Summer Bucket List for Kids + Printable (with Connecticut Links)

Making a summer bucket list is a fun and easy tradition to start the summer. This free and low-cost summer bucket list for kids will get you started!

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Have you ever had “end of summer” blues? That feeling that you somehow missed out on all the summer had to offer? Mama, if you truly want to squeeze all the lovely juice from summer, slow down and truly savor it! Stop chasing something elusive, and instead, intentionally fill everyone’s cup.

One way is by planning ahead for a little summer fun. You’ve heard of summer bucket lists before, but I suggest a different approach than a race to “do it all.” Instead, make a family bucket list that hits everybody’s sweet spot: each family member picks 1-2 items for the list. Spend the summer enjoying this “short list” of activities. At the end of summer, I think you’ll find the whole family feels satisfied.

After everyone picks their activities, it’s a good idea to make a loose schedule. Mark major events on the calendar so you can see where you have open time to fit in activities. You’ll need to plan ahead for things that require tickets or travel time. Don’t forget to plan a few alternate ideas for rainy days!

Need a printable to plan and track your adventures! There’s a FREE DOWNLOAD at the end of this post!
Take me to the download!

Summer Bucket List for Kids & Families

To help you create the perfect, peaceful Summer Bucket List for kids, I have a host of ideas to start with.

Plus, if you live in Connecticut, the links are for LOCAL places that match the ideas! Updates in red for 2024

Most of these summer bucket list for kids can be done anywhere in the U.S. For my local readers, I have Connecticut-area links! All the ideas here are free or low cost (some make use of library passes, so you’ll have to check your area to be sure!).

• 💰 indicates the activity may cost a small fee (generally under $5/person).
• ⭐️ suggests you could search for a pass that may give you free or discounted tickets.

Outdoor activities to put on your Summer Bucket List

Outdoor at Home

• Have a backyard campout
• Keep a nature journal! Look for butterflies, ladybugs, and birds! (Check out my bird watching for kids guide)
• Make s’mores – Use a backyard firepit to have a safe fire at home!
• Make gigantic bubbles

Outdoor Water Fun

• Play at the beach! Here’s some of our Connecticut favorites – parking is free for CT registered vehicles!
  • Harkness Memorial State Park
  • Old Saybrook Town Beach and Tom’s Beach are small local spots for beach play.
  • Hammonassett State Park
  • Bluff Point – a hike/bike-in beach
  • Eastbury Pond in Glastonbury
• Build a sand castle – In your sandbox or at the beach!
  • Bring these favorite items for the beach and pool or keep it minimal with these must-have swim items for kids.
• Fly a kite – Hammonassett State Park is great for this, and Riverfront Park in Glastonbury as well!
• Cool off at a splash pad
  • Wolcott Park in Newington is clean with a playground adjacent. Read a detailed review at Out and About Mom.
  • Nevers Park is a new one in CT!
•  Swim at your local pool – check your town for resident and non-resident pass requirements.

Outdoor Nature Fun

• Hike a trail – Use the AllTrails App to see what is local. Don’t forget this essential hiking gear!
  • We love the rails-to-trails easy walking trail in Bolton at Steele’s Crossing Road and Airline State Park in East Hampton.
• Find a waterfall – there are dozens of hidden waterfalls in Connecticut just a short hike away!
• Go cloud watching
  • Elizabeth Park is lovely, and the big hill at Wickham Park ($ parking) in Manchester is not to be missed!
• Visit a farm
  • 💰Try Fish Family Farm in Bolton or Hurst Family Farm in Andover.
• Go on a picnic
  • Hill-stead Museum in Farmington has a lovely sunken garden to tour (picnic outside the garden)
  • Wickham Park in Manchester has themed gardens, playgrounds, trails, and an aviary! ($ parking, or walk in).
• 💰 Pick strawberries – we love these berry patches in eastern Connecticut:
  • Rose’s Berry Farm
  • Belltown Hill Orchards
  • Pesce Farm in Bolton (picking is back on this year-follow them on FB to stay updated!)
• 💰 Pick blueberries – see above!

Outdoor Local Fun

• 💰 Visit a farmer’s market
• Have fun at a cool inclusion playground like Jonathan’s Dream in West Hartford.
• Ride bikes – Pick a paved rails-to-trails spot or get a little off-road on a gravel trail. Older kids might like to mountain bike or go bike-packing!
• Watch fireworks!! (Here’s a list of fireworks in Connecticut 2023!)
• 💰⭐️Visit the zoo
  • Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is small and doesn’t have exotic animals, but good for a day trip.
  • The Bronx Zoo is in NY not CT, but is large and tree-shaded, perfect for walking.
  • In RI, the Roger Williams Park Zoo has a huge hands on playground called The Big Backyard in addition to animals!
• 💰⭐️Watch trains!
  • the Connecticut Trolley Museum is exciting!
  • Or the Danbury Railway Museum!
• Attend an outdoor concert – these are often FREE!
• 💰 Watch a baseball game
  • Hartford’s minor league team, the Yard Goats!
  • The New Britain Bees play in the former Rock Cats stadium.
• 💰 Go mini-golfing
• 💰 Run a race – The Summer Grand Prix Cross Country is a fun 5-night series at Wickham Park. Kids can do the 1 mile, adults the 2.6 cross country race.
• 💰 Ride a carousel – Visit The Carousel in Bushnell Park! This vintage 1914 carousel is open JUNE – AUGUST Thurs-Sundays 12-5PM – Rides are $2 (last I checked!)
• 💰 Ride a real pony – look for a local farm that offers pony rides.

Indoor Activities for your Summer Bucket List

These indoor activities for your summer bucket list are perfect for rainy days!

Indoor Fun at Home

• Have a play date in the car – Fold the seats down, lay out some blankets. Then watch a movie on a portable DVD player and have a snack!
• Do science experiments in the kitchen!
• Prepare homemade jams – you know, after you pick berries? 🙂
• Play a board game!
  • These games boost brain power and are perfect for single players
  • Traditional puzzles are fun to do together
• Learn a new craft
  • Craft kits are perfect to have on hand for rainy days
  • My kids loved this DIY Marbled Paper craft
• Create an indoor obstacle course
• Listen to Classical Music and draw – your kids will get hooked on these narrated classical music CDs!
• 💰Solve an Escape Room Puzzle Game! (Perfect for ages 7-12)
• Enjoy a Rainy Day! It summer, so it’s bound to happen! Here’s 25 rainy day ideas!

Indoor Fun Out & About

• Visit the library – libraries offer so many amenities and the coolest playrooms these days!
• 💰⭐️Visit a local art or history museum
  • Here’s a list of FREE Museums by State – plug your state into the search bar, then filter by “FREE”!
  • Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford has free hours 4-5 on Thursday-Sunday. Their Family Tours are often free.
• Complete a summer book challenge! One year we set a goal to read 100 books, but pick your own number and go for it. Also, most libraries have programs with fun goodie bags and prizes!
• 💰⭐️ Visit a kid’s museum – these special spaces are packed with kid-sized fun!
  • Kidcity in Middletown
  • Stepping Stones in Norwalk
  • West Hartford’s The NEW Children’s Museum
  • Manchester’s The Lutz Museum
  • I hear Imagine Nation in Bristol is amazing for little ones!
• 💰⭐️ Go to the aquarium
  • Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk has seal feedings, sharks, and a 4D theater, plus a sting ray petting tank and more!
  • Mystic Aquarium has marsh trails, penguins, and a cute little shopping village next door, plus an awesome habitats exhibit!

Fun with Food in the Summer

• 💰 Eat ice cream
  • MilkCraft Bubble Waffles have to make it onto your list! So scrumptious!
  • Robb’s Farm in South Glastonbury is a favorite for homemade ice cream
  • Mystic Seaport is a great spot! Grab an ice cream and watch the drawbridge go up and down!
  • Dom’s Creamery in Avon is a new favorite for us!
• 💰 Go out to breakfast – sometimes local farms will have summer breakfast offerings, so look around for something interesting for your mornings.

What’s on your Summer Bucket List? 

If you’re in Connecticut, what do you recommend?

Get the Summer Checklist Printable

Want a handy checklist so you always have ideas? This printable includes 30 general ideas for summer fun. Let your kids help you plan your week by picking a few off this list. They are general enough that you can fit them to your time, budget, and local area.

Fill out the form, and your free checklist will pop up in a new browser window. Download and print!