Staycation List

My friend Alisa is tremendously creative. I love watching her and have gleaned so many ideas from her. One tradition they have in their family is an annual "Beach Week". Yet, many years they don't go to the beach! I've learned from her and a few others that a vacation is more about an attitude than an actual place. Over the last few days, I decided to write down some of my gleaned ideas and a few of my own. The result is the Staycation List:

First some Tips:

1. Presentation: the Red Envelope tradition. Alisa started a tradition that I have now copied where a Red Envelope appears at the breakfast table every day the month of December with a note of some kind of fun activity her family will do that day to celebrate the season. It is amazing how much fun things can be when they come from the Red Envelope. She and I have discussed how cool it would be to do the same thing over the summer only have a Summer Fun Yellow Envelope, or it could be plain one decorated. The idea is the presentation and the anticipation. The envelope = family fun. (Ryan loves the Red Envelope at Christmas)
2. Official start/stop date/time – Set aside the dates – a long weekend, a week vacation, etc. Get in the car and drive around the block (or walk around the block) at the beginning of your staycation. “Arrive” back at home when your staycation is over. Decide ahead of time what is not “going on” your trip (i.e. tv, work, friends, church activities, etc.) Turn off your phone. Eliminate or reduce computer time (email). Visit another ward (congregation) that Sunday. 
3. Ask! Pray to find what you need to make your staycation wonderful and then borrow from friends and neighbors as prompted
4. Music! Music creates memories. Be deliberate and incorporate music in your staycation.
5. Mom and Dad participate! My greatest memories are when my parents worked and played along side of us kids. Vacations are about doing something out of the ordinary and everyone participating. It isn't playtime for the kids - it is vacation for the family. 
6. Vacation clothes – pj’s all day, comfortable, barefoot, swim suits, mis-matched, etc. Make it work for your family and make it fun! 

Without further ado, I present the list (feel free to comment with additional suggestions):


At Home
Make forts in the living room and read books by flashlight (sleep in the forts overnight)

Build a tree house in the back yard (use only what you have on hand or free cycle)

Build a fire pit in the back yard (free cycle the bricks) Check out Alisa's here (and they didn't spend one dime.)

Camp in the back yard

Stargaze / Cloud watch

Climb trees

Candle or lamp light dinners

Board games

Movie night w/popcorn

Marshmallow roast over a fire or the kitchen stove

“Snowball” fight (old flour or cornstarch tied into old nylons)

Car Wash

Sports – in the back yard or at a park (baseball, basketball, soccer)

Video/wii game Olympics (borrow one if you don’t have one)

Re-arrange furniture or bedroom swap

Recess games (tic tac toe, hopscotch, wee games, tag, Button Button, etc)

Dance night – learn salsa, cha cha, line dancing, etc. (youtube clips or videos from the library)

Music!!! (each family member chooses for one day or have daily themes)

Family band – learn to play spoons, drum a pot, make instruments, etc.

Family Read Aloud – choose a book to read aloud during your vacation (Patrick McMannus, Wilson Rawls, Ramona, Skippy Jon Jones, etc.)

Conversation Jar

Write your Story – scrapbook, photo albums, Journal

Letter writing day

Family Time Capsule (letters, pictures, personal data – height, weight, etc to be opened on a specific date in the future)

Scavenger hunt (house or neighborhood)

Sidewalk chalk art

Lashings Races (use scout books to learn lashings and then have races)

Box Playhouse – decorate a recycled appliance box into a playhouse


Seasonal

Rake leaves / Shovel snow (make sure to play!)

Puddle Stomp / Dance in the rain

Educational

Amazing Race – “visit” a country by checking out books and learning all about it. Make traditional cuisine for dinner, dress up like their traditional clothing, visit them online. Check out music from that country. Find an online pen pal in that country, learn their language. If $  is non-existent, choose a 3rd world country.

Science – learn about the environment of your area – native plants, animals, history. Tour any available community resources (free ones)

Crafts

Sand Castles

Make a quilt

Press flowers

Art – drawing, water colors, make your own paint

Origami

Finger print art

Recycled 2-liter bottle terrarium, ocean floor, ant farm, butterfly garden

Create – driftwood planes, recycled stuff, button necklaces,

Magnet sculptures with nuts and bolts

Seashell art

Grass / pine needle weaving

Bird feeders/nest builders

Hanging herbs/flower arranging

Melted crayon art (bits of crayon and wax paper)

Leaf rubbings

Daisy crowns

Lego Creations (great instructions online)

Make paper (use flowers, etc. to make)

Food

Baking day (make cinnamon rolls, fry bread w/ honey butter, cookies)

Read Aloud dinner (food from your read aloud)

Fondue party, chat-n-chowder, sweet nothings (sweets), pioneer food.

Popsicles, ice cream, homemade frosty’s or smoothies, lemonade, root beer floats,

Use crazy ice cubes (stars or other), crazy straws, cookie cutters

Food Art – smiley face pancakes, peaches w/ chez slice on a toothpick = sail boat, ants on a log (pb on celery w/ raisins), honey bees, cookie cutter sandwiches, apple smiles, Family fun has great ideas

Camp food – tin foil dinners, hot dog roasts, pork-n-beans, banana boats, marshmallows, s’mores , dutch oven (eat camp food cooked in/on your oven by lantern light)

China dishes dinner – regular meal with best dishes, dress up, and manners, classical music, and flower centerpiece

Away

Library (make a special meal from food mentioned in books read aloud)

Walk – by the lake, river, down a fun street, across a college campus

Water – run through the sprinklers, a spray park or local fountain, water guns/spray bottles, water balloons

Swim (river or lake or free pool)

Bike Ride/roller blade/skate board

Barnes and Noble Sat. night music concert

Free Summer concerts /Plays in the park or at college campus

Free days for – zoo, museums, local interests

Watch/support the runners in the Komen Breast Cancer 5k (tons of great music and tons of fun people)

Letter boxing / Geo caching

Archery or outdoorsman shops (often they will let you shoot a few for free and are good to talk to the kids)

Wildlife Refuges (normally free)

Bird Watching

Coupons – for treats, summer reading rewards, etc.

Hike – park, waterfall, mountains, etc.

Camp away from home (keep it very simple to keep it cheap)

Service

Walk dogs at the local pound/shelter

Yard work for elderly

Yard work for a cemetery

Pick up trash in a park

Letter writing to elderly or missionaries