I don’t remember when I first learned the concept of a Bucket List, but I’ve had a list of my own since I was in high school. Since then, my list has evolved: some items have been checked off (go skydiving, get married) and other items now have considerably less appeal than they once did (I no longer feel the need to get a license in interior design). Most of my list has yet to be checked off, and some of the items are admittedly unlikely to occur (I don’t know how plausible it is that I’ll ever travel to Antarctica, fulfilling my goal of visiting all seven continents). It’s fun to dream, though, and hopefully I have many more years to knock off items from my list before I kick the bucket.

Becoming a mother has inspired me to create a whole new type of bucket list, one filled with adventures—big and small—that I’d like for Charlie to experience in his growing-up years. Right now, as I stare into the face of my precious six-week-old, it’s hard to imagine that he will ever grow up and leave me, but I know our years together will be over before we know it, and I’d like to make the most of them. Luke and I have begun to compile a list of things we’d like for Charlie to learn, experiences we’d like to share, and family traditions we hope to create. Many items on our list were inspired by experiences from our own childhoods, and others are new to our little family. Like my personal bucket list, this list is likely to change over time. Soon, Charlie will be old enough to contribute his own ideas to the list (and possibly veto some of the items added by his parents), but this list is a great starting point for us.

Childhood Experiences

• Attend family camp.
• Go backpacking.
• See a movie at a drive-in theater.
• Go skiing or snowboarding.
• Build a sandcastle.
• Go on a Disney cruise.
• Read through the whole Bible.
• Visit Disneyland.
• Build a treehouse.
• Have a snowball fight.
• Build a snowman.
• Go on a scavenger hunt.
• Have a penpal in another state or country.
• Keep a journal.
• Sing in a choir.
• Train a dog.
• See a Broadway musical.
• Take a train trip.
• Go bowling.
• Go ice skating.
• Visit the Grand Canyon.
• Tell a friend about Jesus.
• Go sailing.
• Visit a real farm.
• Play in the rain.
• Go to summer camp.
• Play a round of golf.
• Listen to the entire Adventures in Odyssey series.
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
• Make a time capsule.
• Plant something and watch it grow.
• Ride a horse.
• Go snorkeling.
• Complete a ropes course.
• Go rock climbing.
• Read through the Chronicles of Narnia and the whole Harry Potter series.
• Tour a fire station.
• Have a slumber party.
• Fly a kite.
• Travel to another country.
• Go on a late-night Slurpee run.
• Roast marshmallows over a beach bonfire.
• Spend the night in a blanket fort in the living room.
• Camp out in the backyard.
• Go sledding.

Learn How To. . .

• Play an instrument.
• Ride a bike.
• Play a sport.
• Do laundry.
• Speak a second language.
• Program (on a computer).
• Bake cookies.
• Do the dishes.
• Cook a meal from scratch.
• Swim.
• Wash a car.
• Work with wood.
• Change a tire.
• Drive a stick-shift.
• Tie a neck tie.
• Treat a lady with respect.
• Build a fire.
• Study the Bible.
• Create and stick to a budget.
• Write a heartfelt thank you note.
• Surf.
• Do a flip.

Family Traditions

• Read together every day.
• Have weekly family devotions.
• Dye Easter Eggs.
• Carve pumpkins on Halloween.
• Add a new ornament to the tree every Christmas.
• Write letters to Santa Claus, and leave him milk and cookies on Christmas Eve.
• Celebrate Advent.
• Take First-Day-of-School pictures.
• Kiss mom goodnight every. single. night. 😉

Our list is still a work in progress, so I would really appreciate any additional ideas or suggestions. What experiences or traditions were an important part of your childhood, or that of your own children? Please share them with me!