Summer Bucket List

There's only one more week of school here.  It's time to make a list of things to do this summer together.

Kelly over at Little Wonders' Days has this wonderful tradition of creating a summer bucket list of activities to do with her family this summer.  She even puts the ideas into a sand bucket and they draw them out.  (I won't probably go that far this year, we'll just work off of our list.)  Kelly posted her list here.  And other bloggers linked up their own bucket lists here.  And she added some ideas from those lists to her own list here.  Talk about lots of inspirational ideas.  I am a few weeks behind, but it isn't quite summer here, so I don't feel like I'm late.

With budgets tight and gas prices high, we will plan lots of local cheap or free activities.  But my family loves these types of things.  The memories and traditions we are starting now will become stories that they tell their kids someday.  Without further ado, here is our Summer Bucket List 2011.

(edited to start check items off <or I will get confused> green means done, yellow means started)

1.  Visit 10 parks to play and picnic. (This has become somewhat of a family tradition over the past couple of years.  Cheap and fun entertainment.)  (11 down)
2.  Minigolf
3.  Fishing
4.  Swimming at the pool.
5.  Visit a farmer's market other than our own.
6.  Scavenger hunt
7.  Iowa State Fair
8.  Water Fight
9.  Slip and Slide
10.  Wienie Roast with s'mores (another tradition with my family)
11.  Camping
12.  Library activities (3 different types at our library)
13.  Hunt down Dan Wardell
14.  Creek stomping at my brother's house
15.  Homemade Ice Cream
16.  Homemade Popsicles
17.  Catch Lightning Bugs
18.  Wii night with friends
19.  Make Milk Shakes
20.  Go to Adventureland
21.  Homemade Bubbles
22.  Bike Paths
23.  Look at the stars
24.  Go on a hike
25.  Go to a movie as a family
26.  Tie Dye
27.  VBS
28.  Swimming Lessons
29.  County Fair
30.  Make fizzing sidewalk chalk
31.  Eat Chinese (the kids have been bugging me to do this for awhile now)
32.  Fly a Kite
33.  Superhero day--make capes out of old Tshirts and wear them all day
34.  Feed the Geese
35.  Fourth of July parade/carnival/fireworks
36.  Try 3 Sisters Method of Gardening
37.  Start a Worm Compost Bin
38.  Family Pictures by Jamie
39.  Make a HUGE Bubble Wand
40.  Help to build the new playground at my school
41.  Colby's Birthday Party
42.  Braedon's Birthday Party
43.  Visit Reiman Gardens
44.  Visit a zoo
45.  Play 'Get Lost in the Country'
46.  Donate toys to the thrift store
47.  Hot Air Balloons
48.  Look for pictures in the clouds
49.  Play board games
50.  Play dough-- make it and play with it.

That's a long list, but most items on it were already on our agenda.  Most do not require a lot of money or travel.  We plan to make the most of our summer together even on our tight budget.  As we complete items on our Bucket List I will blog about them here.  Do you have a Summer Bucket List for 2011?