It’s August, and while we know that sooner or later all good things must come to an end, the summer is not over yet! You still have lots of time to squeeze every ounce of wonderfulness that is summer and do all the things you’ve always wanted to do. Use this amazing summer bucket list for 2025 to make the most of what is left of this beautiful season.
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I’ve packed this list full of the best summer activities to do, both alone and with friends, family or a partner. Some are exciting and active while others are more mellow and cozy so there’s plenty to choose from for everybody. This summer bucket list for 2025 is all you need to find your next summer activity.
Low Key + High Energy Activities
Summer is usually the time where many of us get a break from work, and I completely respect the need for rest, and some peace and quiet. Some days we just don’t want to do anything, and that’s okay. Keep reading to find some cozy at-home summer activities to try when you just don’t have the energy to get out of the house.
That being said, I also know how important it is to actually get up and live a little. We spend most of awake hours at work, where we don’t have time to think about anything fun. I made this list to hopefully inspire you to get out in the sun and do things that makes you feel alive. Keep reading for the ultimate summer bucket list of 2025, and pin this for safekeeping, so you can always come back to it when you need a little inspiration!
Summer Bucket List 2025 Ideas:
- Ride a bike somewhere
Instead of taking the car or the bus, blow the dust off your bicycle and explore the nature on the way. I bet you’ll find some amazing new places you didn’t even realise were there, since going on the bike allows you to explore roads that aren’t accessible with a vehicle.
2. Go on a road trip
I will never not recommend this for a summer bucket list. Whether it’s a day trip or you travel around for a few days, this is the best way to explore your country, alone or with your favourite people. Scream-sing to your favourite songs, or deep talk while you head to new locations to explore. The best part about this is that you are entirely in charge of where to stop and what to do, and you can cram in so many locations and activities in one trip.
3. Swim in a lake/sea
This is a must before the summer is over, especially if you haven’t done it yet. Cool off in the chill water on a hot summer day, or go for a night dip in the moonlight. A pool would also do, but there’s something so nostalgic about jumping in the cold water of the local lake.
4. Have a sunset picnic
Get together with your loved ones and gather snacks for a picnic. It doesn’t really matter what you buy/make or where you go. The key is in quantity, a multitude of options to pick and mix from and a view over the sunset. That’s all you need.
5. Buy an instant camera and collect photos of all your memories
Snap photos often! Get a friend to snap some candids too, and bring the camera with you everywhere. You’ll thank yourself later when you have a bunch of memories to look back at and decorate your walls and journals with. –
6. Scrap book
-Which brings me to scrap booking. Keep mementoes of all your summer activities, whether it’s polaroids, ice cream wrappers or ticket stubs. These are the kind of things you can fill a scrap book with and have pages filled with physical, genuine items that represent your memories.
7. Outdoor yoga
Hit two birds with one stone in the morning and enjoy the sun and nature, while stretching out those muscles. Starting out with fresh air, sunshine and movement is a recipe for a great day.
8. Go on a wine/coffee walk
Bring a friend or partner, open a bottle of wine or brew some coffee, get some nice glasses (even if it’s impractical, and take a walk around the neighbourhood with your beverages. There’s something about drinking from actual glasses while out and about that makes this extra fun.
9. Make a short film
Write a short script and get some friends together to make an indie short film. It could be about anything, but there’s no better time to do this than in the summer, when the vibes are immaculate and you can film late in the night because it’s still warm.
10. Learn how to dive
Here’s a secret, I still don’t know how to dive. But every summer I tell myself that this year I will learn. So if you’re like me, make this the year that you learn how to dive instead of always jumping into the water like a frog (me).
11. Go wild berry picking
Berries are in season! (Depending on where in the world you are of course). Take the opportunity to go out in the woods and pick some fresh, wild blueberries, raspberries or strawberries. If you don’t have any wild berry areas nearby, there are sometimes berry orchards that you can visit that allow for you to pick your own berries.
12. Bake a fruit pie
With the berries that you picked, why not make a seasonal dessert like a fruit pie or cobbler. And eat it with some ice cream. I can’t think of anything more summery than that.
13. Go “SUPing”
“SUP” or Standup Paddleboard is a form of water sport where you stand on a floating board and paddle yourself forward with the help of… well you guessed it: a paddle. It can be done in a fun, sporty way or a more relaxed, chill manner. Some people paddle out on a lake and just lie down on their boards for a moment, absorbing the tranquility.
14. Have a bonfire
This is another thing that I will always recommend for a summer bucket list. Obviously, this is something you can do in the colder time of the year as well to warm up, but in the summer, the vibes are just different. Find an approved area for a bonfire, get some friends, bring a guitar and have a great night around the fire.
15. Make S’mores
Obviously, you can’t have a bonfire without making s’mores.
16. Attend a live music performance
This could literally be anywhere. A concert, a festival, a bar, on a boat. As long as it has live music, and bonus points if it has space to dance.
17. Make a sunscreen tattoo
This has been everywhere on social media during the summer. If you don’t know, a sunscreen tattoo is when you apply a thicker layer of sunscreen to an area of your body in a cute pattern or image, and after tanning for a while you’ll basically have an inverted tattoo. The skin where the sunscreen was will be lighter than the rest.
18. Rent a boat or go on a ferry ride
If you or someone you know have a license, you can rent a boat and sail around on the water for the day. The best thing about this is that you can find beaches or cliffs that are otherwise not accessible. If you can’t hire a boat, you could get a ferry-ride and explore a new location.
19. Collect pretty seashells
Go to the nearest beach and hunt for washed up seashells. Collect the prettiest ones and display them in your house. Just make sure there is no animal living in them.
20. Try a new fashion style
Summer is honestly the best time to spice up your wardrobe. Especially when you’re on vacation somewhere. No one knows you so you can feel confident about trying something new.
21. Make friendship bracelets (outside)
You’ll probably notice some of these recommendations are just normal things you can do, but I’m specifically recommending doing them outside. Summer is almost over, so take advantage of the weather and spend time outside crafting cute little bracelets with your friends.
22. Vlog
Get a digital camera or even you phone and document your summer adventures. Cut it together into a little vlog for YouTube or TikTok or just for your own memories. It’s a priceless memory to have and look back on.
23. Go on a hike
Gear up, bring some snacks and drinks and hike out on a nearby trail. Or come to think of it, why not make a day of it and ravel to a beautiful hiking trail that’s been on your bucket list?
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24. Read a new book
Nothing hits like reading a good book in summer. You probably have lots of books on your TBR list on Goodreads, so use what’s left of this season and challenge yourself to finish one book that you’ve always wanted to read before summer is over.
25. Stargazing
The summer season usually has blue and clear skies, which also means that the stars will be more visible during night. August is a great time to watch the starry night sky, as it is dark enough but still warm. The best way to do this is to go somewhere remote, as you don’t want the light pollution of a city or town to ruin it.
26. Outdoor cinema
This has summer vibes written all over it. Either attend a public outdoor cinema screening in your town or put up a big white sheet and a projector in your backyard. Bring snacks, friends and some cozy chairs.
27. Do a photo walk
Go out in your neighbourhood and take photos of things around you. It could be anything that catches your eye, but try to capture the aesthetics around you. The idea is to look at your neighbourhood from a new angle and see things from a different perspective.
28. Go on a color walk
This is a similar idea to a photo walk, but with a different mission. Go on a walk with a friend and assign a color to each of you. Then try to capture photos of everything that aligns with your color.
29. Journal outside
I find nature to be very inspiring, so what better location to journal your thoughts and goals than surrounded by the beauty of nature.
30. At home spa
Have a relaxing day at home with your friends. Make some DIY face masks, drinks, have a foot bath, and do your nails together. Bonus points if one of you has a pool or jacuzzi that you can relax in.
31. Attend a summer festival or street market
The summer season usually offers a lot of events and markets, where you can explore local goods like fresh berries and fruit, homemade decorations for your house or even street food festivals.
32. Play mini golf
Make sure you do this at least once before the season is over. Outdoor mini golf is such a fun game (dare I say more eventful than regular golf…?).
33. Try a new hairstyle
There’s no time like now to try cutting or dyeing your hair a different way. If you love it, you’ll have a new, fresh style for when you go back to school or work in September. If you hate it, you still have time to get it fixed!
34. Visit a botanical garden
Go to a local botanical garden and explore the beautiful nature and plants. It’s a great way to go out and spend time in nature when you’re bored of your neighbourhood.
35. Have a summer photoshoot
Put on a cute summery outfit, get out in nature or the town with some friends and take photos for your instagrams, or just for the memories. Try to capture candids of your summer activities, like a summer picnic or cycling through a wooded trail.
36. Do a “Digital Detox” Day
Put your phones away and spend an entire day without screens. Spend genuine time with each other, get out in nature, be creative and do actual activities rather than doom scroll all day.
37. Visit a rooftop bar
Have a drink or a bite to eat in the sky. Lots of tall buildings in the cities will have a some sort of sky bar or something similar. It’s a great way to see the view of the city and spend your date a little differently.
38. Create a Summer playlist
Compile all your favourite summer 2025 songs into a summer playlist that you can listen back to on rainy fall days.
39. Host a themed garden party
Pick a theme, set up a table in your garden and decorate the space. Choose a dress code according to the theme and have everyone dress up and celebrate the last few weeks of summer.
40. Go sunset chasing
Take a look at the weather forecast and spend an evening searching for the prettiest sunset. A tip: the best sunsets are usually not on a completely clear sky, as clouds will reflect the colors and make them even more vivid and beautiful.
41. Act like a tourist in your hometown
Pretend your visiting your town for the first time. What would you do? What would you want to see? This is a great way to appreciate your home and to maybe experience some new things that you’ve overlooked before.
42. Create a vision board
It’s the end of summer, so what better time to set goals and create a vision for the following season. What do you want for fall? What goals do you want to achieve before New Years, or next summer?
43. Make a wildflower bouquet
There won’t be many more opportunities to enjoy the beauty of wildflowers this year, so why not pick some and display them in your home?
44. Try all the ice cream flavours
While it’s still ice cream season, try to find as many flavours as possible and rank them.
45. Do a local food crawl
Explore your town’s local restaurants. Pick a random place for breakfast, another for lunch, another for coffee, another for dinner and lastly another for dessert.
46. Start a weekly summer tradition
Okay, so maybe this is a bit late, but who’s to say you can’t continue this after summer’s over? Or if it’s season based, like going for a morning swim, you can start it now and continue it as soon as the summer season starts again next year. Something to look forward to.
47. Have breakfast outside
It’s easy to grab a coffee or maybe a bowl of yoghurt and just rush through breakfast. But I think breakfast is the perfect time to slowly get ready for the day. Spend time on it, cook a nice breakfast, and most importantly: sit outside and get fresh air first thing in the morning while you still can.
48. Paint and picnic
The is a perfect date idea. Sit somewhere nice, maybe with a view, eat, yap, and paint. If it feels overwhelming bringing canvases and paint, you could try a paint by numbers kit. It has everything you need in it and it’s so relaxing.
49. Pick a random spot on the map to visit
If you’re feeling up for an adventure, throw a dart on a map over your city (or country if you’re feeling bold) and go wherever the dart lands. Who knows where you might end up?
50. Stay up all night and watch the sunset
This one speaks for itself. A perfect way to end the summer. 🙂
Summer Bucket List 2025 Ideas for and Unforgettable Summer
I hope you enjoyed this list of 49 ideas for your summer bucket list 2025, and that it gave you some inspiration for how to make the most of the last few weeks of summer. You might not be able to fit all of this in, but there’s always next summer! Try and get through as many summer bucket list 2025 ideas as you can before summer ends, and enjoy!
