Atlanta Summer Bucket List 2023 {With Free Printable!}
It’s summertime in Atlanta – and while it can get HOT, families here are blessed with a wide variety of activities to make their summer the COOLest ever. From splash pads around the city to North Georgia day trips, we hope our summer bucket list below inspires you to get out and make some fun summer memories!
Staying in – fun ideas for home!
- Host neighbors for a summertime meal on the patio.
- Beat the heat and create some indoor fun without leaving your house!
- Have your kids create a cozy reading space in your house for some daily quiet reading time. Sign them up for one of our Atlanta area Summer Reading Programs!
- And while the kids are reading, kick up your feet for a few minutes and get literary with our summer reads list for moms. Here’s another list of our swoon-worthy Beach reads!
- Sidewalk chalk your driveway! Inspiring messages, hop scotch, fun artwork… have the kids go crazy!
- It’s time for a little inter-family competition. Plan a night in with pjs, make-your-own nachos bar and a Family Game Night.
- Rent a bouncy house or blow-up water slide for the weekend! And invite ALL the neighborhood friends over… but keep the kids and their dirty feet outside!
- Plan a craft-ernoon. We love this idea for a simple craft involving flowers and a hammer. Fun times for all!
- Plan a family pizza night. Buy some Publix pizza dough, marinara, cheese, and a variety of toppings. Let the kids build their own pizza with toppings… and bake!
- Set up a Lemonade stand with your kids.
- Most moms spend a lot of time throughout the summer monitoring and limiting screen time. It isn’t a popular job, but someone has to do it! Why not give in and make screen time a family affair? Plan a night to hang out as a family and beat Bowser together! Teamwork makes the dream work!
- Plan a family “work day”. Yep, the kids aren’t going to love this idea, but the summer is a great time to teach them some life skills. Maybe it’s time spent focusing on cleaning closets, bedrooms or playrooms; maybe it’s cleaning cars and pulling weeds. Consider planning a fun day to use as an incentive for helping out with a good attitude.
- Take your kids to Dollar Tree, give them a budget, and let them run wild through the aisles finding fun little items to use for art projects and entertaining themselves.
- Visit your local library! You might be surprised to find out how many free activities they offer to the community – from art classes to astronomy classes, puppet shows to story time!
- Catch fireflies! Take a family walk through your neighborhood or local park and spot (and catch!) as many fireflies as you can. Fun for all ages!
- Pick your favorite recipe and plan a day where your kids help bake treats for neighbors and friends – have fun delivering them to anyone who could use a pick-me-up. Here’s a favorite recipe we like to make for friends: Gluten Free Zucchini Banana Bread – Flavor Walk. For breakfast, cut a slice, toast it, and spread a bit of almond butter on it.
Heading out – the Atlanta area has so much to offer!
- While we all love a good vacation, a staycation in Atlanta can be just as fun. Rock climbing, ice skating, Six Flags… in Atlanta you will never get bored.
- Summers can be hot and expensive… don’t sweat it, check out these cost-effective options for fun.
- Check out a summer flick on the big screen for cheap! Want to know which new movies are coming out? Check out this 2023 Family-Friendly Movie list!
- Or check out a summer flick on an even bigger screen… and outdoors!
- Chill out at one of our awesome Atlanta area splash pads.
- Load up your bikes and helmets and enjoy one of our awesome bike paths!
- Sign your family up for a good race – start small with a 5K race OR go big with the Peachtree Road Race. Not into running? Join in on the fun by making signs and cheering the runners on to the finish line!
- Well, this is an obvious suggestion. Catch a Braves game! But make sure you build in time before or after the game to hang out at The Battery!
- Feed giraffes, cheer on some dolphins, or hang out with some crazy farm animals – check out this list of animal experiences around Atlanta.
- Check out the new Museum of Illusions in Atlantic Station.
- No summer bucket list would be complete without some water fun! Cool off with these fun water attractions!
- Beat the heat in July at one of these Indoor Playgrounds. Let the kids play the day away… an early bedtime might be in their future.
- Find a way to give back this summer by volunteering.
- Be one with nature at our many Nature Centers around the city.
- Teach your kids how much fun it can be to stop and smell the roses – visit a local Botanical Garden!
- Take a break and let someone else entertain your kids! There are so many fabulous Summer Camps around Atlanta – whether your kid is looking for outdoor adventures, science experiments, theater… there are options to keep everyone entertained and tired by the end of the day!
- Plan a trip to the farmer’s market – maybe even give your kids a budget and a goal to buy items for a dinnertime meal that they prepare.
- Gather up a group of friends and head to Beat the Bomb Atlanta. Your team will be challenged with a mission, where you suit up in hazmat gear, dodge lasers and crack codes. Hope you get out in time.. you might have a mess on your hands if not!
- Summer fun doesn’t have to stop with the elementary aged kids. Plan a date and spend some quality time with your teen with these fun ideas.
- Close up your kitchen for the night and head to a food truck park for a casual dinner al fresco.
- It doesn’t have to be Tuesday to enjoy tacos. Plan a festive night out at an Atlanta area Mexican restaurant. Tacos, cheese dip, agua frescas for the kids and a cold margarita for you!
- Have you heard of Tiny Doors Atl? Plan a day finding as many Tiny Doors throughout the city as you can. We recommend biking the beltline and finding the Tiny Doors from Ponce City Market to Krog Street and beyond!
- Have a sweet summer with a sweet treat in hand. Check out our guide to some favorite ice cream spots… and maybe consider an ice cream outing as a reward for consistent summer reading!
- Most breweries in our area are family friendly… so head to your favorite location and enjoy a cold, craft beer. Pro tip: Bring snacks and family-friendly games for the kids.
- Bring your littles to the Children’s Museum of Atlanta! It’s fun, interactive, and educational.
- Spend the day at one of Georgia’s 7 Natural Wonders, Stone Mountain. Hike up and take the skyride down, or skyride both ways! Bring water shoes and bathing suit if you want to cool off at Geyser Towers.
- Grab a towel, slather on the sunscreen, and head to a YMCA pool!
- Get a little competitive with a family game of putt putt at the Fringe. While you are there, cool off and catch a movie at the Aurora Cineplex.
- Explore indoors and outdoors at the Fernbank museum. The Fernbank has a great outdoor area to get some wiggles out amongst the Atlanta forest, then head indoors to cool down and learn in front of their giant theater screen.
Take a trip – sneak in a good day trip, weekend trip, or a full week of vacation!
- Head to Helen for the day (or weekend!). Tube down the river, ride the mountain coaster, soak in a good waterfall hike… you can’t go wrong!
- Pack some towels and sunscreen and head to the beach. But which beach? Georgia coast vs Florida coast… which will you choose? Here’s some help to prep for your trip.
- Spend some good quality time with the grandparents and cousins!
- Don’t go chasing waterfalls… go play in a North Georgia swimming hole!
- Visit Red Oak Lavender Farm in Dahlonega during their June you-pick lavender season. Or check out other options for picking and purchasing lavender here.
- Head to Milton or Dahlonega for the day and enjoy a delicious white or red from a Georgia winery.
- Get ‘em while they’re fresh! We have an abundance of pick-your-own Strawberry and Blueberry Farms with ripe berries just ready to be eaten. Consider picking your berries, then challenging the family to a cookoff – best blueberry or strawberry recipe wins!
- Wake up, load the car, and head out for a day trip! We have suggestions for 6 Family Day Trips in Driving Distance from Atlanta.
- While camping is fun, try elevating your “outdoor” experience with a Glamping trip.
- Do yourself a favor and head to Dollywood! It is an amazing theme park with fun rides and experiences for ALL age groups. And it’s in the Great Smoky Mountains… so wake up to the summer mountain air while visiting!
- Have you heard of Serenbe? It’s a sweet little town south of Atlanta – a farm to table mecca and the perfect place for a weekend getaway.
And because making an official Summer Bucket List can be fun for the family, check out this FREE printable! Personalize the list with fun activities that speak to your family interests, your kids ages, and your budget. Pro tip: Be realistic with the amount of items
Atlanta Summer Bucket List Printable:
