A staycation allows you to spend some relaxing time in your home or neighborhood, unlike the traditional vacation in which you travel to other places for a fun time. While people opt for domestic holiday times to save money or avoid travels, it doesn’t make it less exciting or popular. A survey by Statista revealed that 63% of American adults had to take this type of holiday as of August 2020. While this might be due to the travel restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, holiday trends show that staycations will become popular among many in 2021. Are you wondering how you can treat your family to an exciting home vacation? You may want to consider these tips.
- Create a budget
While you wish to enjoy your family time to the fullest, you don’t want to lose track of your expenses. For this reason, you should create a budget to cater to your staycation expenses. Not only does it help you to set your priorities right, but it also prevents you from overspending and causing a strain on your finances. Besides, allocating money to various activities and expenses will reduce your stress levels and avoid credit card debt. However, you want to create a feasible budget, as an impractical one can cause you to spend more than you planned.
You can start by determining the amount you wish to spend and how much you have on the ground; this way, you can prioritize your activities. You can also engage your family in less costly but fun activities such as hiking or visiting local museums. Perhaps you’re planning for a staycation in the future, and you wish to save ahead of time. In this case, you may want to open a h savings account and automate the savings process.
- Mark your staycation dates
Before you plan a vacation to the Grand Canyon or the Eiffel Tower, you’d have factored it in your to-do list or highlighted it on your calendar. You’d also feel the excitement building as you do a daily countdown to your beloved vacation date. You can also replicate the same experience for your upcoming staycation; being at home or in your neighborhood doesn’t disqualify it as a vacation all the same. Besides, marking the dates can likely build excitement and anticipation in your kids and cause you to plan for a beautiful staycation.
You can hang a calendar in your kitchen and get your kids to cross each day off as the time draws near. You can also use apps such as the Google Calendar App, as it helps you keep track of your dates, plans, and reservations. Keeping track of your staycation dates will prepare your mind for a relaxing time and prevent you from scheduling appointments or work-related calls.
- Prepare your home
Few things take the fun out of a staycation than a home with the ‘everyday look.’ Not only will it make it monotonous, but you might find it challenging to stay at home and not do ordinary things. For these reasons, it’s vital to prepare your home ahead of time to give it a relaxed feeling. Besides, it will provide you and your family the feeling of being in a new environment, which can make your holiday much more exciting.
You may want to address and change your regular daily schedule; for instance, you can put off your alarms and reschedule bath time and breakfast. It will also help clean your home, declutter and tackle the laundry before the holiday to avoid replicating daily life. While you can’t eliminate chores, you can minimize them and get the time to rest. You may also want to create a meal plan to ensure that your family gets nutritious meals while enjoying their staycation.
- Plan fun activities
While you may spend more time at home, you can create lots of fun activities for your family to engage in. Not only will your children be looking forward to a memorable staycation time, but you’ll not be dragged into a dull routine any time soon. Besides, planning will save you the stress of running out of ideas and racking your brain for activities or missing out on events with limited tickets. So, unless you want to watch TV or play video games all through your holiday, you may want to start planning your activities.
Fortunately, there are many activities to choose from that are budget-friendly and provide much excitement and memories. For instance, you can create a water park in your backyard by setting up a slip and slide or an inflatable pool. You can also organize a lawn sports tournament or a backyard picnic with new, tasty, and nutritious recipes for your family to enjoy. Other fun activities include DIY home projects, mega dance parties, or an outdoor film festival. The goal is to make the most of your holiday time, so feel free to choose the activities that appeal to you. However, it will be best if you don’t forget to put in safety measures to prevent injuries. If you have toddlers, you can research tips to baby-proof your home to keep them safe.
- Engage your kids in the planning process
Planning a staycation can be enjoyable yet overwhelming, which is why you shouldn’t do it alone. While your partner can be a great help, have you tried to involve your kids or ask for their opinions? A Kidpinion Travel Survey revealed that 87% of parents involved their kids in the planning process, and 13% admitted that their kids made the final decision on the activities to include in their holidays. So, before you stress yourself planning it alone, you may want to consider the stats.
You can engage your kids in the process by reading adventure books or travel books with them to pique their imagination. You can also encourage them to talk to their friends who have had a staycation, to get many ideas on organizing yours. Additionally, they can list their favorite activities and meals, which will help you narrow your options to suit your budget. Telling them about your childhood experiences will also help stimulate their imagination and get them excited about the upcoming staycation.
- Embrace virtual adventures
In addition to the fun-packed activities you have lined up for your staycation, you may also want to include virtual tours. They consist of panoramic pictures joined to give users the feeling of being in a particular place. It allows you and your family to visit any part of the world from the comforts of your home. Thankfully, many tourist destinations embrace virtual tour technology, which means you have many options to choose from and won’t get bored any time soon.
You can take your kids for an art trip by visiting the Louvre Museum, the most prominent art museum in the world and home to the iconic Mona Lisa painting and many other historic art pieces. You may also want to explore historic sites like the Sistine Chapel, the Great Wall of China, the Vatican, or even the Eiffel Tower. Feel free to go on a space adventure by visiting the National Air and Space Administration (NASA) and their International Space Station. You can also explore natural wonders such as the Great Barrier reef and Africa Safaris. The options are endless; you have to choose the ones that will produce the thrills you want.
- Be a tourist in your town
If you wish to get out of your home, you might as well do it in grand style, and what better way to go about it than by being a tourist in your town or city? There might be certain places in your area that you haven’t explored in your routine, and this might be the best time to do so. Therefore, pick up your camera and have a blast exploring every nook and cranny of your city with your family. You can ask your kids about the sites they want to visit and take them there; you might enjoy it and still bond with them.
Additionally, you can research various tourist destinations and how you can access them. If your town has a museum, visit it and take lots of pictures. You may also want to see your city park and take a Frisbee and soccer ball to play with to spice up your day. While cooking at home can be healthy, you can also treat your family to a meal at a classy restaurant. Feel free to visit an outdoor cinema and enjoy excellent family time while watching your favorite movies. You can explore so much in your town, and it will help if you record these moments on video to relive them in the future.
A staycation is a beautiful time to bond with your family and have a relaxing break. Hopefully, these tips will help you prep for a lovely time.
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Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.