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The phrase “bucket list” is often associated with older people planning things they’d like to do before they die. Which is not a very cheerful thought at all! And the phrase did originate from the 2007 film The Bucket List, which was about two terminally ill men trying to do the things they wanted to before they “kicked the bucket”. But in fact anyone of any age and stage in life can make a bucket list.
A bucket list is just as important for families, because there are only so many years that your kids are at home with you. And time together is further restricted by school and work. So it makes sense to have a good think about things that you’d like to do together as a family and plan for them to happen.
Having said that, the other thought that immediately comes to mind about a bucket list is the cost. You envisage a list of very grand and expensive things which for most of us just aren’t possible at the moment. But there are many great things you can put on your bucket list that don’t involve a lot of money or time. Things that you can enjoy doing together as a family and, in years to come, you’ll be glad you did.
When making a bucket list, particularly for a family, it’s a good idea to firstly think of different categories that you might want to include. For example:
Based on the above, here are twelve ideas for your family bucket list. If you like some or all of them, why not plan to do one a month in 2024?
Life in 2024 is very busy for most of us, yet we can also spend a lot of time just sitting down. Whether it’s at a desk at work or school, watching TV, eating and drinking or just scrolling through social media, it’s very easy to spend the majority of our time being inactive. So 2024 is the time to change all that!
Think of something active that you’ve always fancied having a go at, and get it organised. It may be something you have to pay for such as paddle boarding, a zip wire, or climbing wall. But there are many active things that you can do for very little money or for free. For example, ice skating, wild water swimming, a long hike or trek, or the Couch to 5K running programme.
Whatever your idea of an adventure, make it happen this year. For some of us, it may be something active such as the ideas above. But there are also many other adventurous things that you can do. Have a look around for experiences such as escape rooms or scavenger hunts for a fun and challenging day out.
Or, if you’ve always fancied entering a TV quiz or talent show, why not give it a go? Whilst there’s no guarantee you’ll get a place on your chosen show, it’s worth a try. After all, someone has to be chosen. Even if you get onto the show and don’t win anything, it should still be a fun experience. And if you were to win something, that could really make your year!
Many of us like the idea of getting involved with a charity in some way, we’re just not sure how. One way would be to do some kind of sponsored activity for a charity, perhaps a walk or run or other physical activity.
Or you could look for one-off or regular opportunities to get involved, perhaps with some practical help, working in a charity shop, or organising a fundraising event. Have a look around for local opportunities or search online either for your charity of choice or general volunteering websites such as Do It.
A lot of people would say that they are not creative, but almost everyone has a streak of creativity within them. And perhaps now is the time to bring it to life!
There are many creative activities you can do together as a family. For example painting, crafts, pottery, mosaics, flower arranging and sewing – to name but a few. Look around for local workshops or businesses that you could all go to. Or if there are other families interested you may be able to get someone to come to a home to run a workshop for you.
Whatever your favourite entertainment, try and enjoy it in 2024. Is there a show or a live music event that you’d really like to see? This can be very expensive but could be worth considering as a combined birthday/Christmas gift. Or you may be able to find either a local version of the show or something similar but just as good that is less expensive.
Another alternative is to make a list of films that you really want to watch this year. Not necessarily new films: there may well be a few older films in your mind that you have always wanted to get around to seeing. So make a list and enjoy a regular or occasional movie night at home to catch up.
If you enjoy food and are prepared to be a bit adventurous, all kinds of opportunities await. Think of a type of food that you have always wanted to try, then find a way to make it happen. Whether it’s locating a specialist restaurant, ordering ready-made food to be delivered, or having a go at making it yourself; it will be great fun – and you may enjoy it so much that it becomes a regular feature on your family menu.
And if you are interested in finding out more about lots of different types of food, see if you can find a street food market, food festival or food and drink exhibition to go along to and sample a variety of new dishes.
Sometimes it feels that life is just too busy for fun. But to keep the rest of life in perspective, we do need to make time to have some fun. So whatever that means for you and your family, this is the year to make it happen.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, and in particular we need to remind our kids that learning can be fun. So have a think about something that you all want to know how to do. It might be speaking a language, learning sign language, first aid, playing a musical instrument, a particular type of cooking, painting, photography, jewellery making or anything else that you like.
Once you’ve identified what you want to learn, look for a class, a YouTube video or a local group, and start learning.
It’s often the case that if you live in an area you tend not to notice many of the positive things that are going on in the area. Things that a visitor would immediately seek out if they were to turn up looking for things to do.
So this year, make it your mission to support at least one local event that you have not been to before. Not only will you have a fun time close to home, but it’s a great opportunity to get to know more people in the community and perhaps get involved in some new things.
Some ideas of events to look around for are:
If you enjoy sport, there may be opportunities to get involved in some way in a local sports team. As well as players, many teams need help behind the scenes with areas such as admin, publicity and fundraising. And, of course, enthusiastic support at games and matches. So perhaps 2024 is the year to throw your hat into the ring?
And even if you are not a big sports fan, there is still something very exciting about attending a major live sporting event. So one item on your bucket list for this year could be to try and get tickets for a big football, rugby or cricket match. Or even see if you can be lucky enough to get tickets for one of the major UK summer events such as Wimbledon tennis, horse racing, or the British Grand Prix.
Travel is one of the first things that come to mind when you think of a bucket list. But this does not have to mean a round the world trip, or anywhere else expensive.
Whilst it might be a nice idea to start regularly putting a bit of money aside for a major trip sometime in the future, why not plan one or more smaller trips for 2024. For example, there are probably many cities and towns in the UK that you’ve heard are nice but have never been to. So for your 2024 bucket list you could pick one from that list and arrange a weekend trip there. With a bit of careful planning this is something that could be done quite cheaply but could still be a really good time for you and the family.
Many of us love animals, but never really get to see any – other than those we have ourselves or that live locally. So a great idea for your 2024 bucket list is to fit in a visit to some wildlife.
Whether it’s a zoo or safari park, an animal sanctuary, bird park or petting farm, there is bound to be somewhere near you where you can go and see the wildlife of your choice.
You may even decide to get involved on a longer-term basis by signing up to be a friend or member of the organisation if they offer that kind of scheme. This would give you discounted entry in future, as well as regular information about the animals. Or you could choose to adopt an animal in an animal sanctuary to get more closely involved with the care of one particular animal.
We hope this article has given you some ideas and inspiration for a bucket list for 2024, and that you enjoy spending time together as a family this year. If during the process your family finances need a slight top up, remember that Loans 2 Go offers online loans that may be able to help.
Do visit us here again soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.
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