The Family Summer Bucket List

Summer Hard

The fun for them is starting.

The chaos for you too.

School's out, the kids are home all day, and you still have to work. Somewhere between the freedom of week one and the reality of week three, summer gets overwhelming fast.

The families that seem to do all the fun stuff usually have one thing in common: they started their family summer planning earlier. 

Here's a simple way to make sure the good stuff happens.

The Analog Summer List

Summer is only 13 weeks long, so you better make it count.

Sit down with the kids and let everyone throw out two or three picks of what they want to do this summer.

Then assign everything on a specific date (June, July and August) for all the adventures and plans and write them down on a huge wall calendar for everyone to see it.

Here are a few things worth putting on your Big A## Calendar this summer, and all designed to help everyone unplug, slow down, and make the most of the season.

Get outside

• Go to a farmers market you've never been to
• Pack a picnic instead of going out to brunch
• Watch a sunset somewhere new
• Take a day trip to a nearby town
• Find a swimming hole, lake, river, or beach
• Evening walks after dinner without phones
• Rent bikes for an afternoon
• Visit a national or state park
• Go to an outdoor concert or movie

Do something together

• Teach the kids to make one meal from scratch
• Do a family puzzle - leave it out on a table all week
• Build the ultimate ice cream sundae bar at home
• Host a backyard BBQ
• Make homemade pizza together
• Try a new board game
• Have a family Olympics in the backyard

Unplug

• Pick one screen-free evening every week
• Take a disposable camera on your next outing
• Read outside for an hour
• Bring a deck of cards on your next trip
• Listen to music on the patio instead of watching TV
• Watch the stars for 30 minutes
• Send Big A ## Greeting Cards to friends or family
• Make a photo album from last summer before this one is over

Organize your plans

The dates are on the calendar. Here's how to keep it moving all summer:

• Pick one weekly tradition and stick to it - a game night, a Sunday activity, a family dinner.
• Check in every couple of weeks. What's still on the list? Give it a date or let it go.
• If a plan falls through, replace it with something else
• Leave some blank spaces on the calendar for spontaneous plans too

The 4th of July week is the peak of summer for most families, block it before someone else fills it.

Whether you're making a summer bucket list, tackling family planning, or just trying to keep track of what's coming up, a huge wall calendar makes it easier for everyone to see the plan.

Get the Big A## Calendar. Put your summer on the wall.