Of all the seasons, summer is perhaps the most reminiscent of my childhood. Growing up, we always took big family trips, spent weeks on end at my grandparents’ lake house, and had an endless string of sleepovers with friends. The days were long and lazy and if there’s anything I miss about the past, it’s those simpler days. 

That is the world I want for my boys and as a mother I feel so delighted to have the opportunity to relive some of those moments again. Of course, old memories cannot be totally revived but we can make some new ones that my boys will remember fondly one day. 

Every season I make a family bucket list and pin it on our fridge. It’s my way of striving to be fully present to each and every season. It gives us things to look forward to and helps us to reassess our priorities when things get a little too hectic. 

With that said, these are some items on our family summer bucket list. Maybe some of them will spark some inspiration for your own plans.

Take a road trip
We have the privilege of taking two road trips this year. A June trip with some friends to San Antonio/Sea World and a longer trip in July to my parents’ cabin in North Carolina. (I’m typically pretty frugal when it comes to spending money, but when opportunities to travel arise I’m unashamedly all in every time.)

Visit the local water park
Matt’s birthday is in July & the waterpark has been his request every year for the past few years. Hey, no complaints here.

Visit grandparents
My boys are blessed to have wonderful grandparents on both sides as well as great grandparents. They get to see my parents almost daily because we are neighbors, but they love our weekly tradition of pancakes & swimming at my in-laws and overnight trips to visit with my grandparents.

Outdoor water play
On a whim last weekend, we loaded up and headed to Target for a kiddie pool. We may not have ended up with the bougie mustard colored one I had my eyes on, but we’ve already gotten our money’s worth with how much fun our boys have had in it so far, and summer hasn’t even officially begun.

Backyard campout + movie projector
In celebration of our oldest completing kindergarten (cue all the feelings) we are planning a little backyard campout and movie night. We’ll pitch a tent and project a movie on the back of the house and I will most likely end up back in my cozy bed at some point, but Cyrus will remember it forever.

Trips to the library
We live a quarter of a mile from our little downtown square where the library resides. One goal this summer is to incentivize reading and make it fun for Cyrus. What better way to do that than weekly strolls to the library?? (By way of the donut shop, of course.)

VBS
Is there anything like a good ole’ fashioned VBS? My only complaint is that my youngest is not old enough to participate. Boo. But I’ll take what I can get.

Friday night movie nights
We do this one year round and summers are no different. Except that the candy tastes a bit sweeter and the nights go a little later.

Catch fireflies in the mountains
I cannot think of anything more quintessential to boyhood than catching fireflies in the mountains at dusk.

Perot Museum
We were gifted an annual pass to the HEARD Museum & Perot, and you bet we are planning to wear it out this summer.

Ice cream and snow cone dates
When in doubt, load up the family & go get ice cream. It can redeem almost any day.

Go to the movie theatre and mall
Remember fifteen years ago when the mall was where it was at? Parents would drop kids off in droves so they could meet up, spend an unreasonable amount of money on the sourest candy they could find, and catch the matinee. Good times.

Can you tell I’m probably more excited about summer than my own children? I used to think nothing was better than being a care-free child with no agenda, but now I believe whole heartedly that raising care-free children is so much sweeter.

Here’s to popsicle fingers and rosy cheeks. I hope your summer is filled with endless sunny days.