As the term ‘staycation’ cements its place in the American lexicon, many families are looking beyond s’mores on the grill for new ways to make vacationing at home a fun and memorable adventure.
Here are five simple staycation ideas to help you do that:
- Put Time on Hold – Recreate the leisure of past vacations by putting away your watches and doing your best to unplug from emails, texts and social media during the time the family is on staycation. Just taking a break from checking your feeds several times will make you feel more relaxed.
- Dine Out While Eating In – Exploring new restaurants and different foods are a fun part of every vacation and they should be part of your holiday at home. Treat yourselves to meal delivery from some of the high-end or ethnic local restaurants you haven’t yet tried or felt you couldn’t afford.
- Splurge at the Supermarket – Whether you have groceries delivered or are picking them up yourself, use part of your staycation budget to indulge in a crown roast, filet mignons, lobster tails or whichever high-end foods you fancy, including decadent desserts, that wouldn’t ordinarily be on your shopping list. Finding the best recipes and preparing meals as a family can be eye-opening fun.
- Bring the Water Park to You – The kids can have a splash-tastic adventure with a 25-foot-long Slip ‘n Slide and a bunch of super-soaker pump guns so that the fun can begin each time you turn on the hose. Indulge in new outdoor furniture or more outdoor lighting if you need it. Even a stand-alone water fountain to bubble soothingly in the background while you read can help you enjoy the summer vibe.
- Sleep Under the Stars – If camping is your thing, you have the equipment. Set it up in your own backyard. If not, indulge in a family-sized tent and/or a few inflatable mattresses. Cook dinner on the grill, settle down for an evening of star gazing—get out your GPS-enabled device and download the Night Sky App to help you identify stars and planets—and fall asleep to the sound of crickets.
