5 Summer Staycation Ideas for Families
There are 2 months of summer left – and plenty of time to get a vacation in. But, taking a vacation does not mean you necessarily have to leave the house. A family staycation can be just as fun. In fact, my kids love them. I appreciate them because I can save a bit of money… and I don’t have to pack for 7 people. It’s a win-win all around for me when money is tight and the kids are bored.
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Summer Staycation Ideas
We have also discovered that themed staycations can be a lot of fun! Whether you have a couple of days or a week, why not deck the house out in an entertaining themes the whole family will enjoy?! We sat down and thought about our 5 favorite Summer Staycation Ideas and put a few notes together for you. Take a look.
1. Casa Cruise: Turn your house into a fun cruise ship.
- Decorate with portholes made from construction paper or ocean view printouts.
- Use burlap to lay over a table and sprinkle sea shells over it.
- Make a nautical rope vase to decorate your stateroom.
- Pull two twin beds onto the floor for sleeping while listening to a white noise machine.
- Make vanilla sand cups for the kids’ snack.
- Grab some marshmallows and make these adorable goldfish marshmallow pops.
- Have fun making various animals using towel origami.
- Dress up and attend a formal dinner together at your “seaside” dinner table.
2. Summer Snow Day: Grab your winter gear and give yourself a summer snow day.
- Use rolled up socks and have an indoor snowball fight.
- Make paper snowflakes and hang them around the room to create a Winter Wonderland.
- Carve snowflake designs out of flour tortillas and then make bean and cheese quesadillas out of them.
- Create indoor snow for the kids using baking soda and vinegar.
- Have a cup of hot chocolate.
- Stack pillows on top of each other and cover with a white sheet to make a snow-covered hill for sliding down.
- Pour cotton balls on the floor and, using your mitten covered hands, try picking them up and putting them into a bowl… while blindfolded.
- Put empty tissue boxes on your feet, grab two long sticks or poles, and ski across the kitchen floor.
3. Indoor Camping: Pitch a tent, roll out the sleeping bags, and get ready to tell stories by the “fire.”
- If you have a manageable-sized tent, throw it up in the house. No tent? No worries. Make one out a sheet and some chairs and pretend it’s a cave.
- Cook out hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.
- Use canteens, flashlights, and other camp gear while dining or playing.
- Use the microwave or grill to make delicious s’mores for the family.
- Throw goldfish snacks in a skillet for a fun fishing snack.
- Decorate the ceiling with stick-on glow-in-the-dark stars.
- Go on a Bear Hunt around your house.
- Bake campfire cookies for passing around the “campfire” while sharing stories.
- Using the flashlight, create shadow puppets on the wall of side of the tent (or cave) before going to bed.
4. Carnival Calamity: Create a carnival of games and fun for everyone to enjoy indoors.
- Using a multi-colored, polka-dot header, hang streamers from the door to welcome your guests.
- Set up a ticket booth for “buying” things such as snacks and drinks, or for playing the games.
- Have candy apples and popcorn ready to share with the family.
- Set up a midway of games such as ring toss, bean bag toss, and bowling.
- Use red and white streamers to create a “Big Top” look on the ceiling.
- Let the stuffed animals and kids put on a circus-type show for everyone as you serve as ringmaster.
- With a large box and pool noodles, create a pretend roller coaster for the family to enjoy.
- Have each family member dress up as a clown and host a parade through the living room.
- Make walking tacos for dinner so everyone can continue playing as they eat.
5. Around the World: “Visit” different countries from the comforts of home.
- Put together a suitcase or travel bag for each family member that includes a boarding pass and passport.
- Have each family member check-in to the “flight” and fly to each country every day.
- Create a map with the places the family will be visiting.
- While visiting Europe, enjoy Leaning Tower of Pisa Pancakes (a stack with a lean to it).
- As you travel to Africa, stop to make a set of African drums for a souvenir.
- In Asia, make your own Tanabata-inspired wish tree from paper.
- You must try a traditional Australian Lamington when you step onto the land down under.
- Head South to Antarctica and find your own family of penguins.
- Travel to South America wearing a traditional Brazilian Headdress.
- Back in North America, explore your city and learn more about it or go geocaching.
- Prepare meals from each country as you travel around and read about each one to learn as you go.
There you go! 5 fun and entertaining summer staycation ideas. Get the whole family involved! Go all out as much as you can. After all, it is all about the joy it will bring you as a family… and the memories you make while doing it. Take plenty of pictures and have a fabulous trip.