Staycations may bring to mind kiddie pools and an excuse not to dent your household budget over a dollar-drenching theme park destination but now it’s a necessity. Thanks again COVID-19. The summer’s safest travel option is to remain home and practice social distancing.
Make an ice cream outing a regular part of your Staycation agenda.
Options may be lacking but a little creativity can create days of fun. Channel the agenda of a camp program director, Little Women’s March sisters or travel sites and tap into the activities that characterize a holiday experience. Plus, there’s no long travel days or relegating the dog to the kennel.
Be a Tourist in Your Own Town
Consider activities you’d participate in if you were hosting a guest and enact them for your own fun.
Be a tourist in your own town and explore areas of interest.
Research
Search travel sites your area to see what outings they recommend. Youmay have never even realized the destinations available in your area.
Hiking
Explore your local nature trails for a day of rigorous activity.
Ice Cream Outing
You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone turning down a trip to the local ice cream store.
Bike Rides/Walking Tour
Take a long bicycle ride or walking tour and explore your town, uncovering special places, architecture and sites that are easily missed from always traveling by car.
Summer Camp at Home
Be sure to bulk up on old t-shirts and tie dye, camp activities can easily be replicated at home.
Borrow camp activities, such as theme days like wearing a costume.
Theme Days
My son has been going to camp this summer, where they have followed every precaution, and I have been taking notes. Since their agenda has been simplified due to the pandemic, they were overly dependent on theme days like wearing crazy socks, hats, costumes, pajamas or sports jersey–all themes that can parlay into our week.
Crafts
Creating art is a mainstay at camp, my son’s paint smeared clothes are testimony to that, so gather up those popsicle sticks, bird feeders and lanyards and keep creating.
Water Activities
Sprinklers were a big thing in our simplistic youth and they still accomplish the same thing, getting you cooled off. Throw in some water toys and you have hours of fun.
Sports
Pad the yard with enough balls, bats and sporting equipment to keep everyone active and creative.
Cooking
The art of making s’mores or frozen popsicles taste better when you make it yourself and also is a launching point into the pleasures of cooking.
Gardening
Our pricey stores may be well stocked but in today’s unpredictable time, growing your own food is always good insurance. Buy potted herbs and seed packets to begin a garden that will be as useful as it is engaging.
Classic Entertainment
Unplugging from your devices is always a good idea and is a welcomed departure from the normal routine of home. Classic activities will encourage new experiences.
Mind games like chess always engage positive activity.
Reading
Choose a classic novel to read together as a family and reenact some of the narrative. The aforementioned Little Women is a great option, which identifies some of the following ideas below.
Produce a Play
Choose a script or write one yourself. Enlist all family members a part or, for the theater-shy, another task like set design, and begin rehearsing a play.
Board Games
Either mainstay games like chess, cards and Monopoly or newer versions like Throw Throw Burrito will bring out healthy completion that always equates to a good time.
Movie Night
Take out or stream classic movies from your go-to movie venue and introduce new films to family members. Some favorites include African Queen, The King an I, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Gigi, Gone With the Wind and anything Alfred Hitchcock.
Resources:
Alien costume: Halloween Costumes
Chess set: Burke Decor
