A Kids' Bucket List - 82 Things Every Kid Should Do Before They Grow Up

Pin

I grew up in a trailer home in the boonies, over the hill, through the woods, and across the dirt road from Old Grandma (who still lives there).

I remember distinctly the very first time I ever went into the big city (Pittsburgh). I gazed at the groups of people standing on street corners, waiting to cross, and the long lines of cars and the tall buildings. I saw people who looked different from me. I was completely in awe. I must have been about five years old.

My kids have had a decidedly different experience. They have iPads and live in the suburbs. They have only ever ridden their bikes on paved roads. They have been to Philadelphia and Washington DC and Baltimore, more times than they can count.

CLICK TO GET
THE BUCKET LIST

If you're looking for a way to get your kids to take charge of their own entertainment, click over to this post where I have created a unique, card-based list of 150 of the best screen-free activities for elementary kids up through teens.

So with that in mind, I wanted to make a life list for my kids, things they have done and will do someday.

1. Ride in a taxi - They did this in Philadelphia, and Grace can't wait to do it again.
2. Ride on a city bus
3. Take the subway - New York City, June 2019
4. Take a train - New Jersey Transit, June 2019
5. Climb the Eiffel Tower (Grace and Allie added this.)
6. Ride in an airplane - Did this on the way to our Disney cruise, December 2017
7. Play in the ocean - We take a family vacation to Ocean City, Maryland every year.
8. Build a sand castle - Ocean City
9. Get buried in the sand - Ocean City
10. Collect sea shells and other beach treasures - Ocean City
11. Catch a crab - Ocean City
12. Become a Jr. Ranger at a National Park - Assateague Island in Maryland & The White House
13. Ride on the Maid of the Mist under Niagara Falls - September 2018
14. See a movie at the drive-in theater - June 2019
15. Practice yoga - Girl Scouts
16. Swim in a wave pool - Hersheypark
17. Ride rides in an amusement park - Hersheypark
18. Ride a roller coaster - Hersheypark
19. Learn to ice skate - Grace took lessons, but Allie hasn't.
20. Have dinner at the Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon
21. Look out from the top of the Washington Monument
22. Tour the White House - November 2015
23. See the Statue of Liberty in person - June 2019
24. Go on a cruise - December 2017
25. Visit Walt Disney World - December 2017
26. Attend a home Penn State football game in person - I think the Blue & White game counts.
27. Perform in a play - Grace has, but Allie hasn't.
28. Visit China (Grace added this.)
29. Visit Mexico (Grace added this.)
30. Visit Japan (Grace added this.)
31. Swim with dolphins
32. Go on an eco-safari in Africa
33. Hike to a waterfall - July 2019
    (The rest go back to my own childhood. I don't want them to miss out on the fun that I had as a kid, despite all the yuppy experiences they've had.)
34. Learn to play an instrument - Grace & Allie take piano, guitar, and ukulele lessons.
35. Swim in a creek - Near our house
36. Swim in a lake - Also near our house
37. Roll down a really big hill - At a local park
38. Camp out - They have both done this.
39. Fly a kite - At the beach
40. Pick cherries from a tree - At Strite's Orchard in Harrisburg
41. Pick apples from a tree - At Strite's
42. Pick and eat raspberries - At home
43. Make mud pies - At home
44. Climb a tree - At home
45. Make a whistle from an acorn cap - Aunt Amanda taught them this, but they haven't gotten good at it yet.
46. Feed the birds - At home
47. Catch tadpoles
48. Grow a garden - At home
49. Cook over a camp fire - At home
50. Climb a mountain
51. Find a geocache - June 2016
52. See the Northern Lights
53. Watch a meteor shower
54. Care for a pet - At home
55. Explore a cave
56. Have fun at a carnival - I think the York Fair counts.
57. Milk a cow
58. Go roller skating - Near our house
59. Take a boat ride on the river - With my uncle and Old Grandma and also on the Pride of the Susquehanna in Harrisburg
60. Sell Girl Scout cookies - They have both done this.
61. Tie their own shoelaces - They can both do this.
62. Learn to cook with a recipe - They're both pretty good at this.
63. Learn how to handle money
64. Create a painting
65. Make jam from fresh fruit
66. Roast marshmallows & make s’mores - Frequently in the summer
67. Learn to crochet or knit
68. Visit an art museum
69. Visit a science museum - Whitaker Center in Harrisburg
70. Go to vacation bible school - yearly
71. Learn to sew
72. Get a manicure at a spa - Grace has done this, but Allie hasn't.
73. Volunteer at a homeless shelter
74. Volunteer at an animal shelter
75. Learn a second language
76. Sign up for a library card - both have library cards
77. See a Broadway show - Saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, June 2019
78. Travel to a third world country
79. Join the Girl Scouts or 4H - They are in both.
80. Run a 5k - Both girls have walked 5Ks with me and HATED the experience.
81. Go whale watching
82. Swing on a tire swing - There is a tire swing at the elementary school near our house.

What am I missing?

Save a printable version of the list below. Print one out and check off the items as your kids do each one.

CLICK TO GET
THE BUCKET LIST

If you're looking for a way to get your kids to take charge of their own daily entertainment, click over to this post where I have created a unique, card-based list of 150 of the best screen-free activities for elementary kids up through teens.

Pin