A staycation is a vacation that does not require travel—every activity can be done from the comfort of your own home! Staycations avoid the stress of transportation and hotels and can be done for relatively cheap. Also, in times of shelter-in-place orders, a staycation can be a solution to the yearning for an escape from monotony. If a vacation is out of the question for you and your family, consider a staycation instead!
Staycation Benefits
Staycations are great for reducing the stress that accompanies ordinary vacations. For one thing, there is no long-distance travel, a vacation necessity that can be difficult with babies and children in tow. The best part of a staycation? No crowds! Transforming your home into a luxury spa or five-star restaurant is a great exercise in creativity for the whole family, and can help your home feel like a completely different place. What better way to stave off cabin fever?
Planning Days of Family Fun
Before the staycation, preparations are necessary. Including all members of the family in this planning helps them to become involved in the whole process, and gets everyone excited for a “home-away-from-home, at-home” experience. The first thing, then, is selecting a schedule that will satisfy the desires of all family members.
For example, if coronavirus concerns have led to a beach trip cancellation, try to emulate your favorite parts about the beach at home. Plan to sunbathe outside, order a kiddie pool online (if you don’t have an in-ground or above-ground facility already), and plan to cook up some crab legs or other seafood treat.
The nice thing about a staycation is that it can help you experience your home in a new way. Turn each room into a different experience—the kitchen can become a fancy restaurant (with all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink options!), the bathroom can become a relaxing spa, and the bedroom can become a quiet hotel room. Try turning larger rooms, like family rooms, into activity venues. Plan a movie marathon with plenty of snacks, or build forts or obstacle courses.
If the weather is pleasant, some outdoor excursions may be fun. A backyard camping trip is easy to plan and fun to try—after all, there’s running water just a few yards away! Or, take your forts and obstacle courses outside to get some fresh air while you play. If all goes well, you’ll have such a great time that you’ll choose staycations over vacations in the future!