Omaha Summer 2017 Bucket List

Last summer was a pretty hectic one for our family!  I spent the first few weeks on bedrest at home and then a week on hospital bedrest and then that was followed by Easton being in the NICU for over three weeks  Once we got home, we had to adjust to life with a newborn.  By the time we were back in the swing of things, summer was pretty much over!  This year, I’m determined to squeeze in as much fun as possible and I’ve come up with a bucket list of things we want to do before school is back in session to help keep us on track!

1. Summer Reading Club

My boys are already signed up for the reading club at our local library and we’ll be attending Story Time, Meet the Librarian, and other activities at the library throughout the summer!  You can check with your local library to find out the requirements and the prizes involved!

2. Bowling

I still want to make sure we have fun on rainy days and my boys love bowling!  Kids Bowl Free is a great program where registered kids get two free games of bowling every day in the summer and you only have to pay for the shoe rental!  You can find your local bowling center at www.kidsbowlfree.com.

3. Walking Trails, Kayaking, Oh My!!

The Omaha area has so many beautiful trails and parks that are just begging to be explored.  Every time we go on a walk at Walnut Creek or Chalco Hills (or as Camden calls it-Taco Hills), the boys find something new and wonderful!  This summer, I’m also hoping to check out a few new (to us) parks and nature centers!

 4. Hanscom Pool

This one is a hidden gem in the Midtown area.  This pool is great for toddlers and the entire pool is less than 2.5 feet deep!

5.  Farmer’s Markets

What would summer be without trip to a Farmer’s Market?  They’re a great place to get some delicious, locally sourced produced and other goods!  Our personal favorite is the one in the Old Market (Saturday), but I’m hoping to venture to a few different ones this summer! A few others to try are Aksarben Village (Sunday), Rockbrook Village (Thursday evening, and organic!), and Village Point (Saturday)

6.  Mount Crescent

I know, it’s weird to have a skiing stop on our summer list, right?  But kids (and adults) 50-240lbs can ride the zip line at Mount Crescent and I just know that Turner is going to love this one!!

7.  Kids FunFare at Regency

Every Thursday in June and July, Regency is hosting fun activities for littles!  They have everything from science shows to Peppa Pig and more!  Check out the schedule here!

8.  Outdoor Concert Series

I love music and Omaha has some amazing local artists!!  On Fridays, you can catch the Sounds of Summer at Shadow Lake  or enjoy Friday Night Concert Series at Rockbrook Village. On Saturdays, you can head over to Village Pointe for the Vibes Summer Concert Series or Aksarben for the Stinson Park Concert Series!

9.  Fire Hydrant Parties

One of my fellow Omaha Moms Blog contributors told me about the hydrant parties in Council Bluffs!  I can remember doing this as a kid and I can’t wait to take the boys to one of these!  Here’s the schedule: http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/305/Hydrant-Parties

10. Splash Pads

There are so many great splash pads in the Omaha area and we’re hoping to visit many of them!  Splash pads are a great way to stay cool on a hot day! Stay tuned for our Splash Pad Guide!

11.  Shakespeare On the Green

This one is great for the older kids or even a date night idea!  There are three different plays this summer and they’re pet friendly, picnic friendly, and free!! http://www.nebraskashakespeare.com/plays-events

12.  Yoga at Midtown Crossing

Every Sunday in June, Midtown Crossing is hosting Yoga Rocks the Park!  It’s a free family friendly and beginner friendly 60 minute yoga class taught by local instructors and accompanied by music!  They also have other fitness events going on throughout the summer!

13.  Movies

Movies are a great way to get everyone together to unwind during the summer and we’re hoping to see some of the movies at Marcus Theatre’s Kids Dream Family Film Series.  There are also great outdoor movies around town.  Midtown Crossing is hosting Monday Movie Nights all summer long and Falconwood Park has a drive in theatre that is showing some great movies!

14. Local Restaurants

Omaha is full of great local places to eat and finding new places to go is another great idea for a rainy day activity!  One of our favorites is B&B Classic Dogs in Bellevue.  It’s a hot dog restaurant with so many spins on the classic hot dog!  The also have an arcade for the kiddos to play at and my boys can spend hours there!

15.  Nebraska Passport Program

I’m so excited about this one!  You can get a free passport to collect stamps from various locations across the state and after every 10 stamps, you can redeem them for different prizes.  A lot of the stops are in the Omaha area, and I think this will be a great way for the boys and me to learn more about our local area and the state as a whole!  You can sign up on the Nebraska Passport website.

So this is our list!  You’ll also find us at the zoo and the children’s museum plenty of times!  What other activities am I missing?  Comment and let me know your family’s must do activities for this summer!

Sarah
Sarah has lived in the Omaha area her entire life. She currently lives in Papillion with her husband, Adam and their sons Turner, Camden, and Easton. Their son, Bennett, passed away shortly after his birth and is a cherished member of the family’s daily life. Currently a homeschooling stay at home mom, Sarah loves the hustle and bustle of life with all of her boys! There’s never a quiet moment! She loves baseball, football, reading, traveling (mostly to Disney World), Harry Potter, pretending to be organized with the help of her planner and long, quiet Starbucks enhanced walks around Target!

6 COMMENTS

  1. I am definitely going to have to check out the free bowling! Thanks for this excellent list.

  2. These are great! I didn’t know about B&B Classic Dogs -adding that one to our summer list.

  3. I was just talking with my nieces about their summer bucket list and after reading your list, I’ve now added a couple of things to mine.

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