The Boredom Bucket

Today was the first FULL day of summer!! (I am fully aware that yesterday was the summer solstice and thus the "first" day of summer, BUT it started at 7:28 am, therefore TODAY is the first FULL day of summer. okay rant finished).

Our kids tend to get, well, let's just say "active" with too much time at home, so I've decided to come up with our Summer "Boredom Bucket." (I got the idea from Jen at Parenting in Blue Jeans and her summer "Bucket List."). I'll put a bunch of ideas in a bucket and let one of the kids choose an activity for the day. This will include free activities, places to go, and things to do at home. Of course, this will be a weekend only thing since we work during the week.

AT HOME
Set up pool/Slip N Slide/outdoor water play
Backyard BBQ/Picnic
Buy an Ice Cream Maker and make our own ice cream
Blow bubbles
Go for a nature walk
Bake a cake or cookies

FREEBIES
Atlantis Park
Dotson Park (local park with water play area)
Visit the Library
Visit the duck pond
Centennial Farms
California Science Center (not local, so we'll see)
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (again, not local)
Cerritos Public Library
Shipley Nature Center

NOT SO FREE-BIES
Out for ice cream/smoothies
Watermelon Tour at Tanaka Farms (pick your own watermelon and taste all kinds of yummies - fun!)
Irvine Park (Pony Rides/Train Ride/OC Zoo)

These are all my ideas, so I'll talk to the kids about what their ideas might be too.  I like Jen's idea of using colored paper, so I'm going to figure out how to incorporate that as well. I love the element of surprise this provides, and hopefully the kids will too. We'll probably end up using it year round!

What's in your "Boredom Bucket?"