5 Things Families Should Have on Their Bucket List (Beyond Travel and Theme Parks)

*This is a collaborative guest post

When most of us think about a family bucket list, our minds go straight to big trips and theme parks. Disney, road trips, maybe a tropical beach or two. And while those are all amazing (hello, churros and sunshine), they’re just one part of what a family bucket list could be.

What if your list went a little deeper?

What if, instead of just focusing on destinations, you made space for the moments, rituals, and long-term goals that shape your family story? The things that help you grow closer, slow down, and build memories that last longer than a week away.

Here are five ideas to inspire a different kind of bucket list — one that’s full of meaning, connection, and maybe a few surprises along the way.

1. Make a Family Time Capsule

Let’s kick things off with a creative idea that’s as nostalgic as it is meaningful. Making a family time capsule is a beautiful way to celebrate who you are right now — and who you’re becoming.

Each family member can contribute something personal: a favourite photo, a letter to their future self, a drawing, a small keepsake. Seal it up with a promise to open it in 10 or 20 years. 

You can even bury it in the garden (just mark it on a family map!) or tuck it away in the loft.

Not only does this build anticipation for the future, but it also encourages reflection, gratitude, and togetherness in the present. 

And years from now? That moment of opening it together will be unforgettable.

Bonus tip: Film a short video interview with each family member and save it on a flash drive to include in the capsule.

2. Start a Family Garden (No Green Thumb Required)

It doesn’t matter if you have a massive back garden or just a few pots on the windowsill — growing something together is grounding, satisfying, and surprisingly symbolic.

A family garden teaches kids patience, resilience, and responsibility. But beyond that, it gives your family a shared goal that literally blooms over time. 

You could grow herbs and vegetables for family meals, flowers for your table, or even dedicate one plant per family member.

Let everyone take turns watering, weeding, and watching over your shared patch of green. 

You’ll find joy not just in the harvest, but in the weekly rhythm of showing up together for something that lives and grows.

Press and frame your first flower, or create a photo journal of your gardening journey through the seasons.

3. Do a “Grown-Up Dream” Together

We’re always helping our kids chase their dreams — but what about the big family goals that reflect your grown-up hopes?

This could be buying a campervan and slowly converting it into your family’s adventure base. 

It could be saving for a creative home project, like a treehouse, home cinema, or library. 

Or it could be something uniquely imaginative, like buying a piece of land for future generations or starting a small family business.

Or maybe — hear me out — it’s investing in something a bit unexpected, like a whisky cask. One option that’s both practical and poetic? Whisky cask investment. It’s a long-term family goal with a twist — something that matures quietly in the background while life carries on.

Platforms such as London Cask Traders make it possible to purchase an entire cask that matures over time, offering a hands-off way to build future value while owning something truly unique. Whether you gift it to your kids one day, open it for a major celebration, or simply enjoy tracking its journey, it’s a unique way to dream beyond the everyday.

The real point? Pick a goal that gets you all dreaming — and maybe a little excited. That’s the sweet spot.

4. Start a Legacy Tradition (and Pass It Down)

Some of the most powerful family memories come not from where you go, but what you repeatedly do. 

Starting a legacy tradition can be a beautiful way to shape your family culture — and eventually pass it down.

This could be:

• A yearly “Family Bake-Off” where you recreate grandma’s famous recipe.
  
• A holiday where everyone donates a toy and shares what they’re grateful for.
  
• A weekend each spring where you camp in the garden and tell stories under the stars.

Over time, these rituals take on meaning. Kids come to expect them, look forward to them, and eventually, recreate them with their own families.

Pro tip: Create a “Family Book of Traditions” — part recipe book, part scrapbook, part instruction manual for joy.

5. Make Something That Lasts

Sometimes, we do things together… and then they just disappear. That’s fine, of course. But once in a while, it’s nice to make something permanent.

Frame a family jigsaw puzzle. Make homemade ornaments every Christmas. Paint a mural in the garage. Or even write a simple family “manifesto” — a list of things that define how you live and love together. (“We laugh a lot.” “We say sorry.” “We eat nachos on Fridays.”)

Hang it on the wall and let it grow over time.

The goal: Create something that future-you will look at and say, “Yep. That was us.”

So, what’s going on your list?

We still love travel and theme parks — no shade there. But a really great family bucket list isn’t just about ticking places off. It’s about building a life together that’s full of stories, growth, and those little rituals that quietly turn into legacy.

So go plant that herb garden. Or bury a time capsule. Or heck, buy that whisky cask.

Because honestly? The best kind of bucket list is the one that brings your family closer — not just across the miles, but across the years.