Summer in Minnesota is magical — full of sunshine, adventure, and memories waiting to be made. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the great outdoors, spend time together as a family, or find hidden gems close to Corcoran, we’ve got you covered with the ultimate summer bucket list!
Here’s your guide to making the most of the season — St. John’s style!
🌳 Get Outside & Explore
- Go hiking at Elm Creek Park Reserve or Crow Hassan Park Reserve
Just minutes from St. John’s, these parks display the beauty of God’s creation and offer plenty of hiking and playing opportunities.
- Visit Lake Independence at Baker Park Reserve for a beach day
Pack a picnic and soak up the sun while the kids splash and swim or spend the day fishing.
- Try a family bike ride on the Luce Line Trail
Cruise through scenic stretches of prairie and farmland — perfect for all skill levels.
- Have fun geocaching
This family-friendly and high-tech way to treasure hunt is the perfect way to enjoy a sunny day outside. Hint: Three Rivers Park District provides everything you need!
- Spend the day at Gale Woods Farm or the Oliver Kelley Farm
Learn how a working farm runs, meet the animals, and even help out or join a class!
🎉 Attend Local Events & Festivals
- Twin Cities River Rats FREE Water Ski Show – Every Thursday June thru August 2025
Originally part of the U of M Water Ski Club, the River Rats perform amazing water shows throughout the entire summer. Best of all…they’re free!
- World’s Championship Hamel Rodeo – July 10-13, 2025
This exciting event is a must and includes everything from bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and of course, bull riding! Buy your tickets now because they tend to sell out.
- Maple Grove Days – July 16-20, 2025
Don’t miss the parade (St. John’s is participating!), outdoor movie night, and lots of kid-friendly activities!
- Corcoran Country Daze – August 15-16, 2025
Our hometown summer celebration has it all: fireworks, live music, food trucks, and a small-town feel.
- Catch an outdoor concert at Town Green Park
Bring a lawn chair and enjoy some live music or make your own music using the outdoor instruments at music plaza.
- Explore the Trail of Small Wonders
Just down the road in St. Lous Park is the Trail of Small Wonders in the Westwood Hills Nature Center. This trail features a miniature world of handmade dwellings for fairies, elves, gnomes, and even trolls. Guests are invited to not only come dressed as a woodland character, but to also create their own tiny abode.
- Plan a day in Stillwater
Start your morning with a ride on the famous Storytime Trolley followed by some playtime at Teddy Bear Park. For lunch, head to Victoriano’s for some New York-style pizza and then grab some ice cream at Leo’s Grill & Malt Shop. Take in the beautiful scenery of Lowell Park, Pine Point Regional Park, or Brown’s Creek Trail, and be sure to grab some candy from Tremblay’s Sweet Shop or Candyland before you head home!
🧺 Make the Most of Family Time
- Go star gazing
Afton State Park is an especially great place to enjoy dark skies and bright stars (and sometimes even the northern lights). If you’d like to stay closer to home, download a free app like Sky Tonight or SkyView Lite and get comfortable in your own backyard or local park.
- Have a backyard campout
Speaking of the backyard, why not pitch a tent, roast some hot dogs and marshmallows, and tell some stories around a campfire right at home — no road trip required!
- Create a family cookbook that can be passed down for generations
Every family has special recipes that are loved by all, so why not create a family cookbook to preserve them? Use an online service such as Shutterfly (they even have a variety of cookbook templates available; here’s one of them), and include not only the recipes, but photos of your family making the recipes and stories associated with them.
- Plan a screen-free “Old Fashioned Family Day”
Think water balloons, nature walks, lemonade stands, and sidewalk chalk masterpieces.
- Visit a local farmers market.
Pick out fresh produce, try homemade treats, and support local farmers by visiting the Maple Grove Farmers Market, Rogers Farmers Market, Bass Lake Center Farmers Market, or the Minneapolis Farmers Market.
- Do a “Summer Service Day”
Pick up litter, donate gently-used toys, volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, or deliver cookies to neighbors — small acts of love go a long way.
📚 Keep Minds Active
- Enjoy some friendly competition with a family game night.
Not only are board games super fun, they also offer a multitude of benefits for children of all ages. Cognitive development, critical thinking and social skills, language development, and even boosting self-esteem are just a few ways having a family game night can benefit your child…just be sure to keep it screen-free.
- Join your local library’s summer reading program
Most programs include fun incentives — and it’s a great way to keep those reading skills sharp!
- Listen to audio books in the car (or anywhere)
Use your time in the car together to listen to audio books. This is such an easy way for your child to enjoy more books and reap the benefits of being read to. Download the app Libby to listen to free audio books through your local libraries or visit your library in person and check some out; if you happen to have a premium Spotify account be sure to take advantage of your monthly 15 hours of audio book time.
- Use AI to create a personalized mystery to solve together
Visit ChatGPT and type in a simple prompt such as: “I hid my son’s stuffed animal named Bert, and I want to create a mystery for him to solve to find it. Ask me some questions to help create this mystery.” Answer the questions Chat GPT generates, and in no time at all you’ll have a fantastic, customized mystery for your child to solve!
- Visit Maple Grove’s Eastman Nature Center
Eastman Nature Center offers a multitude of educational and fun experiences, including a nature exploration area where children can dig, climb, make a fort or dam and engage their imaginations. There are also multiple trails available for hiking and birdwatching with trail guide sheets, exploration kits, and interpretive signs included. Bonus points if your family works together to create a nature journal.
🍦 Don’t Forget the Treats!
- Go on a “Frozen Treat Tour” or a “Donut Tour”
Try a new local ice cream or donut shop every week. Make it a tasty family tradition! Be sure to visit What’s the Scoop? in St. Michael or Moon Donuts in Buffalo.
- Make some homemade ice cream or popsicles
What’s summer without homemade ice cream or popsicles??
🦅 Bonus Challenge: St. John’s Eagle Adventure!
📸 Take a picture wearing St. John’s spirit wear whenever visiting a bucket list destination or participating in an activity and tag us on Facebook (facebook.com/stjleagles) or Instagram (@stjleagles)! Let’s show off how our Eagles soar all summer long!
Wishing all of our St. John’s families a joyful, safe, and Christ-centered summer! Whether you’re traveling or staying close to home, may your days be filled with laughter, sunshine, and sweet memories made together.
