Imaginative Staycation Ideas

These Imaginative Staycation Ideas will transport you to fabulous spaces in your home… backyard or just by taking a short ride to a park!  It doesn’t take much to have the whole family enjoying life … a little imagination and some planning and a vacay spirit!

With stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions in effect, many people have been feeling a little stir-crazy. We all want to jet off to our favorite destinations, whether it’s the beach, desert or jungle. Fortunately, you can plan a relaxing and fun-filled vacation without ever leaving home. 

 

1. Look for a Geocache

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Geocaching is like participating in a real-world treasure hunt. Navigate to a location using GPS coordinates, then search for the hidden container full of plunder. If you plan to take something from the cache, be sure to leave an item of equal value behind. This activity is fun for the whole family — or just you and your pooch. Go to www.geocaching.com and enter your zip code to discover more than 3 million active geocaches.

 

2. Visit a Nearby Park

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Is there a state or national park nearby? If so, get outside for the day! Parks offer a host of activities, including:

• Hiking
• Biking
• Fishing
• Boating
• Swimming
• Climbing
• Spelunking 
• Wildlife viewing

Visit the park’s website beforehand to see what’s available. In certain locations, you and your family may be able to pan for gold, splash around in a waterfall, hunt for fossils or lounge in a natural hot spring. 

 

3. Take to the Water

If the weather’s nice, catch some rays on your local river or lake. Go for a swim with the kids and dogs. Play some water-friendly games, such as squirt gun tag, liquid limbo, water relay and beach ball volleyball. If you have the right equipment, you can also try canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding. 

 

4. Host Backyard Olympics

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The Olympics won’t happen until 2021, but that doesn’t mean you can’t host your own games at home. Divide the family into teams and have each make a flag. You can also reconstruct the iconic rings with colored hula hoops.

For sporting events, consider options like:

• Limbo
• Jump rope 
• Tug-of-war
• Long jump
• 25-yard dash
• Obstacle course
• Potato sack race
• Squirt gun target shoot

Don’t forget to give out awards at the end, even if it’s just red, white and blue popsicles. 

 

5. Plan a Film Festival

Who doesn’t love movies? While you can’t travel to Cannes or Sundance, you can plan a shindig at home. If the weather cooperates, set up a screen and projector outside. Pop popcorn, stock up on candy and pour some soda. Show family classics like “Harry Potter,” “E.T.,” “The Goonies” and “Matilda.”  

 

 

6. Try a Foodie Challenge

Restaurants might be closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t excite your tastebuds. Get the whole family involved in a food competition, à la “Chopped” or “MasterChef.” Stock up on a variety of fresh ingredients and see who throws together the best dish. If you feel bold, create your concoction from scratch. You can also print out easy recipes for the kiddos to try.

 

7. Bring Home the Beach

People aren’t currently traveling as much, and many don’t have the budget to plan extravagant getaways. With a staycation, though, you can save money and bring the destination to you. Fancy a trip to the beach? Hang up a hammock, turn on some Hawaiian tunes and cook up some tasty food. Plus, don’t forget the summer cocktails, like piña coladas, sangria and mojitos.

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8. Hold a Spa Day

If you want your staycation to feel like a true holiday, pamper yourself with a spa day. Light some aromatic candles, play relaxing music and put on a fluffy robe. Try out a homemade face mask, a moisturizing concoction of plain yogurt, honey, aloe and turmeric. Exfoliate your skin with coarse sugar and coconut oil. You can also break out the nail polish for a new look.  

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Take a Vacation During the Pandemic With These Ideas

With the pandemic in full swing, we all want to feel a sense of normalcy. While you can’t head abroad or travel across the country, you can enjoy a vacation from the comfort of your home. 

 

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO…Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Tripping.com and more!

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

 

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