🌞 100 Fun Things to Do with Family & Tweens This Summer in the South – the Ultimate Bucket List 🌞
🛝 OUTDOOR ADVENTURES (25 ideas)
Explore three new parks in your area
Go on a family bike ride
Walk a new nature trail or greenway
Have a backyard water balloon battle
Create a DIY sprinkler obstacle course
Catch fireflies at dusk
Try fishing at a local pond or lake
Climb a tree (yes, really!)
Have a backyard campout
Fly kites at a local field
Play flashlight tag at night
Go stargazing with a blanket and snacks
Visit a splash pad or sprayground
Make a backyard slip-n-slide
Try geocaching or a GPS treasure hunt
Set up a lemonade/Sweet Tea stand (with permission)
Hike to a waterfall
Try kayaking or paddle boating at a state park
Visit a sunflower field or flower farm
Watch a sunrise together
Watch a sunset from a scenic overlook
Play capture the flag or kickball with neighborhood kids
Visit a roadside fruit stand or farm
Collect cool rocks or shells at a local riverbank
Go creek stomping (and maybe skip a few rocks)
🍿 AT-HOME FUN (20 ideas)
Set up a backyard movie night
Make ice cream in a bag
Build a blanket fort indoors
Make tie-dye shirts together
Have a glow stick dance party at night
Do a “Chopped” style family cooking challenge
Have a spa day with face masks and foot soaks
Play old-school board games or cards
Make a summer scrapbook or journal
Create your own family YouTube-style show or “news” report
Camp inside with flashlights and sleeping bags
Have a no-tech day—board games, crafts, books only
Write and mail postcards to friends or relatives
Bake cookies and deliver to neighbors
Make s’mores in the oven or microwave
Do a home science experiment (homemade slime, volcano, etc.)
Paint rocks and hide them around the neighborhood
Try origami or paper crafts
Make your own popsicles with juice and fruit
Build LEGO masterpieces together
🎒 LOCAL OUTINGS & FIELD TRIPS (20 ideas)
Visit the public library for a reading challenge
Attend a free outdoor concert or movie night
Explore a small town nearby for the day
Go to a farmer’s market
Visit a local museum with free admission days
Check out a splash pad in another town
Take a scenic drive through the countryside
Tour a fire station or police station
Visit a historic landmark or battlefield
Try a walking food tour of downtown (grab snacks at a few places)
Visit an antique or flea market just for fun
Go berry picking at a local farm
Take a tour of a local factory or business (some offer kid-friendly tours!)
Visit a botanical garden or arboretum
Try disc golf at a nearby park
Attend a county fair or festival
Go to a minor league baseball game
Explore a cave or caverns
Visit a petting zoo or small farm
Take a picnic to a new-to-you park
🎨 CREATIVE & CRAFTY (15 ideas)
Make friendship bracelets or keychains
Decorate reusable water bottles with stickers and paint pens
Create a chalk mural in the driveway
Design a family crest or flag
Build a birdhouse or paint one
Start a nature journal with drawings and notes
Make DIY bath bombs or lip balm
Create a homemade photo booth and take silly pics
Design your own T-shirts with fabric paint
Create a vision board for the rest of the year
Start a comic book or graphic novel together
Make a handmade gift for someone
Paint canvas art to hang in your room
Try a Pinterest craft and see how it actually turns out
Make paper lanterns or garlands for your porch
💚 FAMILY CONNECTION & COMMUNITY (10 ideas)
Do a random act of kindness
Write thank-you cards for community helpers
Deliver baked goods to a neighbor
Volunteer at a food pantry or animal shelter
Have a backyard “family awards” ceremony
Interview grandparents or older relatives about their childhood summers
Host a talent show with cousins or neighbors
Create a family gratitude jar
Play “Would You Rather” or family trivia at dinner
Plan and cook a themed dinner night together
📸 JUST-FOR-FUN & MEMORY-MAKING (10 ideas)
Have a silly photo shoot (matching outfits, props, etc.)
Make a time capsule to open in 5 years
Dress up fancy for a backyard tea party or dinner
Try a new food or recipe each week
Plan a DIY scavenger hunt around the house or yard
Record a lip-sync video as a family
Try something new and weird—snail mail a letter to yourself
Host a backyard talent show or fashion show
Have a theme day: “Beach Day at Home,” “Camping Indoors,” “Backwards Day”
End summer with a “Yes Day” where the kids plan (within reason)
Leave a Reply