Summer Bucket List

In July, the school is quiet. The daily stream of buses has stopped rolling in. Students, educators, and families have signed off from final Zoom meetings. July is a month for every member of the community to take a collective deep breath, soak in the warmth of the sun, and enjoy the pastimes that recharge our batteries. These pastimes give us the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, with the natural world, with neighbors and our community, and with our sense of joy, play, and creativity. Here are some unique ideas to add to your summer bucket list.

Make a splash

Whether it be a pool, a beach, a garden hose, water balloons, or a slip-and-slide laid out on the lawn, find some time to play in the water. Water has a revitalizing effect at any time of year, but in the heat of July it is especially invigorating.

Here’s an idea to try: Get creative with it. Play Super Soaker tag or hold a water balloon toss. Or, try water balloon volleyball, in which teams work together to pass a water balloon back and forth over the net with a towel.

 

Get artsy

Create a collage from found objects in nature, tie-dye a T-shirt, design and build a sandcastle, or sew yourself a new pillow. Indulge in a creative process that both brings you joy and lets you express yourself.

Here’s an idea to try:Make your own daybed pillow; they are excellent for curling up with a good book or lounging in the summer sun.

 

Host a challenge

Summers are full of outdoor gatherings around picnic tables, fire pits, and porches. Switch it up a little by holding a scavenger hunt, a Chopped kitchen challenge, or your own version of the Olympics. 

Here’s an idea to try: Host a community scavenger hunt. Have teams meet you at a designated meeting spot where you will hand them a set of clues. These clues will lead teams to various community sites where they will either need to get an artifact or take a picture to prove they were there. Once they have finished, have teams return to the designated spot.

 

Tune out

Recharging often requires unplugging. Turning off the TV, turning off the phone, and (dare we say it) turning off Wi-Fi can help you step outside the rush of modern life and take some time to just be. See if you can spend an entire day unplugged. Find other ways to enjoy your time. Sit on a bench and people watch or stargaze. Or go into full relax mode and treat yourself to a home spa day. 

Here’s an idea to try: Stay up to watch a meteor shower. Summer can afford us the rare opportunity to sleep in the next day. What better way to take advantage than to spend an evening appreciating the grandeur of the night sky?

 

July is a month just for you. How will you fill your bucket?

 

Written by Karen Poplawski, Responsive Classroom Chief Program Officer