Staycation Resources

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)

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

Pie Iron Breakfast Sandwich

Fruit Mountain Pies

Pie Iron Pizza

S'mores Mountain Pie

Download the full PDF here: Camping Staycation

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

Film Reel Sandwiches

Cinnamon-Sugar Snack Mix

Download the full PDF here: Movie Marathon Staycation

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

Checkerboard Sandwiches

Game Day Sliders

Download the full PDF here: Family Games Staycation

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

On-the-Go Sliders

Italian Hoagies

Download the PDF here: Explore Your City Staycation

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

Pig Sandwich Art

Owl Sandwich Art

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!)