Editor’s Note: This year’s bucket list was adjusted to account for social distancing guidelines and the still unknowns regarding what will and won’t be open and accessible this summer. Many of the activities on our list can still be enjoyed with social distancing, but we always recommend checking with local establishments before heading out and that is even more important this year!
Summer is full of dreams and the opportunity to create the kind of memories that last a lifetime! And while big vacations are certainly great, there is a ton of local fun right here on our 2020 summer bucket list to keep you plenty busy! We know you are going to want to dive right into all of these fun ideas, but before you get started, we want to issue our annual challenge.
Each year we extend an official DMC Summer Bucket List Challenge. It’s simple to play.
- Click on the picture below for your printable challenge.
- Complete the 6 activities on the challenge and document the fact that you did with a photograph.
- Post all 6 pictures to Instagram or Facebook, using the hashtags #DMCsummer20 (tagging @daytonmomcollective is helpful too!)
- After all 6 pictures are posted, email us at [email protected] so we can verify your completed challenge.
This contest will run from now through August 10th.
One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.
Live It Up, Local Style
- Grab Bill’s Donuts as a family – encourage everyone to pick a different donut and share
- Check out Camp in a Box from Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
- Stop at Young’s for carry-out ice cream
- Watch the fountains at Riverscape
- DIY your own Strawberry Festival since we can’t go to the real one this year
- Tackle part of the Dayton Aviation Trail via virtual tours
Family-Focused Fun
- Go tech-free for a day
- Check out the virtual safari’s at the Cincinnati Zoo
- Check out a new (to you) hike
- Camp out in the backyard and roast s’mores
- Catch a flick (or two) at the Dixie Twin Drive-In Theater
Make Time for an Outdoor Adventure
- Start a family garden
- Sip a brew or two at a local brewery
- Hike Yellow Springs
- Go for a family bike ride
- Paint & hide rocks
- Fly a kite at Oak Grove Park
- Splash in the creek and search for fossils at Patricia Allyn Park
- Celebrate International Mud Day (June 29) by getting dirty
Foodie Fun
- Visit a local farmer’s market and buy ingredients to make dinner
- Explore the Butler County Donut Trail
- Make kale chips
- Pack a family picnic and eat it at a local park
- Make a charcuterie dinner
- Try a new (to you) restaurant – even if it’s carryout
- Try an authentic New Orleans style snowball in Troy at Ducky’s Snowballs and Ice Cream
- Enjoy ice cream in a bag
- Grab a pizza at Marion’s, eat outside and challenge everyone to leave the tech behind
- Check out a local U-pick berry farm and eat berries fresh off the vine/plant
Immerse Yourself in the Arts
- Experiment with magic milk
- Check out virtual summer programming from the library
- Create a sidewalk chalk mural depicting something you love about Dayton
- Introduce the kids to a movie from your childhood
- Build a city out of Legos with your family
- Paint with water balloons
- Find a mural for a fun photo-op
Hang Around Home
- Make a time capsule
- Check out a stack of books from the library and spend an afternoon in a hammock reading
- Create an obstacle course in your yard
- Organize a kid-friendly “progressive dinner” where each member of your family is responsible for cooking and presenting one of the courses
- Play a coding game with Hotwheels
- Send snail mail
- Make kinetic sand
- Have a family water balloon fight
- Decorate rocks for #CWPDrocks Centerville Washington Park District
