May Bucket List
May Bucket List: 10 lovely things to do in the month of May, to enjoy your spring and be intentional about fun family activities.
Happy May 1st! More and more I’ve been learning that the best way to make sure fun things happen in our family is to plan for them. Being intentional about creating great family memories and experiences is where it’s at. Without being intentional, often the time goes by and we realize we haven’t managed to fit in all the great stuff we wanted to. So I thought it would be fun to think about some really lovely things to do in May, and create a bit of a bucket list.
Winter felt so long this year around here, and early spring has been quite cold, so I’m extra excited about the temperatures warming up in May and getting outside to have some fun.
1. Go see some cherry blossoms.
Last year for the first time ever, we went down to High Park in Toronto to take in the cherry blossoms. It was pretty much magical. Well worth the trip, and the crowds. I went with my girl friend and we took our four girls. We all loved the cherry blossoms and then had a great time exploring the park, and enjoying their awesome play grounds -and ice cream. 😉 It is definitely top of list for lovely things to do in May.
2. Plant a garden.
May 24 is a long weekend here in Canada, and is the traditional garden planting weekend. It’s warm enough to plant things directly outside by then without fear of cold nights. Years ago, when we moved to this house, one of the first things we did was put in a tiny little garden patch. Every year we plant some herbs, veggies, and usually a few flowers. There really is something pretty amazing about growing your own food. Tomatoes are a favourite, and so are peas. Over the years, my girls have loved being able to pick fresh peas and cherry tomatoes and eat them while they play outside. This year I have great plans for a pumpkin patch. I saved some of the seeds from some of my gorgeous white and grey-ish pumpkins last year in the fall and I’m looking forward to seeing if they grow, and having lots of pretty pumpkins to decorate with in the fall. We’ll see how we go. For sure we’ll plant a few tomatoes and herbs too.
3. Go for a hike.
One of the great joys of having a dog has been getting outside more and going for some great walks. We have lots of trails around where we live, and a favourite Saturday activity is to go for a hike. After a long winter, it will be great to get outside -before the mosquitos get too bad.
4. Cook something on the BBQ.
Who doesn’t love a BBQ? We’ve already had a few things the last few weeks, but we haven’t yet had a proper BBQ, with grilled meats and salads. This weekend we have one in the works for my sister’s birthday.
One of our favourites is this marinated grilled flattened chicken -see the recipe here.
And we also love this homemade BBQ sauce -it makes any grilled meat delicious, especially ribs.
5. Go for a bike ride.
I do remember the thrill of feeling the wind in my hair as I rode around town on my bike as a kid. My girls can’t wait to get out on their bikes this spring. There’s something about the freedom of being able to go anywhere you want (sort of), and ride as fast as you want that is particularly thrilling for every 10 year old. Am I right?
6. Have a picnic.
You know we love a good picnic around here. There’s a whole bunch of them on the blog, and we have plans for adding more this summer. There is just something so special about creating a beautiful picnic, with delicious food and being able to transport it to any magical location. Picnics really can’t be beat.
It would be very hard for me to choose a favourite, but here are a few of the best ones we’ve had over the last few years.
Our Midsummer Night’s Dream Picnic, where we packed a special picnic and went to an outdoor performance of the play.
Our backyard Swedish Inspired Picnic.
And our breakfast picnic. Can you tell we love a picnic around here?
7. Make homemade ice cream.
Have you ever made homemade ice cream? It is a bit of work to make a good one, but there’s just something about the anticipation of waiting while it churns that makes it all the more amazing tasting. I also love that you can get really creative and make any flavour you can think of.
Here’s a couple of our favourites -first this really easy three ingredient Coconut Ice Cream.
And one of our favourite ever –Kit Kat Ice Cream.
8. Pick some flowers.
One of my very favourite things about the warmer weather is being able to go outside and pick a bouquet from your garden, or from a little foraging. Spring blooms are so pretty. A favourite of mine in the garden would be pretty spring blooms like tulips. A favourite one to forage for would be crab apple blossoms.
9. Book a summer vacation or camp site.
It’s not too late to book a summer vacation. The kids will be off school, and it’s the perfect time to get away. If budget is a concern, think about camping. Book yourself a campsite, and enjoy the outdoors. We’ve had so much fun camping over the years, and doing fun activities. One of my favourites is our orange peel candles -read all about them here.
10. Get a pedicure.
This one is pretty self explanatory. There’s nothing better than being sandal ready when the warm weather finally hits. Choose a really pretty, and summery colour of nail polish and enjoy a little pampering.
Subscribe to our email list and receive this May Bucket List free printable as our thank you. Print it off and hang it up on your fridge as a reminder for the whole month of May.
With a fun May Bucket List, life really is a party!