Who Needs a Vacation?: 7 Ideas for a Family Stay-Cation
Posted by Danielle Terlonge on Tue, Jul 05, 2011
Vacations can be expensive to take and a pain to arrange with kids in tow, so why not stay at home this summer but have a lot of fun while doing so? Here are a few ideas to make a stay-cation exciting and fun for the whole family:
1) Visit a local playground.
Here in Northeast Ohio we have a playground about every mile, at least it sure feels that way. Take a break from the playgrounds you and your family always visit and try something that is less familiar and more exciting for your child/children. Don’t know of any new and different locations? Take 5 minutes to search “best playgrounds in (insert your town/location here)” on the internet and I guarantee you will have a ton of choices!
2) Pack a picnic basket and have a picnic in your yard.
Don’t have a lot of money to go out to eat for lunch? It’s amazing what a change of scenery can do to boost your morale. Pack something as plain as peanut butter and jelly and lay a blanket out on the lawn. Your kids will have a blast eating in a new environment!
3) Have a lemonade stand.
Remember trying to make money when you were a kid and begging your parents to let you have a lemonade stand? This seems to have faded away, but why not resurrect an old favorite? Make lemonade, kool-aid or whatever your child’s favorite drink is on a hot day and let them make a little bit of change by selling drinks to their friends in the neighborhood. Make sure your are close by to help with pouring, making change, and supervising those who come to visit!
4) Go to the local Metro Parks.
How often do you take a break to explore nature? Your local Metro Parks are packed full of exciting things to see and discover. Many of them offer a variety of levels of hiking trails to combine family time with a little bit of exercise. Most have grills so that you could enjoy a barbecue with family and friends. Also, some offer playgrounds for young children to play, which could be great if you are busy being the grill master!
5) Make bird feeders and hang them up outside.
Working in a preschool/daycare setting allows me to see a lot of quick and easy craft ideas that are great for learning about nature. The best is a birdfeeder made out of a piece of yarn, a pine cone, peanut butter, and birdseed. Pull a pine cone from your backyard (or ask a neighbor), tie the yarn around it in a loop to use to hang, roll in peanut butter, and stick bird seed to the peanut butter. Then all you have to do is hang it and watch the birds come! If you are feeling very adventurous, stop by your local home improvement store. They usually offer classes for children to build bird feeders or other small projects with their parents – kids love them!
6) Go to local swim parks or splash pads.
This one might be a little bit more difficult depending on where you live. Here in our little corner of Northeast Ohio, I can think of one pool and two splash pads within a twenty mile area that we visit completely free of charge. There are larger splash pads or even swim clubs that offer admittance at a small cost, but either way, a small fee for a day of fun in the sun is well worth it!
7) Campout in your backyard.
Looking for something to do after the sun sets? Make a bonfire in your back yard (if your city laws allow it) and roast some marshmallows or make s’mores. If it’s dark enough grab a few nets at your local store and try to catch fireflies. If you get really adventurous, you can pitch a tent in your backyard and camp the night away!