Summer Bucket List Ideas: 100+ Things to Do in the Summer
There are many fun things to do in the summer, whether you stay home or venture somewhere fresh. The important thing is to write down a summer bucket list so you can make sure you're making the most of your time. This way, you can look at the list to see what you still need to do and can plan around it. This is a great idea for families that want to keep the kids entertained.
* Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Not everything has to be expensive, like a trip to Disneyland. You can do free and affordable things like having picnics at local parks or regular outdoor activities like playing kickball or soccer with family. Or you can buy exciting experiences like science kits.
There are plenty of summer activities and fun ideas to keep you busy all season long. Summer break doesn't have to be dull or filled solely with scrolling TikTok or watching movies all day long. Family members of all ages can enjoy fun activities together.
Summer Bucket List Ideas - 100 things to do in the summer
- Keep a list of the best things you did during the summer
- Host an outdoor movie night using a laptop or projector
- Take a bike ride around the neighborhood
- Go to an outdoor concert
- Go get ice cream
- Take a cooking class to learn how to make something new
- Go for a swim
- Take the whole family to a local park
- Go bird watching
- Spend all day outside (100+ Things to Do Outside)
- Play a new podcast
- Organize a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt with your friends
- Sign up for a yoga class
- Go rock climbing
- See if you can spot lightning bugs outside
- Spend the day at a water park as a way to cool off
- Walk around the mall and window shop
- Visit a local playground
- Draw with sidewalk chalk
- Play hide and seek
- Drive to a different street to go on a walk
- Have the kids create puppets
- Have a puppet show
- Take a walk or stroll around the neighborhood
- Go to a drive in movie
- Listen to an audiobook
- Invite a couple friends or family members over for a potluck or BBQ
- Play kickball
- Play tennis
- Play volleyball or beach volleyball
- Host a sleepover (100+ Things to Do at a Sleepover)
- Go on a fishing trip
- Try to learn a new language, whether you learn on an app, books, or videos
- Eat hot dogs
- Go on a hot air balloon ride
- Take one photo a day to create an album of your summer
- Schedule a helicopter tour
- Try doing a science experiment- there are science kits online for kids of different ages
- Have a bonfire
- Looking into tutoring to learn a subject or be a tutor and teach something you're good at
- Make paper airplanes and see which one goes that furthest
- Fly a kite - you can find different kites online for different ages
- Make a lemonade stand in your front yard
- Go to a flea market
- Watch videos and try to learn a new skill
- Build a sandcastle
- Run through the sprinklers on a hot day
- Spend the day at a nearby city
- Play frisbee
- Write in a journal (100+ Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery)
- Visit your local botanical garden or nature preserve
- Complete a puzzle - like a wildflower puzzle or something with a design you like
- Make a snow cone
- Spend time at your local library and check out a couple of books to read for the summer
- Go to the beach, lake, or body of water close to you
- Find somewhere dark to star gaze
- Have a movie marathon - especially if they are movies about summer
- Start planting a garden
- Go for a scenic drive
- Take a pottery class
- Start a DIY project like making body scrub
- Build a sandcastle
- Create a summer bucket list of everything you want to do, see, make, read, or accomplish - have the entire family create their own bucket list
- Go to an art museum or gallery
- Visit a landmark near you
- Make homemade popsicles with fruit or fruit juice
- Make cotton candy
- Roast marshmallows for s'mores - make the process even easier with a s'mores kit
- Sign up for a class and try to make new friends
- Attend a summer camp
- Go camping
- Visit a petting zoo or animal sanctuary
- Invite friends over (100+ Fun Things to Do at Home with Friends)
- Sit in a hammock
- Write and send someone a physical letter in the mail
- Host a game night with family or friends
- Go ice skating
- Go to a rollerskating rink
- Cook a new recipe - look online or through cookbooks for inspiration on what to make
- Go on a hike
- Volunteer someplace like your local library or animal rescue
- Pick strawberries at a local you-pick farm
- Make a time capsule of your summer - get a time capsule kit or make it yourself
- Make ice cream from scratch and include your favorite add-ins
- Take a dance class
- Create an obstacle course in your yard
- Watch a sunset
- Watch a sunrise
- Ride a Ferris wheel
- Build your own bird feeder
- Go to a miniature golf course
- Visit an amusement park or a theme park
- Bake homemade pizza (just be sure to buy the ingredients ahead of time and plan out your toppings)
- Stay cool by tossing water balloons - try reusable water balloons
- Check online to find a cafe or someplace that has live music
- Head to your local farmers market for fresh summer produce
- Take a road trip (can be just a day trip or longer)
- Sit outside at one of the nearby parks and cloud watch
- Go to a garage sale
- Spend quality time with your besties or family
Fun Ideas to Create Your Own Summer Bucket List
These summer bucket list ideas should keep you entertained. Write down your own list based on things you want to do the most. Aim for a list of 20 things to do, which gives you time to complete without feeling overwhelmed. After all, it is summer and sometimes you just want to sleep in and watch 5 seasons of your favorite show. There's nothing wrong with taking it slow during the summer months. But if you're feeling adventurous you can make your fun summer list as long as you want. Many creative ways exist to have a fun summer and cross things off each person's bucket list.
Hello Kitty Grand Cafe Irvine, CA at Irvine Spectrum
Located at the Irvine Spectrum, the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe Irvine is a small spot with Hello Kitty merchandise, handmade hot and iced beverages, cakes, donuts, other sweet treats, and seasonal goodies.
The Hello Kitty Grand Cafe offers merch like t-shirts, tote bags, pins, keychains, and more. It's quite small, and there is a queue to order food. There is no indoor seating. Reservations are required for the Bow Room afternoon tea with seating. There are tables and chairs outside for mall patrons to use. The treats are packaged in Hello Kitty boxes or packaging for you to take with you.
* This post may contain affiliate links.
Hello Kitty Grand Cafe interior |
Drinks and Treats
You can expect mini donuts like cinnamon sugar, rainbow, and cookies and cream. Desserts are limited in quantity. The Hello Kitty Cafe has birthday cake, strawberry cake, chocolate cake, mama's apple pie, mixed berry pocket pie, macaron set, freshly baked cookies, and other sweets. They also have the seasonal strawberry tart, blueberry pocket pie, and rainbow mini donuts.
If you want something cold, they have pineapple and vanilla Dole soft serve. The Hello Kitty Cafe has iced drinks like teas (green or black), lemonades, blended drinks, espresso drinks, and strawberry milk. Even if you don't go for the tea service, you can still make a quick stop to soothe your sweet tooth. Get a couple of little cakes or donuts before you leave the Irvine Spectrum.
Supercute menu at Hello Kitty Cafe |
Hello Kitty Grand Cafe Irvine Address
Located at the Irvine Spectrum at 860 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine, California 92618. It's near the Giant Wheel Court. Park for free at the mall and then walk to the store. Depending on the day and time you arrive, parking might be hard to find, so I recommend just going to the parking structure. There's a lot more parking there.
Hello Kitty Cafe Irvine sign |
Hello Kitty Cafe Irvine Hours
Monday - Thursday 10 am - 9 pm
Friday - Sunday 10 am-10 pm
Afternoon Tea Hours
Wednesday - Friday 11 am - 2:30 pm (last seating)
Saturday & Sunday 10 am - 3:30 pm (last seating)
Afternoon tea at the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe starts at $60 per person. The expanded menu has savory foods like the pesto tart, salmon croissant, and cucumber sandwich with dill cream cheese served on milk bread. It also serves sweet options like strawberries and cocoa cream, seasonal scone, Hello Kitty mini cake, and more. This is a cute spot to come with a Hello Kitty-loving friend for a fun afternoon tea service and a sweet experience.
Cocktail Service
Wednesday - Saturday 5 pm - 9:30 pm (last seating)
Hello Kitty Grand Cafe also has a cocktail menu featuring items like the Kitty Colada with rum, pineapple soft serve, and coconut or the Bee Kind with gin, vermouth, lemon, lavender honey, and ginger.
Bow Room at Hello Kitty Grand Cafe Irvine |
Bow Room
The Hello Kitty Cafe's chic pink Bow Room has a bar area, tables, and chairs. This is a separate space inside of the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe where you can dine with a reservation.
You should check out the Hello Kitty Grand Cafe at the Irvine Spectrum if you or someone you know is a Helloy Kitty fan. Making reservations to experience the afternoon tea service and ensure its availability. It is something kids will never forget for a birthday celebration or special occasion. You can also pick up Hello Kitty Cafe merchandise if you want to take a souvenir home that you can wear.
Take videos and enjoy the moment.
100+ Things to Do Outside
Rain or shine, there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you and the kids busy throughout the year. Take a look at this list of over 100 things to do outside to ensure you'll stay entertained no matter what. Most of these great ideas can be customized for adults, little kids, or for the family. Some of these are nature-based, while others are some of the best outdoor activities.
* Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
There are many fun things to do outside for all ages, from hosting an outdoor movie night to a water balloon fight in the local park.
Many of these activities for the great outdoors are free (outdoor dance party, scavenger hunt, etc.), but some require payment, such as miniature golfing. Many of these can be done with items you likely already have at home, like making DIY bubbles. See how many of these you can do in a day or during summer vacation.
100 Things to Do Outside
- Make an obstacle course in the backyard or front yard
- Spend the afternoon at an amusement park
- Make a fairy garden
- Play hide and seek
- Walk around to see how much street art and graffiti you can find
- Do a nature scavenger hunt
- Plan an outdoor movie night (you can get an outdoor projector screen or simply watch it on your phone or laptop)
- Make or play with slime outdoors
- Go to a local outdoor concert
- When life hands you lemons, make a lemonade stand
- Head over to your local farmers market for fresh air and produce
- Calm down with outdoor yoga
- Visit a dog park
- Stroll your local botanic garden
- Go geocaching
- Play basketball
- Play tennis
- Spend the afternoon cloud-watching
- Go stargazing
- Pull weeds from the backyard
- Paint a shower curtain (try a clear shower curtain or liner for this)
- Make a sensory bin
- Play with Legos or blocks
- Go horseback riding
- Get binoculars to go bird watching (you can get a bird watching book and binoculars to better spot the wildlife)
- Take photos
- Plan a trip to a national park
- Take a bike ride
- Attend a basketball or baseball game
- Build an outdoor fort
- Find a quiet spot in a park to read a book or listen to a podcast
- Play frisbee golf
- Play freeze tag
- Go to an outdoor ice skating rink
- Spend time at a state park
- Build a mud kitchen
- Get artistic and draw on the pavement with sidewalk chalk (buy sidewalk chalk online here)
- Visit a pumpkin patch
- Play board games outside
- Go kayaking or conoeing
- Run through the sprinklers on a hot day
- Play or build a treehouse
- Paint pet rocks
- Do an outdoor workout
- Create a playlist and listen to it outside
- Grill burgers or veggies outside
- Get the whole family to do an outdoor dance party
- Go on a walk to see if you can identify the nature around you (plants, flowers, trees, etc.)
- Tie dye shirts or beach towels outside so you don't stain anything (you can get a tie dye kit and pick color themes like neon colors, etc)
- Get vitamin D and take a long walk on the beach
- Wash your car inside and out
- Hike local trails
- Go to a water park
- People watch outside
- Go swimming at a local pool, lake, beach, etc.
- Go surfing
- Run through the sprinklers
- Cool off in the splash pad (there are splash pads for different ages, so you can keep this in mind)
- Look for bugs
- Watch the sunset or sunrise
- Try your hand at paddle boarding
- Try out your green thumb and plant a garden in your backyard
- Fly a kite
- Pitch a tent in the yard and camp there
- Explore your local park, beach, or forest
- Write in your journal in a park (100+ Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery)
- Go rock climbing
- Play a game of tug of war
- Do a puzzle outside
- Eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner outside
- Give your patio, balcony, or welcome mat a good wash
- Paint rocks in fun shapes like fruits or vegetables
- Hug a tree
- Make s'mores (there are electric flameless s'mores kits if you don't have access to a fire)
- Go camping
- Have a picnic in nature
- Take an outdoor nap
- Go skiing or snowboarding
- Check out a book from the local library and read it outside
- Eat homemade popsicles in your backyard
- Hula hoop (buy hula hoops online or at the store)
- Play hopscotch
- Climb a tree
- Make a bird feeder
- Walk the dog
- Lay in a hammock
- Play capture the flag
- Grab old magazine and make a collage outside
- Meditate in the great outdoors
- Play hopscotch
- Build a fairy garden
- Head to a zoo or petting zoo
- Play catch
- Build an obstacle course
- Make DIY chalk paint
- Make DIY bubbles (but you could go fancy with a bubble gun or bubble machine)
- Feel the grass on your skin on a sunny day
- Attend an estate sale or garage sale
- Host a garden party
- Cool off with a water balloon fight (they also have reusable water balloons)
- Play mini golf
- Go fishing
There are many fun things to do in the great outdoors. If you can't think of anything, refer back to this list. This is a fantastic way for kids to stay occupied during school breaks or vacations.
When you're trying to think of a fun way to spend the day outside, you have to figure out what type of activities you like to do first. Do you prefer being active, like doing outdoor yoga or a bike ride? Do you like leisure activities like bird watching or strolling around a garage sale? Do you just want to do something minimal and be outside, such as reading? Figuring this out will help you find your favorite things to do for yourself, your family, and your kids.
Dinner, Drinks, and Dessert at The Desmond San Diego at Kimpton Alma
Find fresh, delicious food at The Desmond, which is part of Kimpton Alma in the Downtown San Diego Gaslamp District. The Gaslamp is known for its nightlife but has its fair share of other things to do, whether you're with kids, on a romantic trip, or stopping by with friends.
If you're staying in the Kimpton Alma, consider getting dinner at The Desmond, which is located on the mezzanine level.
Where is The Desmond San Diego?
The address of The Desmond is 1047 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101. They invited me to have dinner, so I went with my family to see what goodies were on the menu. The menu centers around San Diego and California cuisine with options like seafood and pasta.
Parking in Downtown San Diego
The hotel has valet parking, which is easier than circling the one-way streets of downtown San Diego in search of a spot. But if valet isn't your thing, you can drive further away to seek a place.
Food and Menu
If you enjoy bread, start with the roasted garlic and herb focaccia bread service. The menu seems to rotate through the seasons, so when I checked back about two months later, the items I got weren't on it. They have appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails.
That said, I really enjoyed the fresh, housemade pasta. The ingredients and thoughtful presentations are focal points to ensure an experience unlike anything you'd get at an average restaurant. Each dish is carefully presented.
It's a terrific spot to celebrate a birthday, retirement, or special occasion dining experience. The prices are above the standard burger joint but not as costly as you'd expect for a fine-dining restaurant. You can get a cocktail and entree for around $75-80, depending on your order. They also have a 3-course and 5-course menu but you can call ahead to inquire about this.
Desserts
The menu will vary, but you can expect incredible deliciously seasonal desserts. Don't leave without getting at least one. For example, they have a Wildflower Honey Coconut Tapioca that's made with mango custard, honey sweet mango, coconut geleƩ, and a bit of toasted coconut.
When I went, I had the Basque Cheesecake and Gianduia Chocolate Budino. Both were decadent and the perfect way to end the evening. Desserts cost $10-15, which is around the same price as a dessert at a pizza place in North County San Diego.
Cocktails at The Desmond
The cocktails are well-crafted and balanced with a range of alcohols and flavors, like Stranahan’s Whiskey. This drink is shaken with cardamom tea and lemon.
Ambience
I went earlier during dinner service and was among the first people there. During dinner, several other patrons filtered through, whether on a date or business trip. It was still quiet and spacious. The bathroom stalls are gender-neutral and in one open-concept bathroom area.
Visit The Desmond San Diego in Southern California if you want a night of high-quality food experience. They are only open for dinner, but it's a lovely spot for a meal, wine, or dessert.