20 Ideas for Summer Fun Right Now
It’s no secret that summer is going to look different this year. Our favorite neighborhood pools and water parks have already announced they aren’t opening at all this season. The Chicago lakefront is still closed. Even playgrounds are still closed.
But news flash: ⚠️ SUMMER ISN’T CANCELLED ⚠️
(Home)school’s out, sun’s out … that means FUN’S out too! 🎉
My favorite #NeverDoneWithFun tradition is our annual summer bucket list. The boys look forward to it too. Ok, this year’s is a little non-traditional but I promise you there is still plenty of fun to be had and I’m going to show you how.
We’ve been living the quarantine life for going on 11 weeks now (no wonder I’m tired). So in some ways, other than the unpredictable Midwest weather, it’s felt like summer for a long time already. But I’m sharing 20 new ideas for having an amazing summer without all the usual bells and whistles of summer fun we’re accustomed to. You can do any of the ideas on the list right now, no mater what stage of reopening your state or city is at.
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#NeverDoneWithFun Summer Bucket List, Quarantine Edition
1. Visit every single park in your city. Make a list and check them off as you explore. If you finish your city, start in on a neighboring town.
2. Take a bike ride to get ice cream for dinner. Easton finally got his training wheels off this spring, and I think the main incentive was that we could ride to Andy’s Frozen Custard once he learned!
3. Do a gourmet s’mores taste test to find the best combination. (Need ideas? I got you)
4. Put up a tent and camp in your own backyard. Overnight optional 😉
5. Play Top Chef: Popsicle Edition and see who can invent the best flavor (spoiler alert: boozy cold-brew popsicles might be your new best friend).
6. Plant a new garden. Fairy garden, water garden, flower garden, vegetable garden — we’re doing them allll this year and I’ll post my tips as we go along.
7. Take a day trip to a state park you’ve never been to for a hike. Print out my Road Trip Bingo game to play in the car on the way there.
8. Do an outdoor craft day with those messy projects you dread doing inside. Try bubble painting or watercolor water gun painting.
9. Get an inexpensive metal detector and go on a treasure hunt. Two affordable options:
10. Celebrate Christmas in July by wearing holiday PJs, baking cookies, watching The Grinch, and home-making little presents for each other.
11. Wade in a creek to look for frogs and go fishing. Hot dogs make the best bait for kids!
12. Invest in something new and fun for your yard – you’ll never get more use out of that item than this summer. I think I’m finally taking the plunge on a hammock, and I’m coveting every backyard that has its own trampoline these days.
13. Pack a picnic lunch and visit a forest preserve.
14. Do a date night with each of your kids one-on-one: Let them pick dinner and a movie or activity to do with just you after their sibling(s) are in bed. If you’re feeling really generous, make it into a mommy-and-me sleepover.
15. Visit a local prairie preserve or grassy field with glow sticks at dusk and watch the fireflies.
16. Get up close and personal with Mother Nature. Buy ladybugs from Amazon and release them into your yard. Make a bird feeder or get a hummingbird feeder. Watch caterpillars turn into butterflies with this kit, or watch ants build their whole city with a classic ant farm.
17. Tie dye something — or everything! This kit has everything you need except the t-shirts (or headbands, towels, pajamas … the list of possibilities is endless).
18. Revamp a tired toy with a little makeover. Spray paint can fix anything! (Krylon Fusion is our go-to for plastic items.)
19. Make a nature fort or teepee with items found in your yard. Way easier than a tree house, I promise.
20. Commit to getting outside every single day, rain or shine. Whether it’s 10 minutes or 5 hours, fresh air will be the reset that you need for your mind and body.
My kids and I are visual learners, and they love seeing a checklist on the fridge of what’s to come. It’s never been more important to keep them excited for the future. My Social Distancing-Approved Summer Bucket List printable is free for you to download here — make it fun with stickers, markers, or bingo daubers to track your adventures.
Download #NeverDoneWithFun 2020 Summer Bucket List Printable
If you look back through last year’s bucket list, or the year before, there are more ideas there as well that you can adapt to our COVID reality of social distancing, face masks, and hand washing. I’m hoping a few more things open up by mid- to late summer so we can get to the beach, the zoo, and the nature playground before the weather starts to cool off and school (in some form or another) resumes.
Let’s share all the summer vibes: What’s one of your favorite tradition? Share in the comments below or on social media with @neverdonewithfun!
Keep following on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for all our summer adventures with more pro tips for making the most of an unusual summer!
There’s always Summer Bucket List Bingo or the Summer Adventure Guide if you need even more F-U-N in your summer! Check out my Family Field Trip guides for some more local love with an insider’s perspective on the do’s and don’ts at some of Chicagoland’s best.
