Create a bucket list with your child! For this date, sit down with your child to create a bucket list of things to do and places to see during their childhood. What if you come up with 50 or 100 things to see?! Some items will be simple and easy, while some may be very difficult. Many of these places can be nearby or in neighboring towns, but some will be far away. There is fun in visiting all these places, but I’ve found that researching to find and identify the areas is fun as well. Your bucket list could be simple, or you could make it more elaborate by creating a journal or scrapbook for the things you want to see. Sit down at home with some of your favorite snacks or at a restaurant to get started.
I recommend that when you complete your list, you make it a visible reminder for you, your child, and your family. One way to do this is to create a dream board of places and hang it up in your home. Enjoy the planning process, knowing you will look back on the night where it all began. Make a list challenging but doable, and don’t sell yourself short. When you complete one, add a pin or picture to indicate the accomplishment.
You may decide to try and finish by the time they’re grown. You may also be open to working on the list as long as it takes to complete it, providing years of goals and memories together into their adult lives. Talk through this decision. If you want to finish by the time they’re grown, adapt your list accordingly. Make it hard, but doable, for the remaining time they have at home. If you decide to extend the list beyond their years at home, feel free to make it longer and more challenging to complete. This way, your list will always provide places to go and things to do.
WMTDS (What Makes This Date Special)
This date continues to give long after the date itself. By doing some planning on this night, your future dates can be purposeful in achieving goals from this list while you spend time with one another. There’s also a sense of accomplishment and adventure as you begin checking items off the list over the months and years to come.
Teachable Moments:
- Planning and goal setting
- Travel planning
- Maps and geographical education
This date teaches your child how to plan for the longer-term future. These teachable moments will serve them as they become adults and face challenges in their career planning, finances, health, etc.
Variations
The idea is that this is a specific list of places to see, but you can personalize it to become a more generalized list of things you want to do. You might include people you want to meet or specific countries you want to visit. You could create a theme for your list, such as spending the night together in all 50 states or attending a game in the stadiums of your favorite sports teams. The possibilities are endless. For this date, you could go to your favorite restaurant or coffee shop with your laptop to work on creating your list.
Categories
Adventure. Free. Planning. Sightseeing. Travel.
Expense:
The only cost for this date is the materials needed to record your list. Any other cost will be if you decide to do it at a restaurant or coffee shop.
Planning:
No advanced planning needed.
Google/Pinterest Search:
- Places to see during childhood
- Best places to visit with kids in your state
- Things to do with your child before they grow up
- Best places in the world to visit with kids
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Amazon Resources:
- Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel: Our List Of The 500 Best Places To See…Ranked
- 1,000 Places To See Before You Die
- Off The Beaten Path: A Travel Guide To More Than 1,000 Scenic And Interesting Places Still Uncrowded And Inviting
- Journey Of A Lifetime: 500 Of The World’s Greatest Trips
Reference Websites:
Alternatives:
Similar Date Ideas: Coming Soon!
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