TIPS, IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS FOR RETIREMENT BUCKET LIST IDEAS WHILE RAISING GRANDKIDS
Retirement Bucket List
Raising grandkids was not on my retirement bucket list, but things have changed!
Five and a half years ago my grandson and granddaughter moved in with my husband and me, who were working full-time.
We thought being in our 50s we still had time to make our retirement bucket list plans. But now raising our grandkids has made us reevaluate our bucket list!
During our working years, most of us plan for retirement. We try to ensure we have enough money to get through retirement and enjoy our older years. Also, we plan our time and activities after our work life ends.
After raising five children, we looked forward to lazy mornings and carefree days. We also had other retirement bucket list ideas including traveling, sightseeing, and fishing, which my husband and I look forward to doing!
However, once we took legal custody of our grandchildren, our retirement bucket list ideas began to shift. We no longer prepared our 101 things to do when you retire. Now, we were preparing for school meetings, girl scouts, and other various activities for our grandkids.
We began redecorating our empty nest to accommodate our two young grandchildren. Our retirement plans were set aside for the future. With our grandkids moving in with us, we had bigger and more important plans. Parenting again….or Reparenting! See Parenting Grandchildren.
This post may include affiliate links, which means I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you. For full disclosure read here.
My Bucket List Planner with Grandchildren
Neither my husband nor I are retired, but we are creating a retirement bucket list planner to include our grandchildren. We realize that for us to prepare for retirement, we need to establish simple bucket list ideas we can do with our grandchildren. Therefore, they can be included in our bucket list planner ideas.
Those retirement bucket lists will not involve romantic getaways or couples’ trips. But they can be unique bucket list ideas for retirees such as boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling that our grandchildren can do with us.
Other retirement bucket list ideas we can do with our grandchildren are traveling, cruising, and RV camping. While we’ve traveled locally with our grandchildren, as they get older, we look forward to expanding our traveling excursions during summers and school breaks.
Additionally, sitting on the beach, and visiting the ocean is always a welcome experience. Whether you are north or south, east or west, the sights and sounds of the ocean can be a cathartic occasion for you and your grandchildren.
Our family also enjoys winter in the mountains, so skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and snow tubing are fun retirement bucket list ideas we can enjoy with our grandchildren. And, if we’re not feeling brave enough to hit the mountains (I’m speaking for myself!), we can relax and have a hot toddy in front of a raging ski lodge fire.
All in all, making a bucket list planner along with the grandchildren you are raising, can be exciting and rewarding for both grandchildren and grandparents preparing a retirement bucket list.
For National & International Travel & Ticket Deals, Check Out:
Travel Deals:
- Viator – Viator delivers online and mobile access to thousands of trip activities including tours, attractions, shore excursions, and private guides, in more than 1,500 destinations worldwide
- Tentrr – Offers Adventure & Package Holidays & Rented Holiday Accommodations
- ALPAKA – Offers Adventure & Package Holidays & Rented Holiday Accommodations
Ticket Deals:
- Vivid Seats – Offers Concert & Theatre tickets
- TicketNetwork – Offers Concert, Theatre tickets & Other ticket events
- Ticketmaster – Ticketmaster offers unparalleled access to live sports, concerts, theater and family events.
Travel, Flight & Car Deals:
- Trip Advisor – Provides car rentals, flights, hotels & package holidays
- Great Value Vacations – Provides various package holidays
- Booking.com – Provides flights, hotels, package holidays
- Priceline – Provides car rentals, flights, package holidays
- Expedia – Provides car rentals, flights, hotels, cruises, ferry, package holidays
- Orbitz – Provides car rentals, flights, hotels, cruises, package holidays
Hotel Accommodation Deals:
- Hilton – Beautiful Hilton Hotels provide the highest hospitality in the industry and established a portfolio of 14 world-class brands, including our flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand, which is the most recognized hotel brand in the world.
- Choice Hotels – Choice Hotels International is one of the largest lodging companies in the world. We currently franchises more than 6,500 hotels under brands such as Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn and Clarion. Choice Hotels operates in more than 35 countries with a range of offerings from from limited service to full service hotels in the economy, mid-scale and upscale segments.
- Best Western – For national and international stays
- VRBO – VRBO is a part of the HomeAway family, the world’s leading online marketplace for the vacation rentals, representing over 1 million properties in 190 countries.
Adventurous & Funny Retirement Bucket List Ideas
Perhaps your idea of funny is different from my idea, but there are several retirement bucket list examples that I think are quite funny! For example, my husband always wanted to own a bar as a side gig! Well, he doesn’t own a bar, but his brother does.
So, one of his funny retirement bucket list ideas is to be a bartender at his brother’s bar. No, he doesn’t know how to bartend, so he would need to learn the skills before getting behind the bar. I think it’s quite funny, but he’s serious about it!
Other adventurous and funny retirement bucket list ideas may include activities that you’ve never felt comfortable doing. But now, in your retirement, you’re throwing caution to the wind and attempting these ideas before you’re too old to do them!
Bucket List Examples and Options:
- Karaoke: Singa Karaoke App –
- White Water Rafting –National Whitewater Rafting White water rafting is also available in many states. Some possibilities are:
- Some beautiful areas are the Nantahala Outdoor Center across the Southeast & Carolinas.
- Adventures on the Gorge
- Adventure Center at Whitewater Challenges
- Sky diving: For full details on sky diving see the United States Parachute Association
- Bungee jumping – Bungee jumping has become popular for people of all ages and is available all over the world. If you’re interested check out this site.
- Rock Climbing– To find more information on rock climbing, see USA climbing.
- Horseback Riding – Horseback riding may not seem funny or too adventurous, but if you have never ridden a horse or if you have ridden one in many years, it will feel like a new experience. If you are thinking about adding horseback riding. See more information from the National Riding Stables.
- Race car driving – For Racing Adventures check out this site.
- Scuba diving – If scuba diving is on your list, see the National Association of Underwater Instructors, NAUI.
- Parasailing– For extremely adventurous retirees, try adding parasailing & hang gliding and view the world from above! Details and information for these activities can be found at the US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association.
- Hang gliding – Details and information for these activities can be found at the US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association.
- Cliff diving – Cliff diving is SCARY and VERY dangerous, but if you are experienced in jumping off cliffs you may want to find out more information. For details go to the U. S. National Park Service site.
- Swimming with sharks – Your adrenaline will increase if you are brave enough to swim with sharks. This site will share details of the beauty and the dangers of swimming with whale sharks. Please don’t invite me!!
- Swimming with dolphins– You may prefer swimming with dolphins rather than sharks. I would! The Dolphin Research Center offers opportunities to swim with the dolphins while sharing educational and environmental information about fascinating and intelligent mammals.
- Setting up a YouTube account – Establishing a YouTube can be fun and frightening! But retirees may have a lot of information to share, so just do it! You got this!!
- Going on a safari – I am not a hunter, nor do I have any interest in hunting, so I’m not promoting this, however, I know there are many men and women interested in safaris. If you are one of those people and think going on a safari, I suggest you check out the Safari Club International.
- Flying in a helicopter – The Helicopter Association International, is the place to contact if you are inquiring about flying in a helicopter. They will discuss the advocacy, safety, and education of helicopter flight along with the innovation and excitement within the industry.
- Flying in or piloting a Cessna (small airplane!) – If you’d like to try flying a Cessna airplane, you’ll want to check out the Cessna Pilots Association to learn the variables of flying and flying in a compact aircraft.
Retirement Bucket List Strategy
Of course, these are only some ideas you may have added to your retirement bucket list. Some of these bucket list examples can be done with your grandkids while others should be done alone or with other retirees.
Nonetheless, the MOST important factor in making your retirement bucket list is your willingness for excitement, your openness to new adventures, and your enthusiasm for the unknown.
With those qualities along with your ongoing eagerness, you can begin checking off your unique bucket list ideas, whatever they may be.
This post may include affiliate links, which means I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you. For full disclosure read here.
TIPS, IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS FOR RETIREMENT BUCKET LIST IDEAS WHILE RAISING GRANDKIDS
- Include your grandchildren in your bucket list plans. Especially if they will be involved in the event or activity.
- Encourage your grandchildren to share their bucket list ideas with you. You might be surprised by how interesting their suggestions are!
- Make a bucket list planner. Write down your plans and honestly determine how attainable they are to accomplish with your grandchildren.
- Be silly! These are YOUR ideas. No one is judging you. So, if you have a really funny retirement bucket list idea, go for it and have fun!
- Don’t expect perfection! We all know plans do not always go the way we want. Don’t let little downfalls in your plans ruin your bucket list idea. They won’t all be perfect, but they’ll all be a wonderful experience for your memory book!
