The Un-Bucket List
The Un-Bucket List: Co-Creating a Summer of Wonder, Not Checkmarks
Summer doesn’t show up the same way for every child, every family, and every classroom. For some, it’s all about sidewalk chalk and sprinklers. For others, the sunshine is mixed in with the challenges of shifting routines or unfamiliar grownups. Yet, summer often holds the potential for a little extra time and space. And in that space, wonder has room to stretch. Ideas grow. Joy gets louder. One way to say yes to all of that? Co-create a summer un-bucket list.
Summer isn’t a checklist, and childhood isn’t a project to complete. The un-bucket list is an invitation to possibilities and to co-creating something that belongs to everyone. It’s not about picture-perfect activities. It’s about noticing what lights children up, then following their lead. When children help shape the plan, the plan becomes theirs. That’s when the magic happens.
Step One: Don’t Plan. Listen.
Forget the themes. Forget the calendar. Start with questions, especially the kind that don’t need tidy answers!
-
“What’s one new thing you’d like to try this summer?”
-
“What have you always wondered about?”
-
“What’s something silly or surprising you hope happens?”
Don’t steer. Don’t edit. Just listen. Let the ideas flow in all of their messy and magical glory!
You might get answers like:
“Make pancakes in the sandbox."
“Wash babies like Nana showed me.”
“Build a boat that actually floats.”
“Make a castle out of cardboard.”
“Dig a hole so deep we find lava.”
Some children might dream out loud, piling on idea after idea. Others might offer one quiet word. Every response is valid. Before children can imagine new worlds, they need to feel safe in this one. That means we start with connection, quiet moments, and rituals that help children feel rooted so their ideas can emerge.
Step Two: Leave Wiggle Room
-
☀️ The Summer Jar - Every idea (scribbled, drawn, or dictated) goes in the jar. Pull one when you need an idea. Think inspiration, not obligation.
-
☀️ The “What We’re Wondering” Wall - Post their sketches, photos, or treasures. Let it grow. Let it sprawl. Let it get messy.
-
☀️ A “Chalkboard of Possibilities” - Chalk doesn’t care about mistakes. Dedicate a chalkboard space (indoors or out) and watch as the ideas come, go, and come back again in new forms. Let the children rewrite the summer in real time.
-
☀️ A “Wheel of What Ifs” - Spin the unexpected! A DIY spinner or dice with children’s ideas can turn indecision into delight.
These aren’t tools to plan, but invitations to notice. That noticing is the heart of responsive teaching.
It’s About the Experience, Not the Outcome
The best parts of summer don’t come with instructions. It’s the dandelion fluff, launched by a whisper-wish. The stick that turns into a wand and then a dragon’s tail. The beat of a bucket drum shaking the sandbox into a block party.
These are the moments that shape children’s sense of identity, joy, and belonging. What matters is that children are seen, heard, and respected. Not the checklist. Not the photo opportunity. The play. By co-creating summer plans, we’re doing just that: honoring their ideas and creating meaningful memories together.
Follow the Joy
Centering play isn’t passive; it's purposeful. It means that we’re watching closely and asking better questions. We’re building brains, nurturing resilience, and saying, "You belong here. Your ideas belong here. Your voice is important here.”
We know that not all programs have the same space, staffing, or schedule, and not all children arrive with the same energy, background, or needs. For some, summer brings rest; for others, it brings more stress. But co-creation can still happen. It can bloom in five minutes between cleanup and snack or unfold slowly over the course of a week. It’s the intention and the invitation that make the difference.
So, make a list if you want to. Just don’t make it a checklist. Measure your summer in shared wonders and shared worries, in delights and frustrations, in new adventures and familiar, favorite games. These all hold moments of connection and opportunities for children to feel recognized, valued, and part of something bigger. Let it be collaborative. Let it be unexpected. Let it belong to the children as much as it belongs to you. When we invite children to help shape the summer, we’re offering some agency in a world that often decides things for them. That’s the kind of summer that children will remember long after the last chalk doodle fades.
Christine Murray is an Early Childhood Education Specialist with Becker’s Education Team.
As an educator, coach and leader, Christine is inspired by the curiosity, joy and wonder that children so generously model for us. She earned her M.A. in Innovative Early Childhood Education at the University of Colorado Denver and loves collaborating with and supporting others in the field. Grounded in relationships and guided by empathy, Christine is always learning, connecting and creating.