Bucket lists are back on TikTok. Videos of people doing extraordinary things are all over my feed. Let’s take advantage of the next few weeks to live our best lives with summer bucket list ideas like these.
What Are Summer Bucket Lists?
Summer bucket lists are a collection of activities you want to do before the season ends. They’re all over TikTok because people make them with craft supplies, so they have something cute to remind them what they want to try while summer’s still here.
Each activity should encourage you to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You’ll grow into yourself by discovering what you enjoy or don’t want to experience again.
Personalize your summer bucket list by adding ideas that make you excited. They could engage in your hobbies or be excuses to have fun with friends. Any activity that makes summer more exciting will be perfect as a bucket list goal.
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1. Find Fun Things to Do Outside
Scorching temperatures might make you want to stay inside but don’t spend every day indoors. I’m challenging myself to do at least one fun outdoor activity each week this summer. We won’t have full free weekdays once our full-time jobs start up in the next few years. These are a few ideas to jumpstart your outdoor adventures:
- Try camping in your backyard with your best friends. It’s one of the easiest summer bucket list ideas because you don’t have to travel, and you’re right next to your bedroom if you get scared. Also, pull an extension cord into your tent! That’s how my best friends and I watched Netflix under the stars.
- You could bike on a local nature trail or attend a town festival. See if there are any outdoor movie theaters near your home. As long as you’re with people you love and wear sunscreen with at least a 15 SPF rating, you’ll take advantage of warm summer days, have fun, and be safe.
- Attend a town festival, like a beach cookout or downtown parade. There are tons of summer holidays people will celebrate together outside. Visit your town’s website or Facebook page to view its events calendar and see what’s happening soon.
2. Learn a New Skill
Listening to your algebra teacher and attending a baking class are two very different types of learning. I love challenging myself to stretch my brain because learning something that sparks your curiosity is much easier. Here are a few exciting ways to learn new things before school starts back up in the fall:
- Push yourself outside your comfort zone by finally learning to drive a stick-shift car. Sign up for a cooking or baking class this summer. You’ll have fun doing something new with your favorite people even if you never make the class’s recipes again.
- Try developing new skills at a summer camp. I spent a week-long camp at an aquarium before high school ended and had so much fun learning to care for sea turtles. You’re about to grow out of the chance to attend camps like that, so don’t miss out on great experiences that aren’t available once you reach adulthood.
- Learn a new language by downloading apps like Duolingo, Babbel, or Memrise. You and your friends could complete lessons on your phones while lounging on outdoor seating at a coffee shop. Take chairs to a nearby lake to learn by the water. The scenery will make your learning experience more enjoyable than taking similar lessons in a classroom.
- Start a pickleball game with your friends. It’s easy to learn after watching a YouTube video. You can play a few rounds with loved ones wherever you have enough space to set up the net in a backyard or local park.
3. Give Back to Your Community
Finishing high school and starting college can be stressful. So much is outside of your control. I found volunteering restored my sense of empowerment. These are a few ways I loved giving back in the past and how I plan to spend more time in my community this summer:
- You could work in a community garden to support your local ecosystem while fighting climate change. People depend on community gardens to make their town more beautiful or grow vegetables for food banks.
- Maybe you want to volunteer by taking care of dogs at the local animal shelter or organizing boxes of groceries at a food drive. If you search for volunteer organizations in your town, you’ll get to browse similar upcoming events where they need your help.
- Visit your neighbors or grandparents and ask how you can help. They may need assistance with tasks like lawn care. You’ll feel fulfilled after helping people because it restores everyone’s faith in the inherent goodness of humanity.
No matter how you volunteer, you’ll make a difference in the world. It’s an incredible feeling that often doubles as a way to build your resume. When it’s time to apply for your next job, potential employers will see your volunteer efforts as a sign of your determination, selflessness, and teamwork abilities.
4. Work on Self Care
Our days as young people are full of commitments. When you’re not at school or working a part-time job, you’re volunteering and taking care of responsibilities at home. Summer is the perfect time to practice self-care habits. Check out these ideas to explore activities that recharge your mind and body between your outdoor activities:
- Make a manifestation board with craft paper or poster board. Tack your dreams to it, like pictures of your planned summer activities or what you want for your future. You can update it as the years pass to stay focused on your dreams and celebrate achieving them.
- Try a new skincare routine. You might start wearing lotion that provides SPF protection or wash the summer sweat off at night with a hydrating face wash product. You’ll find what nurtures your skin and feels refreshing for your long-term self-care.
- Follow a yoga video or attend a class each morning. The practice grounds your body with conscious movements and centers your thoughts through controlled breathing. When it’s time to continue your day, you’ll feel secure in your mind and body.
- Log your summer activities in a journal. Writing your thoughts relieves stress levels because you reconnect with your needs. As you reflect on how you feel about your daily experiences, you’ll understand what supports your well-being.
5. Pretend You’re a Tourist
It’s easy to skip over some activities around town if they have a touristy vibe. You’re a local, so why would you try them? I’ve also fallen into that way of thinking, but not this summer. I’m going to make as many memories as possible — starting with the ghost tours that wind through my downtown streets every weekend night. Here are a few other ways to be a tourist where you live:
- Tour that local historic house where grade school kids take field trips. You may have a more profound experience visiting it as an older person who can value the historical facts and stories.
- Visit the escape room everyone’s talking about or the scenic overlook at the public park. Depending on where you go, you could even throw a surprise party for your favorite person at one of the locations.
- Take a friend to a musical and go out for dessert before heading home. You’ll make memories you’ll cherish when you don’t live in the same town after high school.
- Visit a nearby amusement park for an afternoon. You might even get a ticket discount because you’re a nearby resident.
- Drive down to the closest beach in the morning and head home after sunset. Even a short time on the sand will recharge you.
Make This the Best Summer Ever
I’m determined to have the time of my life this summer—I hope you are, too. Start your summer bucket list with these ideas and add to it whenever you feel inspired. We’re going to have so much fun while learning about ourselves, making memories, and even gaining a few skills before school starts again in the fall.
