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Staycation Resources

July 1, 2016
3 min. read

Vacations can often be quite costly and stressful with all of the packing, preparation, travel and lodging arrangements, and long drives. This summer, try a “staycation” instead; by vacationing at home, you can cut down on many of those expenses and still have a fun and restful time. With a little creativity, there are plenty of ways to have a fun vacation right in your own home. You can also plan day trips or outings to nearby attractions that are within driving distance.

To make sure your “staycation” is a success, consider the following:

  • Set a start and end time. Then prep your house and meals beforehand so you don’t fall into your usual routine while you should be having fun.
  • Set your budget ahead of time. What supplies or materials do you need to purchase? You may want to set aside money for eating out or taking day trips.
  • Set some ground rules: e.g. no phones/computers, no working, no cleaning, no laundry, etc.

Finally, pick a theme for your staycation (or several). Look through the below themes, then click on the image or link to download a planning guide full of activities and recipes!

(Click here to download the complete packet: Staycation Guide)


 

01-Backyard-camping

Activities and Ideas:

  • Build a fire pit so you can roast hot dogs and marshmallows, or tell ghost stories.
  • Play story-telling or yard games.
  • Plan a backyard scavenger hunt to look for various nature items.
  • Take a hike around your neighborhood, using a map to chart out your course.
  • Go stargazing at night.

Recipes

Download the full PDF here: Camping Staycation


 

02-Movie-marathon

Activities and Ideas:

  • Pick a specific genre or theme, or take turns letting each family member pick a movie to watch.
  • Match your outfits or party decorations to fit each movie theme.
  • Test your movie knowledge with a quiz or trivia game.
  • Split up into teams and have each group produce a short film. At the end, host a film festival and present awards!

Recipes

Download the full PDF here: Movie Marathon Staycation


 

03-Family-games

Activities and Ideas:

  • Come up with team names and decorate jerseys to wear.
  • Choose a variety of activities, such as:
    • Sports, track and field, jump rope, tug-of-war, etc.
    • Board games
    • Lawn games (bocce ball, bean bag toss, horse shoes, etc.)
    • Water games (slip-n-slide, swimming or diving, water balloon fight)
    • “Minute-to-win-it” style games
  • Keep track of the scores using a leaderboard. Then present awards to the winning teams at the end.

Recipes

Download the full PDF here: Family Games Staycation


 

04-Explore-city

Activities and Ideas:

  • Try geocaching (real-life treasure hunt using GPS)!
  • Plan your own scavenger hunt:
    • Make a list of specific things you would like to learn or find at each location.
    • Split up into teams to see who can find the items the fastest; collect souvenirs along the way.
  • Pick various places to visit around town, such as:
    • Amusement parks, state parks, playgrounds, etc.
    • Famous Landmarks
    • Zoos/Aquariums
    • Art or History Museums
    • Memorials
    • Local Factory/Business tours
  • Have a picnic at a nearby park

Recipes

Download the PDF here: Explore Your City Staycation


 

05-Family-project

Activities and Ideas:

  • Cook a meal together
  • Create art – painting, coloring, drawing, etc.
  • Do crafts or household projects
    • Set up a pool or playground in your backyard.
    • Build a tree house.
    • Hang a swing in your yard.
    • Build a birdhouse or bird feeder.
    • Plant a garden.
    • Put together a family scrapbook.

Recipes

Download the PDF here: Family Project Staycation

 


 

All-American Traveler

If you’re a traveler at heart and a “Staycation” isn’t really your thing, consider taking a cross-country road trip this summer! Check out the below resources for fun ideas of things to do in some popular U.S. cities. (Or – if you live in any of these cities, see if you learn something new!)

Atlanta GA-icon  Boston MA-icon Chambersburg PA-icon Chicago IL-icon Hilton Head SC-icon Las Vegas NV-icon Miami FL-icon Napa CA-icon New Orleans LA-icon New York NY-icon Philadelphia PA-icon Norfolk VA-icon Washington DC-icon

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