When we enjoy those first few balmy days of early summer, the season is just getting started. Sometimes it feels like it will last forever. But we all know that’s not true. (Especially those of us that reside in the Midwest!) The gorgeous days fly by, and before we know it the sumac is turning and fall is ready to peek around the corner.

Now is the time to make a list of things you’d like to do before summer kicks the bucket. You may find you enjoy some so much that you’ll make them warm weather staples year after year! Here are a dozen suggestions to get your own summer bucket list started.

1. Attend a small town festival. Every community has one! Pick a town not too close to home, one that you might not otherwise visit. Depending on their local source of pride, the event might be Blueberry Days, or a Pie Festival or a day honoring the local resident who made a name in the world. Take a lawn chair for the parade, sample the local wares, relax in the town park.

2. Ride a bicycle through a new neighborhood. Haven’t you always been curious about the new development or established neighborhood a number of miles away? On a bike, you can dawdle and look around to your heart’s content and no one will think it odd! Top off your day by wheeling up to the local ice cream shop.

3. Visit a new park. Pick a green spot from a map, one that’s not too close, not too distant and that you know little or nothing about. Take advantage of whatever the park has to offer, be it picnicking, swimming, fishing, nature hikes or just tossing a Frisbee.

4. Host an outdoor cookout. Take your outdoor dining experience up a few notches by preparing a feast on the ultimate outdoor cooker, the Big Green Egg. There’s nothing like a session with burgers and brats to meet new neighbors and make great memories with friends. And why stop with traditional cookout foods? Modern culinary devices have recipes to delight and amaze everybody!

5. Cook foil dinners. Do it in the backyard or at a park. It’s fun and easy to wrap your meal in tin foil, and every family member gets to prepare their own just the way they like it! Basic ingredients are hamburger, sliced potatoes and onions, but the possibilities are unlimited. Bury them in hot coals or bake them in a gas grill.

6. Make s’mores. Nothing else is quite as special as when you gather around the fire table set or fire pit! The basic recipe is graham crackers, marshmallows and a hunk of chocolate bar, but variations are allowed! Substitute Nutella for chocolate or Oreos for graham crackers. Drizzle the whole thing with caramel sauce. Provide different ingredients and award a prize for the most creative s’more.

7. Host a lawn game party. Make it a family affair or invite a few guests. Include ladder toss, cornhole, croquet, badminton, Frisbee skills or a new sport of your own invention! If your group likes competition, offer a trophy for the most outstanding multisport performance!

8. Pick berries. If you know where the wild ones grow, those are best of all. But farms are good too. Enjoy strawberries, blueberries and raspberries according to the season. Have a camera along to record the messiest face!

9. Attend an outdoor concert. These happen once a week in many communities, and the music varies from rock to country to folk to jazz. Sometimes there are food trucks present, but if not, bring your own dinner!

10. Make tie-dye tee shirts. Craft stores sell kits with everything you need. There’s no reason to stop at shirts. You can tie-dye handkerchiefs, headbands and even socks!

11. Relax in a hammock. Why take a nap indoors when you can enjoy the warmth and the gentle breezes in your yard? Or take that summer reading selection and a favorite beverage and get lost in a little world where the words “hustle” and “bustle” are far, far away.

12. Disconnect for a day. This last one might be the hardest, but it also might be the most rewarding! Throw your phone in a drawer, leave your laptop shut, let the radio, stereo and TV stew in silence! Listen to birds and rediscover the sights and smells of your neighborhood. Let all your conversations be face-to-face with a real live person.

Whether you work your way through this list or create your own, summer is a time for outdoor adventures, spending time in our outdoor living spaces, and relaxing with family and friends!