Looking for meaningful ways to savor summer? This summer slow living bucket list is full of mindful activities and inspiration to help you slow down and soak up the best of summer.
When I think of summer, I think about how the days stretch out with long golden evenings, how the nights are warm, and how my hands get sticky from popsicles or ripe peaches and I just don’t care.
For some of us, summer flies by in a blur of potlucks, barbecues, music festivals, road trips, and block parties…
For others, it’s a slower rhythm. The kids are home from school, there’s fewer commitments, and there’s less pressure to have everyone in bed by 7 o’clock sharp.
However your summer looks this year, don’t let it pass you by. Make space to slow down and savor the very best of the season.
Even when our calendars aren’t packed, it’s easy to stay in “go” mode. Slowing down takes intention, but it’s in those restful, quite moments that we really refill our cups.
What Is Slow Living?
Slow living is a lifestyle that values intention, presence, and connection over constant productivity and busyness.
It’s all about choosing to live at a sustainable pace. One that allows you to notice, appreciate, and engage with the world around you.
Slow living invites us to:
- Prioritize quality over quantity
- Let go of unnecessary pressure and perfection
- Make time for things that bring joy, rest, and renewal
- Live in alignment with the seasons
Slow living isn’t about doing nothing, rather it’s about doing the right things more mindfully.
READ THIS FOR MORE ON SLOW LIVING: Spring Refresh: 7 Joyful Ways to Savor the New Season
The Summer Slow Living Bucket List
I put together this summer slow living bucket list that’s full of small, mindful experiences to help you drink in the season.
Whether your summer garden is overflowing or you’re just getting started with slow, seasonal living, this list is all about coming back to the present and delighting in the rhythms of the season.
Choose a few of the ones that resonate the most with you and let the rest go.
You’re not meant to do it all! And maybe some of these ideas will spark some other ideas that you’ll want to add to your bucket list.
Here’s to living fully in the summer season, appreciating the simple pleasures of a warm summer day, and creating small but meaningful experiences with this slow living bucket list: summer edition.
Like free printables? Check out my free summer garden bingo cards as well.
Savor Summer’s Best Hits
- Eat a sun-ripened tomato fresh off the vine.
- Have a picnic dinner on the lawn or under a shady tree. Keep it simple with bread, cheese, fruit and veg, and something fizzy.
- Make a meal using only the freshest seasonal produce from the garden or farmer’s market. (Think tomatoes, zucchini, basil, sweet corn, eggplant, etc.) I really like making this creamy smoked zucchini garlic dip.
- Create a no-cook meal and savor every bite.
- Make lavender lemonade.
- Infuse water with cooling cucumber slices and/or mint leaves and sip it slowly on the porch.
- Make homemade ice cream or popsicles.
- Read a book in a hammock or on a blanket outside. Fiction, gardening book, whatever you love.
- Rewatch a favorite childhood summer movie or reread a favorite childhood book. (Mine would be The Goonies and Ella Enchanted.)
- Pick fresh flowers and put them by the kitchen or bathroom sink, somewhere where you’ll enjoy them up close. (Here’s more on growing your own cut flowers if you’re interested.)
Be Present in Nature
- Watch the sunrise or sunset from a quiet spot (bonus points if you bring a summery drink along).
- Walk barefoot in the grass or sand.
- Stargaze on a cozy blanket. (Phone off for this one!)
- Go berry or flower picking at a local farm.
- Start your morning by spending 10 minutes outside and listening to the birds sing.
- Air-dry your bedding and sheets and enjoy the scent of the sun and wind as you fall asleep at night.
- Close your eyes and soak in the warmth of the sun’s rays for a few, quiet minutes.
- Spend an evening around a fire, even if it’s just the flames of a few candles.
Reflect and Create
- Keep a garden journal or nature journal. (Find more 5 minute garden habits that’ll help you grow a thriving garden.)
- Try doing a simple sketch or painting about your day (even if you’re not “good” at it).
- Make a summer playlist with songs that make you happy. Listen to it without multitasking.
- Press flowers from your garden or from a hike. Use them in bookmarks or crafts later.
- Write a letter or postcard to someone you love.
- Do one chore without extra noise—no music, no podcasts, etc.
Connect with Community
- Host a screen-free evening with your closest friends.
- Volunteer at a community garden or community event.
- Share extra flowers or produce from your garden with a neighbor. (No garden? Share a homecooked meal or homemade craft instead.)
- Make small talk with someone while waiting in line at the store.
- Greet at least one person you don’t know while walking through the park or your neighborhood.
- Invite someone over for iced tea and just talk. (Maybe a strawberry basil iced tea?)
Slow Summer Living
Slow living isn’t about just doing less. It’s about doing less of what drains you, and more of what fills you up.
I hope this list inspires you to pause, take everything in, and enjoy your own version of a slow summer.
You can download my list for free below.
Come back in the winter for my free cozy winter bucket list, too.