A perfect August bucket list that will help you refresh your routine, create pockets of peace and softness, and squeeze every last bit of joy out of summer.
This probably isn’t the best confession to start this post with, but honestly speaking, August has never been my favorite month.
Where I live, this month can be very hot and humid, and it feels even longer than July.
The excitement of summer starts to wear off, the holidays still feel far away, and it can be surprisingly easy to spend the entire month waiting for September to arrive.
But the months we enjoy the least are usually the ones that need a bucket list the most.
So, this year, instead of wishing August would hurry up and end, I am treating it as my chance for one last hurrah of the summer.
If you love the month of August or just wish to like it more, this post is for you.
You’ll find 30 fun ideas for August that will help you soak in the weather (even if you’re not a fan), add joy to your routine life, and give some love to this month.
Let’s make this month count!
30 August Bucket List Ideas
1. Wake up early once to watch the sunrise
I know waking up early isn’t exactly what most people dream about in August, but it will do your mind and body a whole lot of good.
Early mornings in summer are quiet, cool, and beautiful. For a few minutes, it feels like the whole day (and world) belongs to you.
So, wake up as early as you can, take your tea or coffee outside, sit on your balcony or by a window, and enjoy the sunrise.
Even if you only do this once a month, it’ll become one of your favorite August memories.
2. Create your end-of-summer playlist
Instead of listening to the same playlist you’ve had on repeat since May, make one that feels like August and the end of summer.
You might want to add songs that sound like golden sunsets, fresh fruit, road trips, and warm evenings (what a vision, right?).
You can listen to this playlist while driving with the windows down, cleaning your room, or just resting in your room in a good mood.
3. Visit your local farmers’ market
There is something so wholesome about farmers’ markets.
You get to see colorful fruits stacked in baskets, fresh flowers, homemade jams, and refreshing herbs.
And there are all these people selling things they’ve grown or made themselves, which is very inspiring.
All of this makes visiting a local farmers’ market a lovely activity for an August morning.
You can pick up a few peaches, fresh tomatoes, herbs, or flowers for your kitchen table.
Even if you don’t end up buying much, just walking around will feel great.
And who knows, you just might discover a local bakery or small business you’ll keep coming back to.
4. Learn one recipe you’ll keep making all year
August is a wonderful time to experiment in the kitchen without putting pressure on yourself to become an amazing chef.
Choose one recipe you’ve always wanted to try and give it a go.
It might be a refreshing pasta salad, a homemade lemonade, or a flavorful sandwich. Or it could be a dessert you can start making every weekend.
It might take you a while to master it, but when you finally do, you’ll be glad to know it.
5. Spend one evening offline
We’re so used to reaching for our phones every few minutes that spending an evening offline feels weird now.
But try it this month, please.
Put your phone somewhere you can’t easily reach it.
Light a candle, read a few chapters of your current book, or write in a journal.
You can also work on a puzzle, color in a coloring book (I am serious), or bake cookies.
You’ll probably notice yourself instinctively wanting to check your notifications every now and then. But resist the urge.
You’ll be amazed by how calm an evening can feel when your attention isn’t being pulled somewhere else.
6. Go on a walk after it rains
If August brings rain where you live, please don’t waste it by staying indoors every single time.
One of the best joys in life is stepping outside after a rain shower.
Everything smells fresher after a rain.
The trees somehow look greener, the roads glisten, and the air finally feels breathable again after days of humidity.
Leave your headphones at home and listen to the rain dripping from leaves instead.
Notice the tiny puddles reflecting the sky, and take the longer route home.
The best walks aren’t the ones where you’re trying to get your steps in. They’re the ones where you’re simply paying attention to the world around you.
7. Start a tiny nature journal
You don’t have to be an artist for this, or even particularly good at writing.
Keeping a nature journal is like collecting little moments instead of things.
You can write down the flowers you spotted on your walk, tape in an interesting leaf, or sketch a cloud that looked unusually beautiful.
You can note down the date of the first cool autumn evening and describe what the air smelled like after the rain.
These tiny observations seem simple while you’re writing them, but they’re wonderful to look back on later.
Life moves so quickly, but a nature journal will help you slow it down just enough to absorb it.
8. Listen to the ‘Folklore’ album
Folklore is my favorite Taylor Swift album. It’s got poetic lyrics, beautiful melodies, and amazing world-building (you’ll know once you hear it).
Even though the album was released in late July 2020, it has full August vibes. There is even a song called ‘August’ on it.
So whether you’re a fan of Swift or not, I’d definitely suggest tuning into this album once this month and letting the summery feel of it take you away.
I’ll definitely be playing it on loop.
9. Have a little picnic
You don’t need the perfect woven basket or a dreamy field full of wildflowers to plan a picnic.
Spread a blanket in your backyard, your local park, or your living room floor.
Bring along sandwiches, iced coffee or fruit, a good book, and a speaker to play your favorite playlist in the background.
You’ll do something different from your normal routine. Gotta feel adventurous in these little ways, you know.
10. Make a ‘back-to-life’ routine
Instead of waiting for the new month to get your life together, use the last few weeks of August to create a simple daily routine that makes you feel good.
You can start your morning with stretching, make a healthy lunch, go for an evening walk, and read before bed.
Build a routine that feels comforting enough that you’ll actually want to stick with it when autumn arrives.
Future you will be so grateful you started now.
11. Watch Christmas movies in August
One of my lovely readers actually suggested this idea to me, and I really, really liked it.
I mean, why do we have to wait until November to watch the movies that make us happy?
If putting on your favorite Christmas film in the middle of August gives you that warm, nostalgic feeling, who’s making the rules that say you can’t?
Light a candle, grab a cozy blanket (yes, even if your air conditioner is doing most of the work), make yourself a hot chocolate if you’re brave enough, and spend an evening with your favorite holiday movie.
It’s a perfect idea for winter lovers like me.
12. Buy yourself flowers just because
You don’t need a birthday, or an anniversary, or someone else to surprise you with flowers.
Walk into a flower shop, pick out a bunch that catches your eye, and take them home because they make you happy.
Fresh flowers can make your entire room feel bright and happy.
Every time you walk past them, you’ll be reminded that beauty doesn’t always have to wait for a special occasion.
It can be an ordinary Tuesday in August, and that’s reason enough to make yourself happy.
13. Make a list of everything that made you smile this summer
We spend so much time documenting our goals that we sometimes forget to document our memories.
Take ten minutes and write down everything that made this summer special for you.
Maybe it was trying a new cafe, a road trip with friends, or the tomato plants that actually survived.
Maybe you read five amazing books, went swimming for the first time in years, had late-night conversations with someone special, or watched thunderstorms from your window.
You’ll be amazed by how much happened once you actually sit down and think about it.
The list will also act like a summer time capsule for you years later, which is pretty cool.
14. Declutter one tiny area of your home every alternate day
Notice I said one tiny area. Not your entire house, or your whole closet. And I didn’t say every day either.
You need to declutter just one small space on alternate days.
It can be a kitchen drawer, your bedside table, your makeup organizer, or the random basket where everything somehow ends up.
Small decluttering sessions feel so much less overwhelming, and they’re surprisingly satisfying.
Plus, August is a lovely month to freshen things up before the busier months arrive.
You’ll thank yourself later when September rolls around, and your space will be put together thanks to your little cleaning sessions.
15. Try a hobby you’ve been saving for ‘someday’
You know that hobby you’ve had bookmarked for months? Yeah, you’re going to try it this month, without any excuses.
You can finally pick up the embroidery kit sitting unused, or try the watercolor paints you bought with the best intentions.
You can take a lesson on the language app you downloaded but never opened again, or make the bread recipe you’ve promised yourself you’ll try.
‘Someday’ won’t magically appear on the calendar. Only you can turn it into ‘today’.
16. Watch one sunset from start to finish
It’s funny how often we say we love sunsets but rarely take the time to actually watch one all the way through.
This August, make it a priority to watch the sunset at least once.
Sit somewhere comfortable one evening, and give yourself permission to be present for twenty minutes.
You’ll notice the colors changing every few minutes, the sky slowly going soft, and the world becoming quiet.
Whatever felt stressful earlier in the day won’t seem nearly as important anymore.
August sunsets are especially beautiful because they have that golden and lingering glow that reminds you summer won’t last forever.
Which is exactly why they’re worth slowing down for.
17. Make one thing from scratch in the kitchen
We’ve gotten so used to convenience that we’ve forgotten how rewarding it feels to create something ourselves.
It’s slower and messier, and it makes me appreciate the finished result so much more.
Plus, your kitchen gets to smell amazing for a few hours, which is always a bonus.
You can bake a loaf of bread, make a jar of jam, tomato puree for future meals, or fresh pesto.
It might take a little longer than buying the ready-made version, but the process will teach you things and bring you joy.
18. Visit a bookstore and don’t rush
Bookstores deserve to be wandered through, especially during the summer season, when reading feels good.
Don’t walk in with one specific title in mind and leave five minutes later.
Browse every section, read the backs of books you’ve never heard of, and flip through beautiful cookbooks.
Look at the journals, smile at the adorable children’s books, and maybe grab a coffee if the bookstore has a cafe.
Even if you leave empty-handed, you’ll probably leave feeling inspired. Bookstores have that effect on you.
19. Start preparing for your favorite season
I’m not saying you need to decorate your house for autumn on August 1st.
(Although if that’s your thing, I fully support you.)
But there’s nothing wrong with getting a little excited about what’s coming by prepping a bit.
You can start a Pinterest board full of cozy inspiration, write your autumn bucket list, or plan a few recipes you want to bake.
Create a reading list for chilly evenings and consider hobbies you’d love to try when the weather cools down.
Half the fun of a new season is looking forward to it.
And August is the perfect month to enjoy summer while also letting yourself get excited about what’s waiting just around the corner.
20. Say yes to one spontaneous plan
Not every memorable day has to be carefully planned weeks in advance, don’t you think?
Sometimes your friend texts asking if you want to grab ice cream or go for a late-night drive.
Your family might decide to visit a nearby town for the afternoon.
Instead of automatically saying, “Maybe next time,” see if you can say yes.
It’s fun to be spontaneous and do things outside of our planners.
21. Make homemade popsicles
There are only so many weeks of hot weather left in August. Why not make the most of them?
Homemade popsicles are ridiculously easy, surprisingly fun, and you can customize them however you like.
Blend together fresh fruit, yogurt, coconut water, lemonade, or iced tea, and freeze them overnight.
They taste so much fresher than store-bought ones, and they can make a normal afternoon feel like summer vacation again.
You can even make a little event out of it by inviting your siblings, kids, or friends to create their own flavors.
22. Create a summer photo album
We take hundreds of photos every season. The problem is that most of them never get looked at again.
At the end of August, choose your favorite twenty or thirty summer pictures from your gallery and put them into an album.
Include the photos of the rainy window, your morning coffee, flowers you spotted on a walk, a blurry sunset, and the meal you loved making.
It’s a traditional and fun way to preserve your summer.
23. Eat dinner outside
If the weather cooperates, move your dinner outdoors.
Set the table on your balcony, eat in your backyard, or bring takeaway food to a park.
When you’re eating under the open sky, even the most boring meals can feel tasty.
Stay outside a little longer after you’ve finished eating, and watch and listen to your surroundings.
It’s an activity that will make August feel slow in the best possible way.
24. Create a cozy reading corner for the months ahead
Even if autumn doesn’t officially arrive for another month, there’s no reason you can’t start making your home cozier.
Rearrange your favorite chair so it sits by a window, and stack a few books nearby.
Add a soft throw blanket, a candle, or a lamp that gives off warm lighting in the evenings.
It’s such a simple project, but it will give you something to look forward to after long workdays.
And when the first cool evening finally arrives, you’ll already have the perfect spot waiting for you.
25. Have an ‘ice cream for dinner’ kind of day
I am not saying literally do that, unless you really want to, of course.
My point here is to get you to be a little playful this month.
Life can be so focused on routines, productivity, and checking things off our to-do lists that we forget we’re allowed to have fun for no reason.
So, for one day, let yourself be a kid.
Order dessert first, buy the fancy pastry you’ve been eyeing, get an extra scoop of your favorite ice cream, and watch the stars afterward.
It’s a fun way to get yourself to unwind and be less serious about life.
26. Watch a thunderstorm from the window
August storms are some of my favorite storms.
I find it comforting to sit inside while rain pours outside, especially when I don’t have anywhere to be.
So, when there’s a thunderstorm, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, and open the curtains.
Listen to the thunder and watch the trees sway in the wind.
You’ll get to sit still and appreciate nature, and it’ll act as the reset that you need.
27. Write your September goals before August ends
I love ending one month by getting excited about the next.
Instead of waiting until September 1st, spend a little time during the last week of August thinking about what you want the next month to feel like.
- How do you want your mornings to feel?
- What habits do you want to be consistent with?
- What books do you want to read?
- What recipes do you want to make?
- What memories do you hope to create?
Goals don’t always have to be about doing more. They should also be about living more intentionally and making space for joy in life.
28. Recreate one happy childhood memory
This might end up being your favorite thing on the entire list.
Think back to something you absolutely loved doing as a child, and do it this month.
It can be making blanket forts in the living room, catching fireflies, eating watermelon on the porch, or making friendship bracelets,
Or it can be flying a kite, drawing with sidewalk chalk, or watching cartoons on weekend mornings with a big bowl of cereal.
We usually convince ourselves we’ve ‘outgrown’ things that once brought us so much joy. But joy doesn’t have an age limit.
As adults, revisiting an old memory might be what we need to remember that life isn’t supposed to feel serious all the time.
29. Make an ‘August favorites’ list
Before the month disappears, take a few minutes to write down everything you loved throughout August.
Write down your favorite book, favorite movie, the best meal you ate, a song you couldn’t stop playing, a product you discovered, a place you visited, or a new habit that made your days better.
I started doing this a while ago, and it’s become my favorite monthly tradition.
Not only does it help me remember the small things that made each month special, but it’s also surprisingly fun to look back and see how my favorites change throughout the year.
It’s like creating your own little highlight reel!
30. End the month with gratitude instead of regret
It’s easy to reach the end of a month and immediately think about everything you didn’t do.
You might regret the habits you didn’t start, the places you didn’t visit, the books you didn’t finish, and the goals that are still sitting on your to-do list.
But what if, instead, you focused on everything this month gave you?
Be grateful for the beautiful mornings, the unexpected laughs, the rainy afternoons, the little victories no one else noticed, and the people you spent time with.
Think about the lessons you learned and the quiet moments that made your life soft.
Every month doesn’t have to be extraordinary to be meaningful.
A good month can also be one where you were present enough to notice it while it was happening, which is the intention I had in mind while creating this bucket list.
Read next: 12 Cottagecore Life Ideas To Make Your Days Soft, Slow, and Magical
Let’s Make Way For a Good August!
August doesn’t always get the love it deserves (even from me). It’s easy to rush through it while thinking about what’s next.
But I hope this bucket list reminds you that August has its own unique magic.
It’s the month of golden evenings, fresh peaches, rainy walks, spontaneous adventures, and squeezing every last bit of joy out of summer before the seasons change.
You don’t have to do all 30 ideas. In fact, I hope you don’t feel pressured to.
Pick a handful of ideas that genuinely make you smile, and try something you’ve never done before.
Romanticize an ordinary weekday, buy yourself the flowers, or watch that Christmas movie if you’re already counting down to December (I will fully support that!).
Hope this month is a good one for you!
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