100 Things All Kids Should Try

A bucket list for childhood? Sure thing. Check out these 100 things all kids should try during their childhood, and be sure to cross a few off the list before your kids grow up. Childhood passes in the blink of an eye, after all, don’t let it pass without taking advantage of some – or all – of these fun things!

• Lick the beaters. The Stir suggests doing this just because it’s fun.
• Dance in the rain. Let kids be free to frolic and just enjoy childhood with unstructured play, says Skymum- Pursuit of Happiness.
• Make mud pies and serve them to imaginary friends. Using their imagination will help later in life as they try to find a solution to a problem, says Kid Spot, plus it’s just plain fun.
• Act like a monkey and climb a tree. Climbing trees is not only healthy exercise, it also actually helps with cognitive development by encouraging problem solving, indicates Tinker Lab.
• Climb up a slide. No, this is probably not a good idea when the playground is busy, but if you are alone with your child Mom Stories recommends letting them take a risk and experience climbing up the slide.
• Roll down a grassy hill. This fun activity shared by Hands on as We Grow will encourage your child to get plenty of exercise and build muscles.
• Adopt a grandparent or spend time with an elderly person. Not only will the elderly person enjoy spending time with the child, but the child will benefit by having someone give them undivided attention and teach them about the past, explains 4 Elders.
• Make cats in the cradle out of a piece of string. Playing with string is an inexpensive way for a child to spend time, and it works on hand-eye coordination, says Arvind Gupta.
• Chase and catch fireflies in a jar. The Hands On Homeschooler explains that a child can learn a lot by looking at fireflies, and you can release them unharmed later that night.
• Enter a hula hooping contest. Hooping says hula hooping is a great way to get exercise.
• Have and take care of a pet. Caring for a pet can develop responsibility and empathy for another living creature, explains Parent Further.
• Make shadow puppets. This simple activity is not only a fun, it also encourages them to use their imaginations, as shown on Hvan Rossum.
• Skip rocks in the water. The Deliberate Mom thinks all kids should try this activity.  Not only does it take practice, patience and skill to do it well, it is also a quiet and relaxing activity.
• Plant a garden and eat what you have grown using your own two hands. Kids learn that some water makes plants grow, but too much water can kill them. They also learn that they have to care for the plants to make them produce fruit and much more, explains Better Health.
• Go camping and roast marshmallows. Camping helps kids learn basic survival skills, like building a fire, cooking over a fire and caring for nature. Sporting Life 360 also mentions that kids can learn to deal with adversity while camping.
• Build a sand castle. Voices suggests getting the kids to be creative by trying different tools to shape and mold the sand to make the sand castle.
• Learn to swim. Swimming is a survival skill that all kids should learn in order to stay safe when around water, according to Swim Kids. Swimming is also a smart way to get exercise.
• Fly a kite. A child can learn perseverance to keep putting the kite up in the air and learn how the wind affects the kite, explains Education.
• Go to a drive-in movie. These are becoming hard to find, but Red Tricycle thinks this is a bit of history that kids should enjoy.
• Make a snow angel. Making a snow angel is a creative endeavor that also allows you to get some exercise outside, suggests Wise Geek.
• Go to an overnight camp with other kids. Rock Brook Camp says that being away from your parents allows you the opportunity to rely on yourself, learn new skills and make new friends.
• See a Broadway play or musical. There’s something about seeing a big production that is so amazing that it just might inspire a future entertainer, says Trekaroo.
• Go ziplining. This is a thrilling ride that may challenge you, but Maui Zipline is confident that once you do it you will be glad you did.
• Cook something for someone else. Now Public says kids who are comfortable in the kitchen are more likely to make healthy choices later on.
• Learn to play an instrument. Playing an instrument can increase your memory, indicates Effective Music Teaching.
• Ride on a train. This is a nostalgic way to see the country and, according to Parade, is a truly unique way to travel that everyone should experience.
• Learn to ride a bike without training wheels. Riding a bike without training wheels is an important developmental milestone, explains Pediatrics.
• Ride a horse. Discover Horses says that learning to ride a horse can help with goal setting, problem solving and decision making abilities.
• Meet a celebrity. The Good Men Project thinks it’s important that kids figure out that they are just normal people.
• Milk a cow. By doing so kids will learn that milk doesn’t just come from the grocery store, indicates Ohio Dairy Farmers.
• Learn to tie a neck tie. Both boys and girls can benefit from this one, according to Esquire, because if you’re not tying the tie on yourself you can help someone else.
• Make a go cart. Outdoor adventures will help a child become better at problem solving and be happier, suggests Netmums.
• Catch a snowflake on your tongue. Camp Augustabelieves that experiencing nature during winter is priceless.
• Explore a cave. According to iOL Lifestyle, kids who don’t form a love of the outdoors before they are 12 may never develop one.
• Go fishing. This is a survival skill that will be fun to take your child to do, encourages Surf KY.
• Volunteer work. It’s important for a child to learn how good they have it and to give back to the community, urges Compassionate Kids.
• Spend time shadowing someone in the career you like. Toronto 4 Kidsbelieves this experience will give you an idea to see if you really want to do that activity for a living.
• Attend a baseball game. Create lifelong memories with your child watching the country’s national pastime, suggests Orange County Register.
• Go geocaching. Rage Against the Minivan says that this activity encourages kids to get active and use reasoning skills.
• Enjoy a sunrise. Learn about colors of light by watching the sunrise and seeing the colors change, describes Optics 4 Kids.
• Hand feed a wild bird. Cleveland Metro Parks says this gets the wild birds used to the presence of people and teaches kids to respect birds.
• Catch a butterfly. Be gentle with the butterfly to avoid hurting it and learn to understand and respect one of nature’s beautiful creatures, shares Kids Butterfly.
• Light a fire. Knowing how to start a fire while out camping is a useful skill to have, explains Mom with a Prep.
• Go canoeing. Learning to canoe might lead to a lifelong hobby, or at least a bit more comfort on the water, advises Paddling.
• Act in a play. Early Childhood News explains that dramatic play teaches kids skills like abstract thinking, literacy and math.
• Stay up until midnight. Kids feel loved when they are allowed to break the rules on occasion, but Lifestyle says they will also learn what it feels like to be tired the next day.
• Buy something with your own money. Learning how to handle money is an important milestone for every child, explains Parents.
• Teach a younger child a skill. As the mentor, the older child will learn the skill better by teaching it, offers Lamplighter.
• Have a crush. Kids Health says this exciting experience means you are growing up.
• Spend the night with a friend. Being able to spend the night away from parents will improve confidence and self-esteem, according to Mom it Forward.
• Cook something for yourself. The Washington Post explains that knowing how to cook teaches confidence and is a useful life skill.
• Have a best friend. A close friend can help a child be less afraid and feel good about himself, explains Medicine Net.
• Tell a joke. Telling jokes improves social skills and allows a child to use his imagination, says Reader’s Digest.
• Be part of a team. According to School A to Z, you can become less shy and feel less isolated by being part of a team.
• Have a lemonade stand. Learn lessons about money, like the cost of a product versus what your profit is, shares Kids Activities Blog.
• Learn to bowl. This is a sport that you can do your entire life and with people of almost any age, points out Special Olympics.
• Attend a county fair. It’s fun for the whole family, states Babble, and you can ride on rides and see the animals.
• Go to a family reunion. Get the chance to connect with extended family that you don’t normally get to see and feel connected to something bigger, suggests USA Today.
• Ride a roller coaster. Damien Riley explains that riding roller coasters helps you learn that there’s something bigger than yourself and allows you to face your fears.
• Go stargazing. Get an idea of how big the universe really is and become curious about what else is out there, suggests Eco Habits.
• Get the haircut you want. Parentables explains that allowing a child to choose his own haircut teaches responsibility and improves self-esteem.
• Put on a puppet show. Kids learn to be creative by coming up with the story and figuring out how to tell it, says Learning Toys.
• Blow bubbles. Mama OT believes that playing with bubbles develops fine motor skills and visual tracking.
• Have a pen pal. Learn more about the world by conversing with a pen pal and develop the ability to see things from another perspective, describes Dandelion Moms.
• Slide down a waterslide. Baby Center says that getting up the courage to slide down a waterslide will help you overcome physical and mental challenges.
• Learn a magic trick. This encourages curiosity and helps to develop both gross and fine motor skills, explains Ezine Articles.
• Make mom and dad laugh. Laughter is still the best medicine, indicates Neuro Science for Kids, because it helps reduce stress.
• Make something from a cardboard box. This exercise improves imagination because you can make many things from a box, says Moving Smart Blog.
• Jump in a pile of leaves. The Jenny Evolution indicates that jumping in a pile of leaves is not only entertaining for kids, but it’s a sensory experience they can learn from.
• Hang upside down. This changes your perspective on the world and helps improve balance, explains Parenting.
• Travel abroad. Hubpages explains that doing so will expand your horizons by learning about cultures outside of your own and gives you firsthand experience with historical locations.
• Visit the zoo. Learn about animals and their habitats by exploring the zoo, says What to Expect.
• Invent something. Use your imagination and problem-solving skills like the kids in this project on PBS Kids.
• Go on a treasure hunt. SF Treasure Hunts says you’ll improve your listening skills and learn to use strategies to find the treasure.
• Learn a second language. Enhance language skills as well as cognitive and creative abilities, says American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language.
• Carve a pumpkin. North Shore Pediatric Therapy explains that this task works on decision making, creativity and fine motor skills.
• Stand up to a bully. By standing up to a bully you can increase assertiveness and self-esteem, explains Everyday Life.
• Swim with dolphins. CBS News says this experience would provide a memorable event that makes you happy.
• Finding shapes in the clouds. The act of cloud watching reduces stress, describes Psychology Today.
• Failing. When a child fails he also learns to do better, explains Examiner.
• Ride on a carousel. Experience a piece of history by enjoying this old fashioned ride, says City of Brenham.
• Build a gingerbread house. Get creative and do something new by building and decorating a gingerbread house, urges Spoonful.
• Learn to juggle. Not only is juggling an aerobic exercise, but, according to Odd Ball Juggling, it also works on hand-eye coordination and many other skills.
• Do a cartwheel. USA Gymnastics shares that doing cartwheels is good exercise and strength training.
• Learn to ice skate. The Child Development Institute recommends ice skating as a stress reducing activity for the whole family.
• Learn to whistle. Carry on an old tradition and relieve some stress while you whistle your cares away, says Sannyasinman.
• Wear a cape. Pretending and playing alone helps children improve their self-direction skills, according to Daily Parent.
• Wear a costume as clothing. Using a costume as clothing helps develop a sense of self, explains eBay.
• Collect something. Creating a collection of something you love will help teach patience and organization, says Helping You Manage Your Life.
• Play with play dough. According to The Imagination Tree, squishing and molding this entertaining dough improves fine motor skills explains.
• Bake bread. Making and baking bread helps a child learn patience and teaches math skills, advises Simple Kids.
• Pick strawberries and eat them. Hip 2 Save shares that her kids benefitted from picking strawberries by learning where they came from and getting to pick the berries themselves.
• Go bird watching. Polish up observation skills by bird watching and learning about the many different species, says Fledging Birders.
• Plant a tree. Help the environment and grow something that will most likely out live you, suggests Clean Air Gardening.
• Walk in the grass barefooted. Get closer to nature by running your toes through the grass, encourages 52 Brand New.
• Have a milk mustache. Acting silly brings laughter, and laughter is healthy for everyone, explains Hip Homeschool Moms.
• Play with makeup. Girls learn to explore who they want to be when they experiment with makeup, says Self Growth.
• Finger paint. Nothing But Genius says you’ll learn basic color mixing while developing creativity.
• Learn to tie knots. There are a lot of practical uses for knots, explains A Site About Nothing.
• Feed the ducks.  NCCA shares that kids learn by interacting with ducks.