The temperatures are starting to rise, flowers are blooming and the grass is green. You or your neighbors may even begin outdoor barbecuing. Summer is right around the corner. Many people take their vacations in the summer, but what happens if you won’t be one of them this year? Maybe you can’t afford a vacation or you are saving for another goal. Whatever the reason, you can still have fun, right in your own neighborhood with a staycation.
Staycations don’t have to be boring. Simply look at a staycation as a way to explore your own city—you become a tourist in your own hometown. Consider some of these staycation activities:
Set up camp in your own backyard. There is no need to drive to a campsite and pay to camp. Instead, set up your tent in your own backyard. Let the kids pitch in and have a campfire where you can cook a meal and roast marshmallows and make s’mores. Then, spend the night in the tent (and the house is nearby if the little ones get scared.)
Explore tourist destinations you have not visited. Your hometown may have many tourist destinations, but chances are you haven’t visited many of them. You may even drive by them every day, but you have never stopped because you are so busy living your own life. Look at your town through the eyes of a tourist. What destinations are the must-visit spots for tourists? Visit those places.
Take the kids somewhere they have wanted to go. Maybe your kids have been begging you to take them to the water park, but you could never get time off from work. During a staycation, take them to the places they have wanted to go. You’ll enjoy spending time with the kids, and they will enjoy getting to go some place they have always wanted to visit.
Try a new restaurant. If you were a visitor coming to your city, what restaurant would be on your must-go to list? Splurge a bit on your staycation and go with your spouse and hire a babysitter for the kids or take the kids if it is a family-friendly restaurant. Since you are enjoying a staycation rather than travelling, you can afford to spend a little bit of money for a fun night out.
Indulge in foods you wouldn’t normally eat. Hot dogs may not be on the menu regularly in your everyday life, but for your staycation, consider giving the kids foods they enjoy but don’t normally eat such as hot dogs or ice cream or whatever treat they don’t regularly eat.
If you are planning your own staycation, make sure to treat it like a real vacation. Take time off from work (and that means not doing any work at home either—this is not the time for home improvement projects), make your arrangements in advance, booking restaurant or other reservations you must make ahead of time, and include the kids in the planning. While having a staycation may not be as exciting as visiting a new locale, it can still be a lot of fun, and, more importantly, it will give you the time to both relax and spend time together as a family.