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Karen Cobb

Stay-Home Summer Bucket List



Mom of 6 here. Every year I put together a "bucket list" of fun things for my kids to do during the summer. It's usually a good mix of activities and crafts with a little bit of education review thrown in every once in a while. Usually, at the end of each school year I just do a quick update to last year's bucket list, removing anything that was deemed "too boring" from the year before and adding a few new ideas found from a quick Pinterest search. This year, however, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic means now I also have to factor in the limitations of social distancing. No longer is it just MY sanity I'm protecting - this bucket list is now our family's only hope to keep from going stir crazy!


Below is my 2020 Stay-Home and Stay-Sane Summer Bucket List. Gone are the trips to theme parks, free movies, and indoor play areas. Hello, backyard scavenger hunts and kiddie pools!


Inside activities:


Outside activities at home:

  • Fun with a water table or big bin (You can add soap and have them clean dirty toys, or empty a few cans of shaving cream in the table instead of water, or even make cloud dough in it.)

  • Set up a sprinkler or slip-n-slide and make water bombs or a pool noodle sprinkler

  • Make bubble blowers or bubble snakes

  • Take a walk (Scavenger hunts are a great addition! Here is a nature one.)

  • Picnic lunch in the yard or at a park

  • Have a tent? Set it up and turn it into a shady play space.

  • Wash the car

  • Paint rocks - for yourself or for our community

  • Exercise (simon says, jumping jacks, jump rope, throw/kick/volley a ball back and forth, animal exercises, make milk jug catchers and play catch)

  • Chalk/Hopscotch (Here are some great ideas, and remember you can use the hopscotch sqares for multiples, letters, symbols - anything!)

  • Make this water blob, or perhaps this one

  • Hold a relay race

  • Start a garden (There are so many ideas on Pinterest!)

  • And, of course, there is always the kiddie pool - and they're not just for water anymore!


Looking for something more educational? For a nice break from workbooks, give these fun websites a try:

With the libraries currently closed, I'm not sure what sort of summer reading programs they will be offering this year. Of course, you can always make up your own incentive program! Here are some worksheets you can use to keep things interesting.



I hope this post has given you some good ideas for keeping your kids busy this summer. I know there are many more ideas out there and I would love to hear what you are putting on YOUR bucket list! The summer of 2020 will be different for everyone, that is for sure, but lists like this can ensure it will still be FUN!


Stay well, everyone!

-Karen

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