Summer is all about spending time with the ones you love and making fun memories to go along with it! Every year at the end of school I sit down with my children, and we create a summer bucket list together. They add a few things they want to do, and I do as well. When we make our list, we try to incorporate indoor and outdoor activities, so we have options on rainy days as well.

Summer Bucket List Ideas:

  1. Roller skating and ice-skating rinks are so much fun all year around. This is great to do when it’s raining or extremely warm outside. Your local roller-skating and ice-skating rink should offer open skating times; it’s usually an hour or so during the daytime.
  2. Pottery painting is an absolute favorite in our home. Now that my children are a bit older this activity works great for our whole family. We have several pottery places local to us that offer different workshops, some even offer camp. This activity is a great way to keep your child creative during the summer months. Check out The Clay Room in Brookline.
  3. Blueberry picking always makes the list! We LOVE picking and eating blueberries and we always follow it up with baking blueberry muffins together. Additionally, this is a great way for your child to pull out their math skills with measuring and counting. Here is a great recipe for blueberry muffins.
  4. Arcade and movies are always a win! In Hanover, MA there is Ryan’s Amusement next to the Hanover Movie Theater, which is very convenient. This is a great thing to do with friends!
  5. A day at the Zoo is always a hit with my animal loving girls. We love Franklin Park Zoo, Rodger Williams, and Southwick Zoo. If you have smaller children and you are looking for a smaller zoo, Capron and Buttonwood are great!
  6. Island Creek in Duxbury is my Mom addition to the bucket list. They have many picnic tables right on the water and a food truck. This is a great lunch and dinner spot that you can not only bring the kids, but also your pup!
  7. Live music and dinner at the park. We love going to Forge Park in Hanover on Tuesday evenings; we call it no cook Tuesday. They have food trucks with dinner and dessert options. The kids like to bring a ball or their bike to play in the open fields while listening to the live music.
  8. Beach days and fishing are a perfect summer activity. We love to go to the beach during the day and sometimes we go in the evening and grab a pizza on the way. Then we spend the night swimming, crab hunting and fishing.
  9. An old-fashioned backyard water day is a must every summer. Fill up some water balloons, break out the slip and slide, water table, and bubble machine! Don’t forget to have some popsicles on hand too!
  10. Pick a favorite museum to visit over the summer. We love the Boston Museum of Science. There is also Boston Children’s Museum, The New England Aquarium, and the Fine Arts Museum.
  11. Day trips to Cape Cod or your local beach are a must! Crane Beach in Ipswich or Good Harbor Beach in Glouster are great spots.
  12. Go for a family hike. Pick a trail your child is capable of so they enjoy it as well. Make sure it is not too steep and is under three miles. Try hiking around Walden Pond in Concord, MA, heading over to Needham Town Forest, or walking along the Esplanade next to the Charles River.
  13. Check when the circus may be coming to town! This is such a fun summer memory to create that the kids will be sure to share with their friends.
  14. Have you ever been to Story Land or Santa’s Village? Head up to New Hampshire for the weekend and try out one of these kids’ amusement parks. Story land is a blast with kid rides, shows, and characters such as Cinderella and Daniel Tiger. Santa’s Village also has rides, but also a water park, visit with Santa, reindeer feeding, and a holiday light show all year round!
  15. Pick a fair near you. I always remember as a kid going to a fair before heading back to school; some even come to town in early autumn, such as the Topsfield fair. So, try the Bolton fair or Martha’s Vineyard fair this August for lots of family fun!

The summer speeds by; be present in all the moments and ENJOY! Kids only get 18 summers in their childhood. Make memories as often as you can as the days and years go by fast. How many of these summer bucket list items can your family check off!?

Parents, settle your childcare before the school year starts. Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny is offering a summer promotion of 20% off for nanny placement confirmed by 9/03/2023.

About The Author

Jaclyn Capilli has over 10 years experience working with children. After graduating from Curry College with her Bachelor Degree she worked as a paraprofessional in a special need’s classroom. Then while in Graduate school at Cambridge College she nannied for a local family for 3 years. After moving back to the South Shore she worked for Head Start for 5 plus years while nannying for a local family. She is now a mother of two and is working for Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny. She owns Jaclyn Nicole Photography, a photography business in the South Shore. In her free time she likes reading, going for hikes and making memories with her daughters.