When writing a new post recently, I went looking for a post that I wrote in the very early days of my blog called “Mummy and Alyssa’s Pre-School Bucket List” and it was list of all the things I wanted to do with her before she started school. I wrote it when she was only a few months old and now I am mere months away from her starting school and thought wouldn’t it be interesting to look back, see what I wrote and see how many of these things we actually managed to achieve. So, here is my original post of a bucket list of ideas to do with my child before she starts school and also whether or not we actually achieved them. I still have 9 months to go until she begins, so maybe I’ll be able to squeeze in a few more by then!

” From experience of watching friends and their children and family babies, I know how much parents miss their children once they begin school. After the initial euphoria at having more “free-time” dies off we, as parents, can often be left with a painfully large gaping whole that our little ones used to fill and a lot of what ifs! ” I wrote this possibly rather naive statement two and a half years ago and yes whilst I will miss her when she starts school, I am also very aware that it will actually allow me more free time to focus on her, when I am with her, rather than having to work all the time we are together. However, here was my bucket list for the two of us;

1. Take our first plane ride – we have actually managed 2 plane rides! We went on holiday to Tenerife last year and visited Greece this year

2. Teach her to swim – we are getting there but she does still need arm bands or her rubber ring.

3. Make castles on the beach – we have done this lots of times in the UK and abroad.

4. Run from waves breaking on the shore – One of our favourite things to do in the Winter in wellies

5. Eat ice cream cones together – most weeks of the year, including Winter!

6. Take a train ride – we actually went on the Swanage Christmas Railway and the  Watercress Line

7. Take a boat ride – We took her on a boat ride for her third birthday.

8. Have a foreign holiday together in both sun and snow – we have done the sun but not managed a snowy holiday.

9. Build a snowman – We did a mini one when we had snow earlier this year.

10. Have a snowball fight – She was a little too cold by the time we had finished building a snowman.

11. Drink hot chocolate in front of an open fire – We have done this as we had an open fire in our old house!

12. Watch our first Disney movie – I have officially made her obsessed with Disney like me so we smashed this one.

13. Watch every Disney movie – Not quite but we are well on our way!

14. Teach Alyssa to sing songs – There are some awesome videos of Alyssa and I singing together and it’s one of our favourite things to do.

15. Sing together in the car – Check out the link above for video proof!

16. Go to Butlins or haven for a holiday –  we haven’t managed this but we did go to Bluestone in Wales!

17. Swish through fallen autumn leaves – We swished alot!

18. Put on wellingtons and jump in puddles – Any opportunity

19. Teach her to ride a bike – She is getting a bike this Christmas so there is still time!

20. Have a dolly tea party – we did this when Maryland Cookies sent us some treats!

21. Celebrate each and every birthday – we have with a lovely party and lots of surprises!

22. Go on a shopping trip – we did this more when she was younger as she does get bored but still does the supermarket with me!

23. Have a picture taken in matching tutus – Not yet but we have had lots of photos together

24. Pick wildflowers together – I have a collection of dried bluebells she picked for me last year.

25. Bounce so high on a bouncy castle – we touched the sky.

26. Push her on a swing – All the time.

27. Fall asleep together under a blanket – only when she is ill now but we still have our moments!

28. Go and see Father Christmas – A few times now and most recently the Santa Experience at Weymouth Sealife!

29. Go searching for Fairies – not yet.

30. Have an Easter Egg Hunt – We do one every year!

31. Bake cakes – we bake cakes , cookies and biscuits and muffins all the time – she also helps with dinner!

32. Hear the first time she says mummy – it made me cry… now she doesn’t stop!

33. Dance together – try and stop us!

34. Go to watch our first pantomime – we haven’t watched one live but we do enjoy the Cbeebies Pantos!

35. Pick a new Christmas decoration together for the tree each year – we’ve just gotten this years!

36. French plait her hair – This won’t happen for a while as her hair is just so curly!

37. Go to a birthday party – we went to our latest one only last weekend!

38. Build a fort – We frequently turn our giant dining table into one!

39. Play make believe – I think she possibly lives in Make Believe Land and it’s beautiful.

40. Spin round and round in circles with our arms out – on a daily basis!

41. Hold hands when out walking – always…unless she’s trying to escape!

42. Go for tea and cake in the afternoon – This is a treat she sometimes asks for and I am happy to oblige!

43. Watch fireworks – She adores fireworks and sparklers and loves them each year!

44. Get dressed up and go trick or treating – She did this when she was 1 in a pram but we haven’t managed it since!

45. Go to Disney (this one is quite a lot for me more than Alyssa!!) – Not yet!

46. Find out what she enjoys and allow her to do this e.g. ballet, karate – She goes to Tap and Ballet each week and goes to Music class at nursery!

47. Watch Christmas lights being turned on – we love the twinkle!

48. Lie outside and look at the stars – We haven’t lay down to look at them but we have stood watching them!

49. Measure her height every 3 months to watch her grow – Maybe not every 3 months but we do have a height chart!

50. Have a pillow fight – this is always fun.

51. Go on a trampoline – lots of them.

52. Climb a tree – she did it and I supervised!

53. Roll down a grassy bank – Uncle Ollie taught her how to do this!

54. Make mud pies – She prefers sand!

55. Make paper-mache animals and masks – We did manage the masks!

56. Paint using our hands and feet – We did it…paint everywhere!

57. Make snow angels – not enough snow yet!

58. Visit a farm and feed the animals – We loved visiting Farmer Palmers and have been back a lot!

59. Ride a horse – she hasn’t yet!

60. Pick strawberries – We picked strawberries, blueberries and raspberries last summer and she adored them.

61. Play pooh sticks – we did this at a bridge near us this last summer!

62. Make a kite – we didn’t make one but we have flown one!

63. Plant some flowers and watch them grow – nope!

64. Create a mini assault course in the lounge and garden – it was in the lounge and it was fun!

65. Read bedtime stories – We do this every night or sometimes we make them up!

66. Go to the library – I cannot believe we haven’t been yet!

67. Build something with lego – all the time, though the big version and not real lego yet!

68. Have picnic in the forest – We did this when we went to watch the cricket!

69. Have a picnic on the lounge floor – We have a carpet picnic frequently.

70. Write and send a letter to Father Christmas – This is on our to do list for this week!

71. Make homemade pizza – We do this at least once a month!

72. Have a water fight – what we spent most of our summer doing!

73. Blow bubbles and chase them – we love bubble blowing and bubble catching!

74. Make sock puppets – I’d forgotten this one!

75. Draw a map and have a treasure hunt – We love going on a treasure hunt!

76. Run in the rain – From the door to the car or from the shop to another but we have yet to enjoy running in the rain.

77. Play with skipping ropes – we have but not quite managed to properly skip yet!

78. Write a story together… with pictures too! – We tell stories all the time but have not written it down.

79. Go bowling – Not yet!

80. Go to the cinema – Not this either!

81. Play “I Spy” together – popular on our car journeys!

82. Toast veggie marshmallows on a fire – not yet!

83. Visit a theme park (like Peppa Pig World!!) – We have been lucky enough to go to Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World a few times!

84. Take pictures every day – There is almost never a day that goes past without a picture taken, some of which we share on Instagram.

85. Play hula hooping – Most days as she got one for Christmas last year.

86. Make pasta jewellery – nope!

89. Do some Face painting – she’s not keen but does love make-up…. shocker!

90. Make salt-dough ornaments – We did this last Christmas.

91. Go to the park – all the time!

92. Shout loudly and hear our voices echo – yes as it made her jump and me laugh… naughty mummy!

93. Make musical instruments – we made Rainmakers with kitchen roll tubes!

94. Make our own superhero capes – we haven’t.

95. Make memory boxes – She has one for each birthday, Christmas and year of her life with special treasures inside as well as photo albums.

96. Make a fairy house and garden – we haven’t!

97. Play hide and seek – A lot. It is her favourite game but she does tell you where to hide!

98. Make boats and try to sail them – nope!

99. Paint our nails – We always have painted toes!

100. Make our own pom poms – not yet!

101. Make a list of everything we still want to do together in the future – This will be a job for next August

I honestly thought that by the end of the reading through the list that I would feel ashamed at not having done enough with my daughter. But actually we have done A LOT and definitely the majority and I am so pleased because it does mean she will have some wonderful memories to set her off on her way into the next stage of growing up. Obviously we still have so many more years together to enjoy but it’s nice to know we made the most of her days before starting school.

Is there anything else you would have added?