Every now and then a staycation can be a great idea. A staycation is when you take a vacation but don’t stay away from where you normally live. There are a variety of reasons that people decide to have a staycation but most of all it is to take a break from the everyday norm.

When staycations involve the whole family, it can be difficult to know what to do. You want to be able to make it fun, feel like a vacation, and make lots of great memories. Adding a theme to your staycation days can spice it up and make it more fun. Here are five great themed days that your family can try on their next staycation!

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The Outdoor Adventure Day

I can’t write enough about the great outdoors! Being outside does wonders for people. If the weather allows, make sure you have a fun outside day planned in your staycation. Don’t just go in the back yard and throw a ball around. Plan a full day adventure!

• Go to a fun place, like a park. There are tons of parks that have walking trails, biking trails, playgrounds, and other things for FREE. Explore some of your local parks.
• Pack a picnic lunch. Picnic lunches can be a ton of fun. Pack all your family favorites and bring it with you. If there are not picnic tables, they make awesome outdoor blankets that work wonderfully anywhere.
• Plan a fun activity. There are so many fun outdoor activities to choose from. From scavenger hunts to fishing. Choose one that fits your family.

The Camp Out

Who doesn’t love the camping experience? Some of the best family memories are made while camping. Even if it is just in the back yard or living room. There are so many fun ways to create this themed day for your family.

• Pop a tent. It can be any type of tent. Put it together or build it as a family. Teamwork makes the dream work.
• Plan some fun activities. There are a ton of fun camping activities. Some are basic, like cornhole, and some are more complex. Go on pinterest and search for camping activities or look in my camping folder. There are a ton of great ideas there.
• Build a fire. Build a fire and makes some smores. This is one of the best parts of camping. You can even have marshmallow roasting competitions to see who roasts the best!

All About Art Day

Your family does not have to be artistic to have an art day. Art brings out your creative side and works the other side of your brain. It is so good for you, even if you aren’t good at it. Having an art day on your staycation is never a bad idea. Here are some things you can incorporate into your art day.

• Paint kindness rocks. This is something that involves art and a life lesson. All you do is paint rocks and spread them around your community to make someone else’s day. They even make these neat kits that you can buy.
• Take a class at a studio. There are so many different classes you can take now. There are regular painting classes, pottery, wooden signs, glass classes, and more.
• Visit a museum. Maybe there is a family friendly museum with an exhibit you can check out or just a general art show that you can visit.
• Create your own paint and snack. Pick out some of the family favorite foods and have your own paint and snack at home. You can use an online video tutorial to guide the family on a painting or just free paint.
• Splatter paint. There are splatter paint studios that will let your family come in, put on ponchos, and splatter paint all over canvases. It requires no skill at all. Such a fun time.

Start A Garden Day

Garden day is the day that keeps on giving. Gardening may not be the first thing that comes to mind on a staycation, but it can be great. It is so easy to make a little raised garden bed and start growing some of your favorite foods. You can even just start with one thing like tomatoes or strawberries. It teaches kids how things grow, where things come from, and lessons on how to take care of things. Plus, you can get great foods from it!

If you don’t want to grow your own fruits and vegetables, you can just plant flowers. Maybe you need some landscaping done around the yard anyhow. Make it a family activity and let the kids play in the dirt.

Cooking Class Day

Usually there is one person in the family who does the majority of the cooking. Why not make it a family thing for a day? There are so many ways to enjoy cooking as a family. You can even bring in a chef to give a cooking class! Here are some other fun things to incorporate.

• Grocery shop for ingredients together. Go on a family grocery trip to get all the ingredients you will be cooking with. Even make the list together. That makes it more of a beginning to end experience.
• Bake something yummy. Don’t forget dessert. Baking as a family can be so much fun. You can even decorate cupcakes or cookies as a part of the fun.
• Make it a competition. You can make the parents or the kids the judges and turn it into a little family competition. Watch out you never know what you will be eating.
• Pizza making. Make individual pizzas together. Everyone gets to make their own shape, use their own toppings, and eat their own creation.
• Clean up together. Don’t forget to clean up as a family too. Or maybe the losers of the competition have to do that?

Hopefully this has given you some great ideas for your next family staycation. You can never go wrong with planning it out and adding a theme. Most of all, enjoy it!

-Kristy M., Mommy to Many