5 Staycation Ideas for Family Vacation
Planning a family getaway? Well you don't always have to travel to a tropical resort. Sometimes, the best vacation is right near your home. Here are some staycation ideas for family vacation!
1. Make Your Yard an Oasis or Campground
Whether you have a small patch or a huge field, take advantage of your backyard or any outdoor space you own by having an at home camp out! One of the fun things about being away on vacation is sleeping in a different environment so why not create that at home? Pitch a tent, have a fire pit, toast marshmallows and tell funny or scary stories! The possibilities are endless. You can also get a few kiddy pools and sprinklers and make your own backyard splash pad with water toys and bubbles. At night, hang lanterns in the trees and make a cool hang out spot with twinkle lights or do some stargazing by printing out maps of the constellations and see if you and your kids can find them. You're only limited by your own creativity and imagination. Ask your kids what cool things they'd like to turn your yard into for a few days. They just might surprise you! Here are more Backyard Camping Ideas.
2. Get Free and Discount Attractions Through Your Local Library
Most public libraries have library passes to numerous museums, zoos, aquariums, parks and more; you just need to investigate! Many of these passes greatly reduce the admission cost by half or even for free. All you need is a library card and reserve the dates and follow the instructions for your local library. This is a terrific way for families on a budget to go on an outing at a reduced cost. A friend recently took her boys to a local Armory Museum and had a blast. What would have cost her $31 in admission was FREE thanks to the library. She came back raving about the place and plans a return trip with a library pass of course. Pack a cooler and you've made a day of it!
3. Check Out Local Events Happening in Your Area
Whether it's a food or cultural festival, a free music concert on the town green, a farmer's market or a chowder fest, check out what's happening in your local area and plan a day of it! Most newspapers list happenings in print and online so Google local activities and see what you find. You'd be surprised at what fun activities are taking place right around you every single week that you never took notice of before!
4. Be a Tourist in Your Own Town or City
Every town has monuments and if you live close to a major, city chances are you've never seen many of the sites people travel to see. Many native New Yorkers haven't visited the top of The Empire State Building or visited The Statue of Liberty. Same for many Bostonians who see the painted red line of The Freedom Trail yet have never done it start to finish or taken a historical tour. Pretend you're a tourist visiting your own town and research the local sites, fun hot spots, monuments and their history for a fun, unique staycation. And the best thing is you get to sleep in your own bed at night.
5. Do Activities You Normally Don't
Have an ice cream sundae night and make your own at home. Shop with your kids for toppings. Make root beer floats. Have breakfast for dinner! Stay up late, make homemade popcorn in a pot on the stove and rent some classic kids movies whether they are the Disney classics or some classics for older kids like Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Introduce your kids to your favorite movies when you were a kid or try some older classics like Herbie the Love Bug and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Check out a few matinee movies with your kids. The cost is cheaper and you'll get to see a few current movies. Go mini golfing. You've driven by the place a thousand times rushing your carpool or little athletes to practice but have never gone, a staycation week is the time to do it! The possibilities are endless! Check out these 10 Classic Oscar-Winning Movies to Watch with Your Kids
Whatever staycation ideas for family vacation you choose, the memories you make with your kids are what matters and will last a lifetime!
