiddos to read, and then they choose plenty of others on their own. Since we’ll be driving to Alaska this year (and thus spending 9 million hours in the RV), I’ve included a few more than normal since they’ll have lots of reading time. 🙂
- Books of your choice + GCBC Read Alouds
- The Last Mapmaker (aloud)
- Birchbark House series (aloud)
- Read a poem
- Front Desk
- Shiloh
- A Wish in the Dark
- The Night Diary
- Starry River of the Sky
- Undefeated
- Running Wild
- Winnie’s Great War
ATHLETIC
- Go on a hike
- Run a 5k
- Play tennis
- Do swim team
ACADEMIC
- Read through a Bravery magazine (biography)
- Do a science project
- Research an Alaska National Park & present to the fam
- Master 3 Typing Club lessons
- Keep a trip journal
- 3 coding lessons
- Review states & capitals
- Review Constitution Preamble
ARTS
- Learn about an artist & musician from GCBC
- Perform Vivaldi concerto in A minor 1st mvmt for fam
- 2 watercolor class lessons
- Annie’s genius box or craft kit
SERVICE & FAITH
- 5 acts of service
- Give a Family Home Evening thought
- Memorize James 2:17-18
- Learn a hymn duet on the violin
7 Year Old Summer Goals
LIFE SKILLS
- Help create a menu & make a family dinner
- Learn to fully clean a bathroom
- Learn how to chop veggies safely & make scrambled eggs
- Learn to do laundry & do it twice
- Learn how to address an envelope
- Help pack for Alaska trip
READING
I usually choose 3-4 books each for my kiddos to read, and then they choose plenty of others on their own. Since we’ll be driving to Alaska this year (and thus spending 9 million hours in the RV), I’ve included a few more than normal since they’ll have lots of reading time. 🙂
- Books of your choice + GCBC Read Alouds
- The Last Mapmaker (aloud)
- Birchbark House series (aloud)
- Read a poem
- Charlotte’s Web
- Mr. Popper’s Penguins
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle
- Jane Goodall biography
- I Survived Courageous Creatures book
- Ten True Animal Rescues
- Balto and the Great Race
- A Whale of the Wild
ATHLETIC
- Go on a hike
- Run 1 mile
- Play tennis
- Do swim team
ACADEMIC
- Read through a Bravery magazine (biography)
- Do a science project
- Research an Alaska National Park & present to the fam
- Master 3 Typing Club lessons
- Keep a trip journal
- 3 coding lessons
- Review states & capitals
- Review Constitution Preamble
ARTS
- Learn about an artist & musician from GCBC
- Learn & perform Judas Maccabeus for fam
- 2 watercolor class lessons
- Do young woodworkers kit
SERVICE & FAITH
- 5 acts of service
- Give a Family Home Evening thought
- Memorize James 2:17-18
- Learn a hymn on the cello
4 Year Old Summer Goals
LIFE SKILLS
- Help create a menu & make a family dinner
- Learn how to crack eggs & make a PB sandwich
- Sort the laundry for the family
- Take out trash
- Learn about money coins
- Help pack for Alaska trip
READING
I usually choose 3-4 books each for my kiddos to read, and then they choose plenty of others on their own. Since we’ll be driving to Alaska this year (and thus spending 9 million hours in the RV), I’ve included a few more than normal since they’ll have lots of reading time. 🙂
- Books of your choice + GCBC read alouds
- The Last Mapmaker (aloud)
- Birchbark House series (aloud)
- Togo (aloud)
- Children of the First People (aloud)
- How Raven Got His Crooked Nose (aloud)
- Once Upon Alaska (aloud)
- Akiak (aloud)
- Balto early reader
ATHLETIC
- Go on a hike
- Swim the length of the pool
- Play tennis
- Practice riding balance bike
ACADEMIC
- Read through a Bravery magazine (biography)
- Do a science project
- Research an Alaska National Park & present to the fam
- Put together 1-100 train puzzle
- Practice writing family members’ names
- Do 3 coding lessons
- Keep a trip journal
- Go through lesson 80 of Teach Your Child to Read
- Learn states & capitals
- Learn Constitution Preamble
ARTS
- Learn about an artist & musician from GCBC
- Learn & perform Mississippi Hot Dog on violin for fam
- 2 watercolor class lessons
- Annie’s craft kit
SERVICE & FAITH
- 5 acts of service
- Give a Family Home Evening thought
- Memorize James 2:17-18
- Learn to sing Articles of Faith 1-4
2 Year Old Summer Goals
LIFE SKILLS
- Help make family dinner
- Make a PB sandwich
- Help switch laundry
- Wipe down bathroom counter
- Finish potty training
- Help pack for Alaska trip
READING
I usually choose 3-4 books each for my kiddos to read, and then they choose plenty of others on their own. Since we’ll be driving to Alaska this year (and thus spending 9 million hours in the RV), I’ve included a few more than normal since they’ll have lots of reading time. 🙂
- Books of your choice + GCBC read alouds
- The Last Mapmaker (aloud)
- Birchbark House series (aloud)
- Read 100 Picture Books
- Hats of Faith
- Mama, Do You Love Me?
- Sweetest Kulu
ATHLETIC
- Go on a hike
- Do swim lessons
- Play tennis
- Practice riding scooter
ACADEMIC
- Count to 20
- Do a science project
ARTS
- Learn about an artist & musician from GCBC
- Learn to sing ABCs
- Paint a picture
- Cut leaves with scissors
SERVICE & FAITH
- 5 acts of service
- Give a Family Home Evening thought
- Memorize James 2:17-18
- Learn to sing Articles of Faith 1
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