Make Your Next Staycation a Hit with These Family-Friendly Ideas
Looking for budget-friendly staycation ideas for your family? From DIY home projects to indoor games and outdoor adventures, there are plenty of ways to have fun and make memories without breaking the bank. Check out our list of budget-friendly staycation ideas for families, and start planning your next stay-at-home vacation today!
We love to travel and explore new places. My husband, three children, and I could only dream of being on vacation every single weekend. But that’s just not possible. Not to mention, all these crazy COVID issues and sky-high inflation hitting the wallets of so many families, like us, across our nation. I know that we are not alone in daydreaming about getting away. Luckily, we also love staycations! It’s like my own personal challenge to find something fun for the whole family and think outside the box.
I really embraced this way of rethinking a “vacation” back during the great recession. I am a born nomad and traveler, but our little family was hit hard during that time. So my world traveler dreams had to evolve and I think we did a great job continuing to explore. In fact, those experiences are what led me to dream up this blog. Our shared ideas at the end of this post are just a few of the ways our family has staycationed and had a blast doing it.
Whatever your reason to staycation, here are some ideas to get you started:
First things first, go to your local library (or bookstore) and find tourist books or magazines for your state or area of the country. Really sit down and discover more about your area via the ideas of an out-of-towner.
You have not actually done everything or seen everything in your area - you just think you have. And even though you may have done it before, that doesn’t mean your kid/spouse/friend has. So take them somewhere and see it again through new eyes. If you live in a small town then I would suggest heading to the next larger city.
Do you live near an ocean, lake, mountains, desert, beach, or somewhere you always say you want to visit more often? Go to these places!
Every single state (or area of your country) has some kind of tourism economy. You may just not have thought about it yet. Ask around. Walk into your local chamber of commerce or if you’re lucky to live near a state welcome center. This is also a great place to find coupons for restaurants or places to visit - they often have 2-for-1 deals.
Most large cities have apps these days geared toward visitors. Think like a visitor.
Go online - check out Trip Advisor, Pinterest, Kayak, Airbnb, Yelp, or your state tourism website for new ideas.
Don’t automatically assume that your staycation must involve extravagance - tone down your ideas and take it easy. Your kids will go crazy over the hotel pool or a new playground. Even a stop at that cute candy store you’re always saying no to.
Create a theme! Are you ready for an adventure? Don’t make any plans and just see where the wind takes you. Grab a coin and flip to go left or right, pick your hotel or restaurant, or activity on a whim.
What about a historical theme? Stay at the oldest hotel in the area, visit the history museum or living history farm, eat at the oldest restaurant, learn about the ways previous citizens in the area had fun, and visit an old theater or park.
Invite an out-of-town friend to come and visit you at home and do all the things they want to do.
Camp - these are just a few of my time-proven ways to save money when camping.
I’m always checking out Groupon for more cheap ways to explore a new area.
There are so many ideas you haven’t even thought of yet, just start brainstorming, because the time to relax and reconnect with those you love is really the most important part of all this.
Sample staycations ideas:
Small Budget Staycations- We can usually accomplish these by spending less than $300 for our family of five.
Weekend getaway - for us, a great staycation is a night (or two) away at a nice budget-friendly hotel in an area about 30-75 miles away from home, far enough away for a change of scenery, but no need to get on a plane or even stop for gas. We always find a chain hotel with breakfast included, because it is literally my kids’ favorite thing. And a pool. Always, a pool. We try a mom-and-pop restaurant for dinner and sometimes just bring PB&J picnics to explore local parks and playgrounds. We love to explore farmer’s markets, find cheap local museums or new trails to hike/walk/bike. Don’t be afraid to stop in at the local visitor’s bureau to get some ideas of what there is to see or do that you haven’t thought of yet.
Put the kids in charge - have you seen the Netflix movie Yes Day? Or perhaps the book? It’s a favorite around here and we are planning a different take on it. We will be giving the kids each a set amount of money, whatever the budget allows, and then they get to plan something fun for everyone. They can pool their money and go big or each kid can create their own activity. Our boys are 11, 11, and 14 so they have more ability to Google and research. But if your kids are small this can be as easy as sitting around the dinner table and asking “if mom (or dad) would say yes to anything, what would you choose to do?” These are great ideas to jot down and give them a fun-filled weekend even if you stay local.
No Budget Staycations - When you want to do something fun, but don’t have the funds. Or maybe “what should we do this weekend” when you’re bored of the same old routine.
Backyard (or living room) campout - depending on the weather, set up a tent (or build a fort) and create a cozy little campground just for your family. Bring in all the pillows and blankets, lots of snacks, and a campfire - real or fake. Search Pinterest for old-school summer camp activities like potato sack races, charades, crafts, and even a new idea for a dutch oven dinner. Really get into it by letting the kids pack a bag of clothes, make s’mores or s’more cones, and put on some nature sounds background noise like crickets or owls. And don’t forget the campfire stories!
The theme idea is LIMITLESS!! Using the same basics as above-
Disney day - put on your Mickey ears, eat some Mickey-shaped pancakes, and have a Disney+ marathon. Disney created TONS of home-based activities during the COVID lockdown that you’re sure to find something fun to do. Dig through some of the archives here and here. The paper parks are my favorite! As well as the recipes.
Christmas or Hanukkah in July - complete with an ugly sweater contest and a favorite traditional meal or activity your family does during the holidays.
European (Mexican, Asian, African) vacation - is there a destination on you or your kids’ bucket list that you can’t make it to yet? Create a whole day of make-believe travel and pretend you’re on a jet-set vacation abroad. Create a cultural feast, watch a movie from or about your destination, you could try learning the language, and create and “send” some postcards from your trip.
Star Wars day - dress as your favorite character, have a lightsaber battle, make a Batuu themed meal, and of course watch a few of your favorite episodes.
Half birthday party - this is a super fun way to celebrate your kiddos. Throw them a happy half birthday party complete with cake and ice cream. Do a few of their favorite things that day and just remind them how special they are.
Mini family reunion - Host a family or neighborhood potluck. No need to get fancy or spend lots of money. Assign each guest a job whether they bring the paper plates or their famous chicken enchiladas or are in charge of a game for the group. Find a great dinner party playlist on Alexa or Spotify and enjoy each other’s company. Finish off the night with an ice cream cone bar that everyone can enjoy for just about $10. This is also a great excuse to get the house clean and ready for company when you’ve been putting it off. Not that I would know anything about that.
How do you staycation? Let us know in the comments below!
Read more of our recent posts about fun with kids!
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