In recent years, the state of the economy has had a major impact on our vacation plans. Many of us are now on a limited budget, or exhausted our savings, so vacation plans are now “non-existent.” At this point, the hardest decision for most of us is choosing where to go with such limited funds.
In the past, many families took a week-long trip to a resort, took a cruise, or flew somewhere together. However, today, with rising fuel costs, hotel expenses, and a large grocery bill away from home, “stay-aways” are quite popular.
Choosing a stay is a common option, now. When you choose to stay home, you still want to make it memorable for your children, and you want the experience to be fun. Here are some ideas to make your stay more exciting.
Ideas for vacations at home:
Take a trip to the big city. How many times have you visited the capital of your state? take an education and free trip to the capital Whether it’s in your state or a neighboring state, if it’s new to you, it can be a fun experience.
If you call ahead (your local government office), they may be able to arrange a tour as well. See everything your city has to offer and plan the day’s activities.
If you’re not too far from Washington, DC, take a trip to the nation’s capital. In Washington, all federal museums are free and among the best in the world. Our family trip to DC was one of our best vacations.
Change houses with someone you know. Do you have a friend who lives near the beach? Maybe they want to visit the big city where you live and you can change houses for a week. Consider someone who also lives in the country and see what life is like in their city. Think about who you know who lives near an amusement park, near the mountains, the ocean, or a big city. Even a farm could be exciting to someone who has never lived that way. Change houses for a week and experience life as they live it.
go camping. Kids love to go camping! Sleeping outdoors under the stars is exciting for younger children. For adults, it allows them to focus their thoughts away from all the digital distractions we rely on.
You can buy a tent for around $50.00 now, or even borrow one from a friend and save the money. You don’t even have to have sleeping bags, as long as you have plenty of blankets. Check the camping areas a few hours from your home and save gasoline.
You will have to reserve it in advance if it is a state campsite, and only go to those with private showers and toilets. search from Reserve America and select the amenities you want. Look for campgrounds with a lake, fishing, swimming, hiking, and a playground to keep everyone happy.
Plan on roasting marshmallows, telling stories around the fire, grilling out, and stargazing. Camping can really be fun! Just check the weather forecast before you go and plan accordingly.
Take a day trip. By taking a short 2-3 hour trip, you can still enjoy the benefits of the getaway, but you don’t have to book a hotel. Just plan to eat breakfast before you leave, pack a picnic for lunch, and you’re ready for a quick low-cost trip!
Do a radio search from Free Map Tools Prayed google maps and see what is around you that you have never done. You will find things you have never done if you search this way. Search for the city of your destination and see what’s new.
Whenever our family does this, we take photos and save the trip brochures so the kids have something to talk about when they return and the memory never fades.
Create a themed week of events. Plan a day of culture, where you go to the art museum, paint together, or even take pictures together around the city. You can give prizes to the “winner” for the best artwork, the best photography, or the best video or home movie.
Plan to have a week of games for the family to play together, and even allow the kids to make one up and play together. For your themed week, you can “visit” other countries by sharing a new food from that culture, talking about how they live, and dressing. Learn a few words that reflect the language of the country. Do some internet exploring and find interesting things to share over dinner, and make it a learning experience.
Give back to your community. Find some local charities that allow your family to help and give back to local residents. You can help out at a local food bank, do some cleanup at a town square, or help out at the animal shelter. Call your county’s information line and see where to start. Your children may not be enthusiastic about the idea at first, but they will end up with a memorable experience that will change their world view and open their hearts.
Build a new swing set to enjoy all year long. If you save your typical vacation money and buy a swing set for your home, you can enjoy it all year long. Swing sets are very affordable now and you can choose the amount you want to spend. They range from small to large in size, depending on your budget and garden size.
Certain websites sell the swing hardware kits themselves, which lowers the price. SwingWorks.com allows you to design your own swing set and choose the parts you want.
Other swing set companies, like PlayNation.com, will ship a complete set to your door in a ready-to-assemble kit, with all parts included in the box..
have a party. If you’re not going anywhere, why not bring the fun home? Host a summer party in your backyard, or even at the local park, where lots of kids can have fun together. Plan some games like sack races, kickball, water balloons (or squirt guns), the 3-legged race, or a scavenger hunt.
Be sure to take photos of every game you played, so they never forget the “Summer Bash.” Staying at home can be fun; you just have to do it differently.
If you choose to have a vacation stay this year, just think of all the money you saved on a hotel concierge service. Now, you can be the resident activities director and plan all the fun things your family can do together.
