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If a full-blown vacation isn’t in the cards for you this summer, it might be time to start planning the most epic Staycation ever!
{Download a Free Planning guide at the end of the post}
Having the travel funds or time for a summer vacation might be hard to come by. But that’s no reason to leave behind a family vacation. Family vacations create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds for a lifetime. I believe time as a family away from our normal routine gives everyone in the family more love, excitement and happiness.
All anyone wants when they travel is to achieve these 3 goals
1. Experience something new and interesting
2. Disconnect from the daily grind
3. Build close relationships and connections with the people we love
You can accomplish these purposes whether you are 2 miles or 2,000 miles from home. Planning a Staycation (just like any vacation) might be more work than living day-to-day, but it’s totally worth it. Worth it for you, for your kids and for your family as a whole.
To achieve these 3 purposes follow these staycation guidelines.
1. Go somewhere you’ve never been before.
Maybe a close-by lake, a new hotel/waterpark, a new museum or attraction.
Even a library or park in a neighboring town will have different offerings of free programs. Go to an outdoor festival or music show.
If you can’t go somewhere, have a travel-themed night at home. For example, go to Italy. Make Italian food, watch a movie set in Italy, get on Google Earth and ‘walk the streets of Rome’. Look at the photos of different sights around. You can use this post and the photos to walk through Rome.
Have a beauty salon or Spa in your home
2. Set Rules to make this time different than the norm
Have a dedicated time when phones, tv, computers, and screens are shut off. Get out in nature, explore, connect to the earth and each other.
Keep housework to a minimum. Eat off paper plates outside. Hold yourself to getting a true break.
If something comes up, say no. You are on vacation!
3. Be 100% Present
Be mentally and emotionally available during your stay-cation time. Touch, make eye contact, hug, tickle, laugh and talk.
Spend time one-on-one with each child or family member. Let one child stay up 30 mins past bedtime just to be with you. Look them in the eyes, smile, take a selfie (but not if it isn’t screen time), play a game. Look through baby pictures and reminisce with them how much you love them and are happy to have them in your family. Give them your FULL and undivided attention.
Being present with your kids is the best present
Steps for Planning an Epic Staycation
Pick specific Dates and Times for your Staycation
Pick specific dates and times and then honor those times as if you have a plane to catch. Of course, the nice thing about stay-cations is that you can be flexible if needed. However, if you can’t get away from the routine, you’ll miss out on the fun of the Stay-cation.
Determine How Long your Staycation will be
Is it going to be an epic one-day event filled to the brim with fun and activity? How about every night after work for 1 week? Or maybe a 3-day weekend dedicated to family time and fun. Plan whatever works for your family and your time, but set it aside as a time for something new and different.
Set a Budget for your Staycation
If you have a higher budget, you might be able to experience a new attraction, theme park, or museum. Camping or a fun hotel would be the ultimate in getting away from your home.
If you have no funds you can still plan on game nights, library and free outdoor concerts. There are times when museums have free entry, plan around that. You can definitely have a stay-cation for free.
Decide Who is Planning What
Get everyone in the family involved in planning and executing the plan. Depending on the age and ability of the kids, you could give everyone a meal, an event, an evening and a budget for planning exactly what would make their day! Planning and anticipating the vacation is half the fun.
Get everyone excited and looking forward to your epic family event.
Assign jobs every day:
Photographer,
videographer,
momma’s helper,
daddy’s girl.
Let everyone know how they can contribute to a fun family time.
Reserve Where Will you Stay the night
Have a Sleepover in the living room
Staying in a hotel with free breakfast and a pool is always a highlight of our trips. Sign up for a credit card through Marriot, Hilton or Hyatt and accrue bonus points for a few free nights out. With this link, you can earn 50,000 bonus points, which is enough for 10 (TEN!!) nights at our local Hyatt Place.
Try doing a house swap with a friend so you can both ‘go on vacation’ in a new place. LIttle kids will love trying out new toys and backyards!
If you can’t stay somewhere outside your home, why not turn your home into a hotel? Complete with keys, turndown service, and free breakfast. Or maybe camping in the backyard. The kids will love it!
What will you do as a family?
Find a new pool, splash pad, or water park to experience together
Camp or hike in the mountains or near a lake.
Stay at a new hotel/waterpark.
Experience a new museum, theme park or attraction.
Go to a neighboring library for free programs.
Play at a park you’ve never been to
Swim at a new pool, splash pad or waterpark
Go to an outdoor festival or music show.
If you can’t go somewhere, have a travel-themed experience at home. For example, go to Italy. Make Italian food, watch a movie set in Italy, get on Google Earth and ‘walk the streets of Rome’. Look at the photos of different sights around. You can use this post and the photos to walk through Rome. Have a lego building competition to create the Roman Forum. Learn some Italian.
What and Where will you Eat
If you have a budget for eating out, create a passport listing restaurants you’ve never eaten at on each page. Stamp each page once you try them out.
Fancy dinners at home are sure to create lifelong memories. Why not try a candlelight dinner?
Staycation meal ideas:
Staycation meals don’t have to be expensive or out-of-the-house to be memorable.
Variety of Appetizers
Everyone in the family picks their favorite appetizer to make and creates it for the family. Nachos, meatballs, onion rings, dips, chicken nuggets, bruschetta, mac and cheese, potato skins even graham crackers with ‘blue ocean’ frosting. Be creative. We’ve had quite the assortment and everyone finds something to eat and is thrilled to share the thing they contributed.
Crazy dinner
Make a meal that is common and ordinary. Everyone picks a number out of a hat. That number is connected to the type of utinsel they have to use to eat!. You might have someone eating spaghetti with a ladle or maybe tacos with chopsticks. Draw another number and pick your drinking cup (mug, bowl, wine glass, jar, etc) you get to use. Another number tells you what kind of serving plate you will be eating off of. This is not a meal that will be quickly forgotten and every time to eat this common meal again, you’ll relive the memories of that fun night!
Culture Creations
Make a meal from a different country each night of your stay-cation. Learn all you can about that country and view different sights in photo or video. Enjoy the flavors of the country while you learn about it.
At Home Restaurant
Have the kids create a name and sign for your restaurant. Create a menu and print for everyone to order off of. Definitely, let one of the kids be the waiter while you sit and enjoy ‘eating out’. And the kids can be the busboy and the dishwashers, too!
Guests for dinner
Set a spot for someone famous. Tape a photo of them to the chair and ‘get to know’ them as you eat. Ask your guest questions and take turns answering them (as if you were the guest).
Serving in style
Volunteer at a food bank, food shelter or food distribution point. Serve others meals who may be in need. Perhaps find a family through your church, school or community who might appreciate a meal and invite them over or bring a meal to them.
As with all vacations, everything won’t go according to plan, so be flexible enough to “Fly by the Seat of your Pants.” But planning will ensure you make this time different and special for your family.
Make Memories last a lifetime after the Staycation
Create a photo book from the staycation week. Create a video or photo slideshow to watch together after you ‘get home’.
What else would you include in planning a staycation? What has been your favorite activity on a staycation?
I love the ideas of staycations! These are great tips to help make it more memorable and less like another day at home. We love have all out family game nights or spa nights!
This is so great! I’ve always thought a staycation would be a good fit for us, but haven’t known where to start in planning one. You’ve provided it all!
I love the idea of planning a stay-cation! You give lots of tips that could be used for weekly family nights as well. I like the idea of planning a fancy candlelight dinner with the whole family. Think we will do it this week! Thanks for sharing your ideas!
16 Comments
what a great and refreshing idea!
Great tips. It will come in really handy.
This is a great idea for families trying to save money that still want to have that fun, bonding time.
These are some great ideas, I will definitely have to convince the Dude to try out a Staycation this year
Great tips and suggestions! Thanks for sharing.
Staycations can be so effective if you make the most of them, like you recommend!
Stay cations are such a great way to have family time on the cheap! Stay home. Explore your town! Great ideas!
I love the ideas of staycations! These are great tips to help make it more memorable and less like another day at home. We love have all out family game nights or spa nights!
I love this! I believe in staycations. You have really mapped one out for us. Great piece.
Great ideas and specific steps for planning a successful staycation for any budget. I love the family photo! 🙂
We love stay-cations! Great post with some great ideas!
This is such a great idea! Sometimes this can be the most fun, and you don’t get jet lag! LOL
This is so great! I’ve always thought a staycation would be a good fit for us, but haven’t known where to start in planning one. You’ve provided it all!
Love your post! Lots of wonderful, fun ideas! I will definitely try some of these with my grandkids when they come to stay with me 😊
Love this! Great tips and ideas. We love traveling but sometimes we just need the staycation style. I love how you even gave food ideas! So fun.
I love the idea of planning a stay-cation! You give lots of tips that could be used for weekly family nights as well. I like the idea of planning a fancy candlelight dinner with the whole family. Think we will do it this week! Thanks for sharing your ideas!