Your Local 2027 Family Bucket List

A simple plan for more family fun and connection in the year ahead

Every January, I become wildly optimistic about the person I will be in the new year. As a goal-setting, list-making, Type A Enneagram 3, I cannot resist an opportunity for self-improvement. I’ll organize every closet, meal plan, wake up early, get to bed by 9 p.m. and somehow become the most productive, well-rested version of myself at the same time.

And, of course, I convince myself this will also be the year our family makes the most of every weekend, season and opportunity.

The problem is that even something as fun as a family bucket list can become another item on a mom’s to-do list. But a good goal for us moms is to stop putting so much pressure on everything and realize that maybe making the year memorable doesn’t require a perfectly planned list. It can be as simple as exploring a new park, trying a locally owned restaurant or finally visiting the museum you’re always driving by. 

This year, let’s make the goal to experience more, but without the stress. As a mom of two who is very much still figuring this out herself, here is where I am starting in 2027: 

Teach Kids Goal-Setting Habits by Creating the Family Bucket List Together

Creating the list together is an easy, low-pressure way to introduce goal setting. Kids get to practice turning an idea into a specific plan, choosing what matters most and working toward something over time. As you complete each adventure, they can check it off and see the progress your family has made.

How to Create a Family Bucket List You’ll Actually Complete

A list of 100 adventures sounds exciting on January 1. By February, it starts to feel like homework. Instead, choose 12 experiences for the year — roughly one per month. You can always add more adventures later, but starting small makes the list feel possible.

Mix free outings, special-ticket experiences and flexible ideas for whenever everyone has the energy. A neighborhood park counts just as much as a full-day excursion. The memory police are not coming to check.

See Oklahoma One State Park at a Time

Oklahoma’s state parks feel completely different from one another, making a goal of visiting three an easy way to plan several mini adventures.

Start close to home with a picnic, hike or afternoon near the water, then venture farther when your schedule allows. If the kids return with one cool rock, I call that success.

Become a Tourist in Your Own Metro

We tend to save our curiosity for vacations, but the Oklahoma City metro gives families plenty to discover without packing a suitcase.

Choose a park outside your usual rotation. Explore Scissortail Park, put your toes in the sand at the OKANA Beach, find a new playground through OKC Parks or let the kids pick a trail. Build the day around one outing, not six.

For even more ideas, follow local creators like MetroFamily, Tiffany in OKC and Adventures in Oklahoma. They regularly share new attractions, hidden gems and family-friendly experiences you might not discover otherwise. Save the places that catch your attention in a family bucket-list folder on Instagram so you can easily find them when you need an idea.

Visit the Museum You Keep Meaning to Visit

Make 2027 the year you finally go to that museum you’ve been talking about for years. Explore hands-on exhibits at Science Museum Oklahoma, learn about Oklahoma’s 39 First American Nations at First Americans Museum or choose a museum that fits your family’s interests.

Eat Your Way Around the City

Trying three locally owned restaurants might be the easiest goal on this list to convince everyone to complete.

Let each family member choose one spot, or explore a different Oklahoma City district. The point is to break the usual rotation and support the people who make our city feel like ours.

Show Up for Something Local

Choose one community festival, neighborhood event or cultural celebration. The Metro’s annual calendar includes the Festival of the Arts, Paseo Arts Festival and Red Earth Festival, plus farmers markets, parades and seasonal celebrations.

Create One Tradition Worth Repeating

Not every bucket-list item needs to be new. Choose one simple experience you want your kids to remember as part of your family’s rhythm.

Maybe it is donuts after the first day of school or hot chocolate while looking at holiday lights. Traditions matter because we repeat them, not because they are elaborate.

Let the List Be a Starting Point

As much as my Type A heart loves checking something off a list, the real value of a family bucket list is not finishing every single item. It is choosing to be more intentional about spending time together.

So make the list, put a few dates on the calendar and enjoy checking off the goals you complete. But leave enough room for your family to change the plan, discover something unexpected and create memories you never could have scheduled. Cheers to 2027!