3 Steps to Crafting Your Dream Summer Bucket List

Big summer energy right this way

Jul 23, 2024

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The other day I saw my daughter Emilie, quietly drawing, and I asked what she was working on. “Oh, just my summer bucket list,” she replied. Her fully illustrated list included things like making ice cream, taking a sunrise hike, finding seashells on the beach, baking a beach cake, and making a new friend. I was delighted - not just by her list of simple pleasures, but by the whole premise of intentionally mapping out the specific things she cared about doing this summer.

It got me thinking: why don’t I make my own summer bucket list? Summer typically whizzes by without much fanfare in our family. Jordan and I both work year round, and San Francisco is historically grey and foggy through the summer months. All that aside, I found it easy to come up with a list of simple ways to celebrate the season.

Step One: Brainstorm

Get out some paper and your favorite pen and let your imagination run wild. Ask yourself: how can I best maximize and enjoy the summer season? Don’t edit or censor yourself - just write, write, write, until you are out of ideas.

Step Two: Refine

Once you have created a long list of ideas, I suggest narrowing it down to the best and brightest in the bunch. If you’re stuck, ask yourself: what would I truly regret not doing this summer? I narrowed down my list of about 25 ideas to the following 5 activities, which felt both exciting and realistic:

Family Berry Picking Date
Soft Serve at Meadowlark Dairy
Night at Calistoga Springs
Host a Patio Party with Friends
Make Homemade Ice Cream

Step Three: Plan and Schedule

Once I had made and refined my list I felt so much more excited about the remaining weeks of summer. The final step was to plan and schedule each activity to ensure it would actually get done. It only took me about fifteen minutes to book a berry picking date, find a seasonal ice cream recipe, and schedule dates for soft serve, Calistoga Springs, and a casual patio party. I cannot stress enough that planning and scheduling is the only way you will turn your desires and daydreams into reality.

Just set aside a small block of time to do any necessary research, coordinate with friends and family, and firm up your summer bucket list activities on your calendar. Remember: the things that get scheduled are the things that get done.

I hope you’ll join along? Share in the comments one small thing you’d like to do to maximize summer fun and enjoyment. I bet we can all inspire each other with fresh ideas.