Whenever I’m on Facebook, this article from Motherly continues to pop up in my feed. I finally read it the other day and oh boy it was a bit of a tear-jerker to think about. The premise of the article is about how fleeting time is and the importance of cherishing each summer because we only have 18 summers with our kids. At the end, the author talks about how you can’t stop time, and her own commitment to enjoy every moment this summer. That got me thinking about summer bucket lists and to be honest, as a pregnant mama to a two and a half year old, I’m nervous about keeping my energy up all summer. And I know my daughter won’t remember this summer except through the stories we tell her when she’s older, it is her last summer as our only child and I want to make it memorable and fun. So here’s our bucket list…What’s on your bucket list this summer?
- Berry Picking: This is one activity we haven’t done yet as a family, and I know our time is running short on strawberry season. Local farms like Jones Family Farms in Shelton offers strawberry and blueberries, Silvermans Farm in Easton offers blueberries, raspberries, and peaches, and Maple Bank Farm in Roxbury offers blueberries.
2. Swim, Swim, & More Swimming: Our entire family loves the water and will swim in pools, lakes, and the ocean. We’ll be spending a lot of time in the pool, as well as on Candlewood Lake and at the beach in Rhode Island. I grew up spending summers swimming in Candlewood Lake, so I love seeing Isabelle enjoy wading in at the lake.
3. Recharge at the Beach: Each year we spend a week in Westerly, R.I. at my in-law’s beach house. Time in Westerly at the beach is some of my husband’s favorite time throughout the course of the year, and I have to say it’s become mine too! This year, we’re heading there a bit early in July and are looking forward to walks on the beach, exploring Watch Hill and downtown Westerly, and swimming in the ocean.
4. Try New Playgrounds: So I have this pretty extensive list here on the website, but we generally stick to our normal playground rotation of Dickinson, Treadwell, and Kids Kingdom. I want to venture out a bit and try new playgrounds.
5. Splash in the Puddles: My daughter always wants to play outside when it’s raining and I’m not the best at embracing the chaos (and the mud). This summer when we face a rainy day (or two), I need to let myself give in to her requests and let her get messy outside. (Obviously pending no summer thunderstorms!)
6. Splash at Area Splash Pads: We’re big fans of the Ridgefield Spray Bay after last summer. This summer, I’d like to try more splash pads like the ones at Quassy or Lake Kenosia. And this doesn’t just mean outside splash pads – we’re looking forward to trying out the new zero entry pool with spray features at the Newtown Community Center.
7. Enjoy Ice Cream on Hot Days: Ice cream is my favorite treat on a hot & humid summer day. There are so many great ice cream places that we frequent, as well as ones we haven’t tried. We love Ferris Acres, but want our family to try Dubl Twister & Il Bacio too (these two spots are my favorites from growing up).
8. Grab as Many Fresh Fruits & Veggies as Possible: Scooping up locally sourced fruits and veggies will become even easier during the course of the next few weeks. And there’s nothing better than letting a toddler pick out his or her own produce (I think there’s a better chance they’ll eat it!) There are farmers’ markets going on throughout the week, not only in Newtown, but in Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, and New Milford. You can read the full run down here.
9. Take Advantage of our Association of Children’s Museums Membership: Membership at EverWonder, gets you discounts and special offers at other museums throughout CT and the rest of the US. There are a bunch of museums within this association throughout CT and so far the only one we’ve tried is Stepping Stones in Norwalk. This summer, I’m hoping to try at least one other
10. Picnic at an Outdoor Concert: Last summer we were still navigating an early bedtime so we didn’t make it to any of the area’s outdoor concerts. This year, there’s a full line-up at Dickinson Park, the Brookfield Municipal Center, the Danbury Mall, and so on. You can read all about outdoor concerts here.
What’s on your summer bucket list? Comment below…I’m always looking for new ideas!