Fun Summer Bucket List For Toddlers With Free Printable
Summer is finally here! Make the most of it with this fun summer bucket list for toddlers! Make sure to download the free printable summer bucket list so you are never without fun ideas you can do with your little one during these long summer days.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure and privacy policy.
The toddler years are oh so short, and so very sweet. They are full of exciting first times and new experiences for these little ones getting to know the world around them. You will never regret spending quality time (and lot’s of it!) during these formative years as a whole family making memories together.
This toddler summer bucket list is broken down into three different sections:
- Free list of fun activities
- Budget friendly summer bucket list ideas for toddlers
- Indoor summer bucket list activities for rainy days
Free List of Summer Fun Activities
Everything in this list you can do for free! You might need some supplies for some of the things on here, but hopefully for the most part you already have everything at home. But even if you don’t, they are failrly inexpensive things if you wanted to get the little extra things.
- Go on a nature walk.
- Organize a scavenger hunt in your backyard.
- Head down to your local library for story hour.
- Go play at a splash pad.
- Watch a parade.
- Fly a kite at your local park.
- Have a picnic in your backyard.
- Watch fireworks on the 4th of July.
- Build an obstacle course in your back yard using chairs, buckets, tree stumps, cardboard boxes, ropes, or whatever else you have on hand. Get creative!
- Turn on the sprinklers and run through them.
- Turn on some music and have a dance party!
- Go find a new playground you’ve never been to before.
- Set out the tent and camp-out in your backyard for a night.
- Bird watch.
- Grab a bucket filled with water and some old (clean) paint brushes and “paint” a fence or shed.
- Set up a pouring station with different sized containers like, cups, pitchers, and buckets. This activity keeps toddlers entertained for quite a while.
- Make lemonade from scratch.
- Play soccer in the backyard.
- Make popsicles out of juice you already have at home.
- Gather sticks and build an evening fire to roast marshmallows.
- Have an opposite day. Dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner.
- Stay up late and watch the stars on a weekend night.
- Find a free movie at the park event in your community.
RELATED: 115 AWESOME MOM AND TEENAGE SON ACTIVITIES
- Play with Playdough. Here’s a playdough recipe to make your own at home.
- Play with bubbles.
- Make a bird feeder with empty rolls of toilet paper or pinecones, peanut butter, and bird seed.
- Play catch.
- Play hide-and-seek.
- Paint rocks.
- Play chase.
- Finger paint.
- Join your local library’s summer reading program. It is never too early to start young children on the love of books.
- Make mud pies.
- Organize a play date with cousins or friends.
- Go to grandma’s house.
- Go on a bike ride.
- Pick wild flowers.
- Take silly pictures together. Bonus points if you let the toddler take all the pictures.
- Go to home depot on a saturday morning and do the craft projects….It’s free!
- Set out a water table or if you don’t have one, fill a plastic bin with water with some floaty toys or balls.
- Catch bugs in the back yard. Here’s a super cute little bug house you can put them in.
- Feed ducks at the park.
- Set out a lemonade stand in your front yard.
- Make a yummy dessert together.
Budget friendly summer bucket list ideas for toddlers
This section is the ultimate summer bucket list because it is filled with creative summer adventures for the whole family, but all things you can do with toddlers.
The best part is that everything is pretty budget friendly, so hopefully the extra cost (compared to the free list above) is not a deal breaker for some of us budget minded families.
- Go play mini golf or bowling. Check bowling alleys in your city, most will have discounted days or even free days for kids during the summer months.
- Go to the farmers market and buy fresh food straight from a farmer. Then go for a picnic at the park.
- Go to the zoo.
- Visit the aquarium.
- Plan a visit to a green house and buy some seedlings. Then go home and plant a little garden together.
- Take a short weekend road trip and make lots of family memories.
- Take mom and tot swim lessons.
- Plan a lake or beach day.
- Go to the county fair and visit the petting zoo.
- Visit a national park.
- Have a water balloon fight. This is great for kids of all ages, even teenagers!
- Go to an amusement park.
- Visit a “pick your own” fruit farm.
RELATED: 25 DAY FAMILY CHRISTMAS BUCKET LIST PRINTABLE
- This is a great idea but takes a little planning ahead…..order this butterfly growing kit and watch caterpillars slowly turn into beautiful butterflies.
- Celebrate national ice cream day (in July) and make homemade ice cream together.
- Go to the planetarium.
- Color outside with sidewalk chalk.
- Go to a trampoline park.
- Hike up a toddler friendly river.
- Go to a waterfall.
- Go out for snow cones.
- Go to a children’s museum.
- Visit a historic site.
- Go fishing.
- Go watch a baseball game.
- Spend the day at a fun pool and swim all day.
- Go listen to an outdoor live music event. Most cities have free events during summer months.
- Take a train ride. Little kids love trains!
- Take a boat ride.
Summer Bucket List For Toddlers
Indoor summer bucket list activities for rainy days
Rainy days call for a bit more intentionality on our part as parents. Here’s some fun stuff you can do when the weather is not quite what yo want it to be.
- Play musical chairs with the whole family.
- Set out a sensory bin.
- Build a fort in your living room.
- Make a video interview of your toddler. Here’s a list of questions you can ask.
- Play in the rain and jump in puddles!
- Bake cookies.
- Play with stickers. This is a great activity to develop fine motor skills.
- Camp out in the living room for a night.
- Pretend play.
- Jump on the bed.
- Print some fun coloring pages and color together.
- Have a silly face contest.
- Have a nerf gun fight.
- Watch family movies.
- Face time the grandparents.
- Make crafts.
- Eat on the living room floor, picnic style.
- Sit on the front porch and watch the lightning.
- Take a bubble bath.
- Learn something new together, like a few words in another language or a new song.
- Play twister.
- Make paper bag puppets.
- Have a pillow fight.
- Do a toddler friendly science experiment.
RELATED: The eight simple toddler “MUST HAVES” you actually need!
- Gather toys that are no longer played with to donate. It’s good for you to include your child in this so they feel like they have a say and learn to let things go that they no longer need.
- Play with musical instruments. Or if you don’t have any at home, get creative with pots and pans and wooden spoons.
- You want to be mindful of screen time but a little bit is okay. Make pop corn from scratch and watch a movie together.
- Make water color art.
- Play a memory game.
- Play with puzzles.
- freeze fruit into ice cubes.
Create Your Own Summer Bucket List
Everyone’s family and summer schedule is different.
Maybe not everything on this list will fit with your lifestyle. So take some inspiration from it and make your own list of things you would like to do with your littles.
Choose and take the ideas from this list that sound like the most fun and that fit in your budget.
If you have older kids, include them in the planning, I bet they will help you come up with the perfect summer activity to add to the list!
This way, everyone gets a vote on fun family trips and activities for the summer.
Print the list! This free summer bucket list I’m offering you here or one you make yourself, and put it on the wall somewhere everyone can see it.
Cross each thing off the list as you complete it.
I would LOVE to hear some of the favorite things you do with your family this summer! Drop them down in the comments section, or better yet tag me on instagram @keeper.of.our.home and show me what fun things you and your family are up to!
Until next time friends!
