Family jumping on the beach at sunset
Travel & Activities

25 Summer Activities The Whole Family Will Enjoy

Now that things are opening back up and I just finished my Masters degree, I am ready to do allll the things this summer! Especially since many things were closed, or had limited access last year as a result of the pandemic.

I know a lot of people have pent up energy after being inside all winter. And on and off lock down for over a year. Therefore, I put together a bucket list of ideas for you and your family to get out and about and enjoy the summer!

1. Camp at a Wisconsin State Park, such as Perrot, which we visited last year and I reviewed here.

2. Participate in the Wisconsin Friends Explore Challenge 2021 to visit and explore Wisconsin State Parks in fun new ways!

3. Take a trip to Door County, one of my favorite places in Wisconsin! Check out this post for a comprehensive list of places to stay and things to do and see in the area.

4. Take the kiddo(s) to Bay Beach! He has been asking when we are going to go back, ever since our visit a couple of years ago. See why you should take the family to Bay Beach in this blog post.

5. Have a brat, a beer, and an ice cream cone on the Memorial Union Terrace. I can’t believe I haven’t sat out on the Terrace for almost two years now!

6. Visit the Olbrich Biergarten for a cold one. And order pizza to be delivered to dine al fresco!

7. Plan a visit to the Henry Vilas Zoo. I think the last time we were there was when I wound up shirtless in the park

Lion at the zoo

8. Pack a picnic, lay a blanket out, and drink some wine on the lawn at Botham Vineyards on an afternoon with live music. In fact, I’d like to visit as many Wisconsin wineries as possible! There is even a winery passport you can have stamped to earn a free pair of wine glasses after you visit all members of the Wisconsin Winery Co-op!

9. Take a hike at a location I’ve never been to before, like Pewit’s Nest or Parfrey’s Glen.

10. Plan a boat day with friends and hit one of the five area lakes for some summertime fun!

11. Spend a day at Indian Lake County Park or Yellowstone Lake State Park since I’ve never been to either.

12. Play a round of mini-golf and/or hit the batting cages at Vitense Golfland.

13. Stroll through Olbrich Gardens and take in the beautiful scenery. Or hit the road to the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville if you’ve never been!

14. See a movie at a drive-in theater – Monroe, Jefferson, Fish Creek, and Wisconsin Dells all have one!

15. Take the kiddo to a play farm or petting zoo we’ve never been to, like Country Bumpkin in the Wisconsin Dells, Busy Barns in Fort Atkinson, or Haven’s Petting Farm in Blue Mounds. The Wisconsin Deer Park would be fun too!

16. Pick our own flowers at Blooms & Butterflies at Schuster’s Farm again! We had so much fun last year. It runs every weekend in August.

17. Swim as much as possible! We had a blow up pool in our backyard last year, but many public pools are reopening, including Monona, Middleton, and Goodman.

Kids swimming in a pool

18. See the Star Wars vintage toy exhibit at the Oshkosh Museum (runs through June 20, 2021), and the Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago (runs through Octtober 24) before they close.

19. Road trip to visit a national park! I’ve never been to any of them, if if there is one thing the past year has taught us, it’s that life is short and unpredictable. Therefore, we should take advantage of every opportunity!

20. Visit a lavender farm. I’ve never been and I love all things lavender. Madison Mom has a great round up of lavender farms in the area. There is one in Door County too!

21. Pick our own berries at a U-Pick berry farm! Check out Madison Mom’s round up for locations.

22. Check out some live music on the lawn at Wisconsin Brewing Company.

23. Attend Concerts on the Square at it’s 2021 location – Breese Stevens Field!

24. Spend the afternoon at the New Zoo Adventure Park in Green Bay.

25. Play at some new to us parks or playgrounds nearby (or even take a little drive in order to explore), like Glacial Valley Park in Cross Plains, or Fox River Park in Waukesha.

VW bus packed up for a road trip

How many of these have you already done? Did I miss anything? What else should we add to our list? Please share in the comments below!

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