Looking for some fun things to put on a summer bucket list? Keep reading for my 100+ Best Summer Bucket List Ideas 2024 (For Couples, Family, Friends, or Solo). Find some summer bucket list inspiration below. There’s something for everyone!
100+ Best Summer Bucket List Ideas 2024
This is the ultimate summer bucket list you’ve been looking for. I have a little something for everyone – from couples to families (teens, kids, AND parents) to friends to YOU!
The best part of the summer is the one you make the best. Choose activities below that help you get out of your comfort zone, switch up your energy, and make the most out of life!
Feel free to use my summer bucket or use the ideas here to make your own summer bucket list.
๐ Pin your favorite graphics to your Pinterest summer or self care board or add it to your vision board.
Food Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List
Not only are fruits and vegetables typically more nutritious and flavorful in season, it’s so fun to enjoy summer foods! Here are some food ideas that are great for a hot day or the summer season in general.
1. Grill out
2. Make a watermelon salad: Watermelon is delicious on its own, but have you tried it on a salad? Try this watermelon salad recipe or make these salad bites for a potluck or easy appetizer.
3. Have a picnic
4. Make lemonade: A standard summer drink. If you want a twist on a classic, try my sparkling lemonade recipe. It’s so good!
5. Try a farm-to-table restaurant: Enjoy food with the freshest local, summer season ingredients without having to cook.
6. Grill pizza: Yes, you can grill pizza. This is great for a regular dinner but it’s also an easy way to entertain and let your guests make their own pizza. Click here for my Grilled Pizza How-To.
7. Make sun tea
8. Host an outdoor potluck: Take your potluck to your patio, backyard, or even a local park.
9. Make sโmores
10. Get ice cream: Visit your local ice cream shop to get scoops of your favorite flavors. Is this the perfect summer dessert?
11. Make strawberry shortcake: Or is THIS the perfect summer dessert? I made a mini strawberry shortcake recipe for you here – it’s even ready to enjoy for breakfast if you prefer.
12. Enjoy some fresh fruit
13. Get iced coffees
14. Have a BBQ: Grilling is usually hot and fast while barbecuing is typically over lower heat and cooked slower. But feel free to use the words interchangeably and just have friends over to cook outside. Haha.
15. Make homemade popsicles: Might take awhile to freeze, but the payoff will be worth it.
Healthy Ideas for Your Best Summer Yet
There are so many wonderful ways to prioritize your health in the summer and have FUN doing it! Try some of these ideas to make healthy living more enjoyable in the wonderful, warm weather of the summer.
1. Go for a bike ride
2. Walk on the beach: Great for grounding and relaxation.
3. Pick berries: Many local farms offer “you pick”.
4. Try a water sport
5. Swim in a lake
6. Try forest bathing
7. Join a book club: Bonus points for reading a summer book.
8. Eat your fruits and veggies: Bonus points for enjoying produce in season in the summer – check out your local farmers market for options.
9. Go for a hike
10. Meditate outside
11. Visit a park: Try visiting one you’ve never been to before, even if it’s local, to up the adventure vibes and change up your energy.
12. Do yoga outdoors: Yoga on the beach, at the park, or otherwise outside is a cool experience.
13. Try a new sport: Take advantage of those summer leagues, workshops, and groups to try something new.
14. Make a mocktail: Try a summery mocktail recipe. I love making chia frescas like this one.
15. Do gardening
16. Visit your farmers market
Travel Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List
Summer is the perfect time to go on some trips to warm-oriented destinations. This is the perfect opportunity to plan some fun road trips, fly somewhere new, or even visit some local spots you wouldn’t normally visit.
1. Visit the beach
2. Visit the lake
3. Go on a camping trip
4. Visit a water park: My personal fave is Typhoon Lagoon Disney at Walt Disney World Florida.
5. Try glamping
6. Go see a waterfall
7. Do a summer camp
8. Visit a local farm: See if they offer “you pick” so you can pick your own fruits and vegetables
9. Attend a music festival
10. Visit a new state park: Did you know there are over 6,000 state parks in the US?
Ideas for Play This Summer
To take advantage of these warm summer months, I’ve included a lot of outdoor activities that you can’t usually do in winter.
1. Build a sand castle
2. Have a water fight: Who else grew up with Nerf water fights?
3. Go canoeing
4. Try whitewater rafting: Or try river tubing if you want something more mellow. Hey, the lazy river at water parks is actually super nice too.
5. Do a game night
6. Go zip lining
7. Ride a ferris wheel
8. Play tetherball: My friend and I are literally looking for a tetherball court so we can play this. Apparently they’re only $150 on Amazon though. Haha.
9. Have a water balloon fight
10. Try paddle boarding
11. Go down a water slide: I used to love the one that goes “straight down” when I was a kid. As an adult, it’s still fun but definitely terrifies me more. What’s your water slide style? Fast and wild or slow and steady?
12. Attend pool parties: Or host one!
13. Go kayaking
14. Do a scavenger hunt: I used to plan a lot of scavenger hunts when I was a kid. These are actually super fun to create, organize, and run for your friends or family.
15. Fly a kite
16. Go to an amusement park: Since I grew up in Orlando, my faves are Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. What are yours?
Family Summer Bucket List Ideas
Summer break is a great time to do something fun for the whole family. I’ve included ideas that I think will be fun for most ages – kids, teenagers, and even adults! I think the best activities are the ones everyone can enjoy. We can’t let the kiddos have all the fun, right? ๐
1. Have a beach day: Put up the perfect beach tent + accessories for a fun day in sun (and in the shade when you want it)
2. Make homemade ice cream together: Try an old school stye machine or one of the newer Ninja Creami recipes.
3. Do mini golf
4. Visit a national park: Did you know that although there are actually 429 national parks that only 63 have “National Park” in their names? So most national park checklists only have the 63 with the National Park designation. Anywho, visiting all national parks is another fun bucket list you could try.
5. Build a fort: Pillow fort. Wood fort. Your choice!
6. Do a treasure hunt
7. Go stargazing
8. Do chalk art in your driveway
9. Tie dye shirts
10. Explore your local parks
11. Collect sea shells
12. Camp in your backyard
13. Do a craft project
14. Volunteer: Consider an outdoor volunteer activity like helping with a local community or charity organization garden. Or do a charity walk!
15. Watch fireworks
16. Visit your local library
Summer Bucket List for Couples
Find some fun summer inspiration here for your boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, SO, and / or partner. Go for a romantic vibe or find a way to simply have fun enjoying each other’s company. Remember – a lot of the other ideas above would be great for a couple activity!
1. Gaze at the stars: Snuggle up and spend a romantic evening looking skyward for the stars.
2. Relax in a hammock
3. Snuggle on the beach
4. Go on a boat ride
5. Watch a sunset together
6. Attend an outdoor concert
7. Have a romantic picnic: Get your boyfriend / girlfriend / SO their favorite snacks and eats, grab a blanket, and go extra with some flowers or other decorations to make your picnic extra special.
8. Cook a summer recipe together: Try one of these yummy summer recipes together.
9. Go to a drive-in theater
10. Visit a winery
11. Make a berry pie together: Pair one of the other activities on this list (going to a you-pick farm or visiting your local farmers market) with baking a pie together.
12. Dine on a restaurant patio
Summer Bucket List Ideas for Friends
Here are some fun ideas you can do with your new friends and long-time friends alike. While these are great group activities, you can also do any of these solo if you prefer.
1. Rent a cabin together
2. Try pickle ball: If you’ve never played before, see if your local pickle ball spot has a group beginner lesson you can all book together.
3. Attend a bonfire
4. Ride a rollercoaster
5. Have a book club together
6. Make friendship bracelets: Friendship bracelets made a huge return this year, but they’re not just for pop stars. Consider having a bracelet making party and make bracelets for each other.
7. Take a group walk
8. Attend a baseball game
9. Have brunch al fresco
10. Do a summer photoshoot: Photoshoots aren’t just for influencers. Capture some summer memories by finding a fun location and taking pictures of each other. Bonus points for actually printing your pictures and putting them in frames in your home.
11. Volunteer together
12. Have a silly PJ party
13. Have a potluck picnic in a park: Potlucks aren’t just for home. Take your potluck to your local park and have everyone bring a tasty snack or dish.
14. Play beach volleyball
15. Do an outdoor workout class
16. Take your dogs to the dog bar
Self Care Ideas for the Summer
Self care is the perfect summer activity. And you have so many great options! Sprinkle your self care in throughout the week or consider taking a whole for a self care or spa day! Try these solo or engage your significant other, family, or friends.
1. Take care of your skin
2. Have a spa day: Whilst many spas are indoors only, many have pools you can use on your spa day in addition to your services. Some even have outdoor spa services. I’ve definitely gotten outdoor massages in The Bahamas and Thailand, and they were so special and lovely!
3. Visit a plant nursery
4. Wear sunscreen
5. Do a summer glow up: Click here for my list of holistic summer glow up ideas.
6. Try spa water
7. Have a no device day: Going sans device can be great for your mental health and overall well-being. See if you can set aside a day to do anything but use your device.
8. Make a summer playlist
9. Get a pedicure
10. Wear cute sunglasses
11. Do a new guided meditation: Look for a summery meditation on your favorite app. Perhaps a walking or outdoor meditation.
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Summary
Hope you found some great summer bucket list inspo above!
Use these summer bucket list ideas to create your own best summer bucket list for your friends, family, other loved ones, and of course yourself.
Hope you have your best summer yet!
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More Tips and Resources for Your Summer
12 Healthy Summer Recipes Round-Up for Entertaining and Everyday
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Thank you for checking out my 100+ Best Summer Bucket List Ideas 2024 (For Couples, Family, Friends, or Solo). Hope you found some fun summer bucket list ideas to enjoy!
What are your favorite things to do in the summer? What do you love from this list or what do you think is missing? Comment below!