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with at least eight snow days to make up this year, it's taken a while, but school is finally out for the summer here in Maine. We try to do our best balancing camps, planned fun and unstructured play, as we try the most of our precious summer days. No matter what though come September I always seem to be baffled that it's over and by all the things we didn't get a chance to do. For the past couple years we've made a Bucket List of activities (large and small) that we'd ideally like to squeeze in. Good chance they won't all happen but it's always fun to think about and it's nice to have a list of ideas and be inspired on those days where I'm feeling the least bit creative. This year I decided to make Summer bucket list sticks with the kids, here's what we did:
Have fun brainstorming your list of fun
Take some time to brainstorm your wish list of Summer fun with your kiddos. Be sure to include some smaller activities like making s'mores or playing with sidewalk chalk and maybe a few bigger ones like a trip to a waterpark if it's feasible with your plans and budget. Your kiddos may need a little guidance (i.e. not including every theme park they know) although I will say I was surprised with the amount of simple activities my kids were requesting like fishing, lemonade stands and planting a garden etc. Have fun with the list and enjoy the time collaborating on ideas. If you need some inspiration, I've included a list of ideas below!
Get your supplies
Supplies are simple and inexpensive for this project; most of them I was able to pick up at target. Here's what you'll need:
- Jumbo wood popsicle sticks
- Washi tape in summer colors
- Colorful fine tip sharpie markers
- a pail or bucket of some sort to store your finished sticks
Start crafting
The great thing about this project is that it's really basic and virtual no mess. Wrap the top of each stick (the number of sticks you wrap will depend on the number of activities on your bucket list) with wash tape using a variety of colors or patterns. Once you've wrapped the tops, using your sharpies you'll want to write an activity from your list on a stick. Once you've finished your sticks, store them in a beach pail or bucket of your choice and keep them in a special spot for frequent use this summer.
Research and round up the items you need for summer
Many of our activities require gear and research, now is a good time to round up what you need to be prepared. This could include finding discounted tickets to the local water park, finding the right swimsuit on sale or making sure you have all the necessary safety gear. One of our favorite items to have on hand is the Stearns® Puddle Jumper® 3D Life Jacket. We love the versatility and comfort this jacket offers, taking kiddos from the boat to the beach without having to change. We've found it to be the a great swim aid and we of course love that it's a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for all our days on the water. We started using a Puddle Jumper® life jacket five years ago with our oldest who is now an independent swimmer, we are currently using it with our middle guy, and we're just about to purchase another for our youngest. Puddle Jumper® life jackets are rated for kiddos weighing 30-50lbs.
Calvin picked out his newest Puddle Jumper® at Target last week. They had some really cute ones with 3-D characters on the front. He was pumped to find one with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® !
Put the sticks to use
Now that school is out for the summer it's time to put these sticks to use. Feel free to use them in anyway that works for your family. Use them on a day where you’re indecisive; pull out a stick at random to determine your activity for the day or you can use them as a visual checklist removing the stick once the activity has been done, anything goes!
Now I want to hear what's on your Summer Bucket List! Leave a comment with your Bucket List ideas. Happy Summer!