Summer Bucket List Ideas for Teens.

Ahhh.. we had our first real taste of summer this weekend. I am so excited for the season. The days are longer, our schedules are relaxed and we live life at a different pace. The kids are out of school in a few short weeks and it is time for me to create my summer bucket list.

When my boys were small, I had an endless list of things I wanted to accomplish over the summer. It would include play dates at the playground, a day at a spray park, the children’s museum, etc. Now that R&N are 18 and 14, it gets a bit harder to come up with something that we would all enjoy. It is not impossible, but it takes a bit more planning and in some cases more money. Below are some ideas I have planned for my boys and I would love to hear your own ideas.

• Hit the beach! We get up early, spend most of the day at the beach, have a yummy dinner, and hit an ice cream shop on our way home.
• Try a different ice cream shop each week. We love ice cream, and though we have our favorites, we want to explore and see what else is out there.
• Attend a professional sporting event, like a baseball game or soccer match. I see a visit to Fenway Park in the future.
• Be a tourist in your own capital city. This summer we plan on walking the Freedom Trail with the boys. We also want to check out the new wax museum and a few new restaurants that have opened up in town.
• Go for a hike.
• Have a family movie night outside. Rent a projector, set up a white sheet as a screen, make some popcorn and you are good to go.
• Attend a firework show. Every July 3rd, my family gathers at Gillette Stadium for the local fireworks put on by the Kraft family. Harvard Pilgrim puts on a 5 and 10k race, Finish at the 50, on the same night. I run the race, my family cheers me on and then we stay to watch the fireworks. We set up a picnic, meet friends, and ring in the 4th a day early.
• Visit an amusement or water park.
• Buy a metal detector and go hunting. My son received one as a birthday gift and we plan to use it this summer.
• Volunteer. This summer I am looking for someplace to take my boys to volunteer for the day.
• Take a road trip.
• Get a job. This applies to my 17-year-old, but with college around the corner, it is a good one.
• S’mores over a firepit.
• Spend time with extended family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
• Go to the drive-in movies.

These are just some of the ideas I have jotted down. Ultimately, each summer the list gets a bit longer and we never accomplish it all. However, as I look at it, we are never bored.

Tune in next week when I share what it is on my personal summer bucket list. Yes, I have one for me and one for the boys. Until next time, happy planning!