Even though the days are longer, they seem to fly by when you’re at home. Projects and housekeeping can eat away at your valuable free time. Don’t let your summer vacation get away from you! Here are some ideas for a fun staycation with kids.
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25 Ideas for a Staycation with Kids
- Put the kids in charge of the schedule. Let your kids help choose the activities and write them on a printable calendar page.
- Get outdoors as much as you can! Picnics, parks, and bike rides are great for cheap outdoor fun. So lather on that sunscreen, grab a hat, and get outside!
- Have a water balloon toss competition. See how far apart you can get as you toss a water balloon back and forth.
- Have a bonfire, complete with marshmallow roasts and campfire songs!
- Be a tourist in your own city. Try a Google search for “Best of…” or “Things to do in…”, and you will come across some places to visit that you didn’t even know existed.
- Take a ride on the public transportation. Most major cities have some sort of commuter train, trolley, or bus system that can also be used to see the sights of the city.
- Go for a hike. Using the alltrails.com website or mobile app (iOS), you can find nearby hikes rated by difficulty level.
- Do a water play day. Turn on the sprinklers, set up a slip & slide, fill water balloons, squirtguns, a kiddie pool- use whatever you have available to cool off on those hot summer days. Invite some friends over for even more fun!
- Make homemade playdough. I love this list of 34 ideas of things to make and do with playdough.
- Take up a hobby. Learn how about woodworking, wilderness survival skills, cooking, photography/videography… Wikipedia has a great list of indoor and outdoor hobbies to choose from.
- Have a dress-up day. Just for fun, get everyone all dressed up in “nice” outfits, even if it’s just for a trip to the local train museum or library.
- Go on a neighborhood nature walk. Study local plants and animals, or make stone rock piles (cairn).
- Play miniature golf. Make it interesting by holding a contest for the fewest hits, most hits, and the craziest hole in one.
- Host a barbecue. On most days it’s too hot to cook indoors, so take advantage of the warm weather and fire up that grill!
- Keep a photo diary of all your summer fun by snapping photos of all the places you visit. Even trips to the neighborhood park are worthy of sharing with family and friends on Facebook. Use an app like Flipagram (iOS) to turn your staycation photos into a video.
- Go bowling. Make it interesting by using some funny bowling ideas: Bowl like a T-Rex or bowl with socks on your hands. Find more ideas here and here.
- Go paddleboarding or kayaking.
- Go fishing.
- Have a family movie night. Do it up right with popped popcorn, dimmed lights, or maybe even let the kiddos make movie tickets and set up a concession stand!
- Invite friends over for a game night. Make it a potluck and have everyone vote on their favorite dish, with a prize for the winner.
- Go for a drive. Hop in the car, crank up the tunes, and check out the local sights. For even more fun, head out late in the afternoon and watch the sunset from somewhere new.
- Another way to have fun at home is to start and finish a puzzle. Put on some of your favorite music, grab some cold drinks and enjoy your time at home.
- Go geochaching. It’s like local treasure hunting using GPS. It’s super fun, free, and there are treasures (geocaches) worldwide.
- Do a craft project. Choose a DIY that you’ve been thinking about or check your local craft and hobby store for a kid-friendly project. These 101 Kids Activities have some promising ideas too!
- Go apple picking or berry picking. Use the fruits of your labor (pun intended) in pancakes, smoothies, or make homemade popsicles!
If you are lucky enough to get time off of work this holiday season, you will want to make the best of it. Hopefully these suggestions will give you some fresh ideas for a fun, affordable staycation with kids.
