Making a Summer Bucket List? We Have Some Ideas to Get You Started
Make the most of your summer with a bucket list that combines compassion and adventure. Activities like hiking and hosting a vegan cookout are great ways to advocate for animals while having an unforgettable summer.
Here are 10 animal-friendly ideas to add to your summer bucket list:
1. Attend a Demo or Table at an Event
Become part of PETA’s Action Team to get alerts about actions occurring in your area. If no events are nearby, you can still take action for animals. Check out our guide to tabling to learn how you can set up your own animal advocacy table at local events.
2. Go Camping
Camping is a classic summer bucket list idea. It’s easy to keep your camping trip compassionate with down-free sleeping bags and vegan s’mores. Dandies has delicious gelatin-free marshmallows that are the perfect size for s’mores. And be sure to grab a shirt from the PETA Shop to spread the message to your fellow campers.
3. Go Hiking
Wear hiking shoes or boots that are made from vegan materials instead of ones made of animals’ skin.
Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and vegan snacks.
4. Visit the Beach
Show up in style with “PETA-Approved Vegan” swimwear, and get active with a volleyball from Eco Sports, another “PETA-Approved Vegan” company.
Make sure your sunscreen and snacks are cruelty-free, too. Brush On Block offers a number of vegan sunscreen options for your outdoor summer activities.
Step up your activism and write a vegan message in the sand, or keep it simple by picking a tote or a cap that makes a statement.
5. Read a Book
Crack open a book about animals or animal rights and share it with friends and family. Check out the PETA Shop for some great books to add to your bucket list.
6. Go ‘Trash Fishing’
Don’t remove fish from their homes. Clean up their space instead by fishing for trash. Get a Trash Fishing Provisions Kit from the PETA Shop to get started.
7. Host a Vegan Cookout
Invite people over and introduce them to some of your favorite vegan foods. PETA’s Grillin’ Without Killin’ Apron is the perfect accessory for when you’re grilling veggies or vegan burgers and hot dogs for your guests. Take your activism a step further by turning your cookout into a fundraiser.
8. Try a New Vegan Restaurant, or Take a Vegan Cooking Class
Check out that vegan restaurant you’ve been wanting to try. If you’d rather stay home to avoid the summer heat, try a vegan recipe you’ve never made before. Plenty of cookbooks are available on PETA’s website. Just starting your vegan journey? Sign up for a vegan cooking class to get inspired.
9. Travel Somewhere New and Try New Things
Go somewhere you’ve never been, or do something you’ve never done before. Just make sure to leave animal attractions off the itinerary. Book a trip with PETA Business Friend Vegan Travel Asia by VegVoyages for an animal-friendly adventure.
If you go through a travel agency that promotes animal attractions, inform the company about the cruelty of activities that exploit animals and urge it to drop them from its offerings. Planning to fly? Bring some free vegan starter kits and other PETA literature to put in airline seat pockets.
10. Visit or Volunteer at a Sanctuary for Farmed Animals
For a more direct way to help animals, plan to visit a sanctuary for animals who’ve been rescued from the meat, egg, and dairy industries. If there’s one close by, you can check for opportunities to volunteer. Learn how to tell if a place is a real sanctuary before you visit.
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These are just a few of the ways you can make a difference for animals with your summer bucket list. If these ideas don’t interest you, there are countless other options. You can make this the summer you kick Starbucks to the curb until it ditches its unfair vegan milk upcharge, encourage friends and family to try more vegan foods, or apply to work at PETA.
Whatever you end up doing, remember to keep animal suffering out of the equation. Now get out there, make a difference for our fellow animals, and have a super summer!
