Hellobee

Before I had children of my own, I remember talking to a 5-year-old girl who went on and on about everything she was looking forward to from her family’s summer bucket list; it incorporated unexpected activities like getting to pick anything out at the dollar store and eating mostly popcorn for dinner to the typical summertime fun like making s’mores. The way her family approached their bucket list reminded me of the book, Yes Day!, which is about a special day of the year when all of the kid’s requests are met with a “yes!”, except with a seasonal bucket list you could spread out the requests over a few months. The bucket list was one of those ideas I stored up in the back of my mind that I was excited to start doing one day with my kids….and here we are!

At the beginning of last summer, we created our first bucket list. We wanted it to be a mix of seasonal activities along with any activities that either the girls, Mr. Pizza or I wanted to do. Since they are young, we try to keep it simple so it’s manageable, yet still memorable. We don’t have any ideas listed that are too out of the ordinary this fall but I’m absolutely okay with that.

Here are a few reasons why seasonal family bucket lists are awesome!

– Bucket lists are great because just like people say, “the days are long but the years go by fast”…and with that the changing seasons seem to pass so quickly. Without activity ideas that we could fall back on, it’s easy to let a perfectly nice Saturday pass by.

– Seasonal bucket lists get you excited about the new season and the holidays that are coming up.

– Different family members can have their say in the list so there’s things on the list for everyone.

– There may be things listed that I wouldn’t typically want the kids to do (like having popcorn for dinner!), but if it makes it to the list then I’m on board and just relieved it’s a one time thing.

– Traditions are made. We are still early into making these bucket lists, but it will be fun to see what activities get listed year after year as a definite must.

– It is nice at the end of a season to look at your list and talk about all the fun memories you created as a family.

– I’m excited to see how our family bucket lists will evolve as we grow older together to include goals, places we want to visit, things we want to learn, and different activities or ideas that will show our growing passions.

Going apple picking on a 90+ degree fall day was probably not ideal but Lil’ Pizza was happy to have gone apple picking for the first time.

Homemade apple pie for the win! They loved cutting, measuring, sprinkling and spreading.

Fall nature walks are my favorite.

Here is our family fall bucket list:

• go apple picking
• make apple pie
• rake leaves
• jump in a pile of leaves
• find different colored leaves
• go on a nature walk in the forest
• decorate pumpkins
• make something yummy from the Kid’s Cookbook
• play tag with a football
• make a thankful tree
• borrow books about fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving
• make a spider craft
• make a hand turkey
• go for a nighttime stroll with flashlights
• write thank you cards to 2 people
• go trick or treating
• explore at Botanic Gardens
• go to the Shedd Aquarium
• go to a farm
• paint nails