Summer Bucket List: 50 Things to Do with Kids in the Triangle
Summer in the Triangle is long, hot, and full of possibility. After several summers of scrambling for ideas by week three, I started keeping a running list. Here are 50 things we come back to year after year — organized so you can mix free days with splurge days and never hear "there's nothing to do."
Water Fun (Because It's HOT)
Outdoor Adventures
11. Bike the American Tobacco Trail from Durham to Apex 12. Hike to the quarry at Occoneechee Mountain in Hillsborough 13. Catch fireflies at dusk at Lake Crabtree County Park 14. Explore tide pools at the NC coast (Ft. Macon is a great day trip) 15. Night hike at Umstead State Park (ranger-led programs available in summer) 16. Pick blueberries at a local u-pick farm (typically June through mid-July) 17. Visit Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh — free and full of nature discovery 18. Fly kites at Dorothea Dix Park on a breezy day 19. Geocaching at Lake Johnson in Raleigh 20. Stargaze at a Morehead Planetarium outdoor event in Chapel Hill
Free and Nearly Free
21. Summer movie series at local theaters — Regal and AMC typically run $1-$3 kids' movies 22. Free outdoor concerts at Koka Booth, Cary Downtown, and Durham Central Park 23. Attend a Durham Bulls game — lawn seats are budget-friendly and kids run the bases after Sunday games 24. Library summer reading programs at Wake County, Durham County, and Chapel Hill libraries (free books and prizes) 25. Farmers' market mornings — Raleigh State Farmers Market, Durham Farmers Market, and Carrboro Farmers Market are all great 26. Free kids' workshops at Home Depot and Lowe's (typically Saturday mornings, register online) 27. Play at Sassafras All Children's Playground in Raleigh — one of the best inclusive playgrounds in the state 28. Watch planes take off at the RDU Airport observation deck (free) 29. Visit the NC Museum of Natural Sciences — always free, always cool (literally — great A/C) 30. Explore the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham (free, gorgeous, pack a lunch)
Creative and Educational
31. Take a pottery class at a local studio like Claymakers in Durham 32. Build a fairy garden at home using materials from a nature walk 33. Sign up for a coding camp through local libraries or Code Ninjas 34. Visit Kidzu Children's Museum in Chapel Hill 35. Attend a free Wake County park ranger program (schedules posted each May) 36. Take a beginner surf lesson in Wrightsville Beach (about 2.5 hours away, worth the trip) 37. Create a neighborhood scavenger hunt 38. Art camp at Durham Arts Council or Artspace in Raleigh 39. Tour the Loaf Dream bakery or a local chocolate factory 40. Write and illustrate a family summer journal
Family Treats and Outings
41. Get shaved ice from a local stand (they pop up everywhere June through August) 42. Howling Cow Ice Cream at NC State — made by dairy science students 43. Pizza night at Pompieri Pizza in Durham, where kids can watch the wood-fired oven 44. Breakfast at Elmo's Diner in Durham or Carrboro 45. Visit the NC State Fair grounds flea market (typically summer weekends) 46. Family game night at a local board game cafe 47. Drive-in movie at the Hwy 55 Drive-In in Henderson (about 45 minutes north) 48. Pick sunflowers at a local farm (typically July and August) 49. End-of-summer campfire and s'mores in the backyard 50. Create a time capsule to open next summer
Making the Most of Summer
Print this list and stick it on the fridge. Let each kid pick one thing per week. You don't need to do all 50 — the point is always having something to look forward to. Some of our best summer days have been the unplanned ones where we just grabbed the list, picked the first thing that sounded fun, and went.
Pro tip: front-load the outdoor stuff in June before the worst of the July heat. Save museums and indoor activities for those brutal late-July afternoons when it's 98 degrees and nobody wants to move.
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