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Editor’s Note: This story was originally live on the cheap.
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on school breaks or work holidays, why not stay in your city instead of flying off to an exotic location?
A staycation is a chance to visit fun attractions in your area or do all the activities you don’t have time for during your work week. You’ll have a great time bonding with your spouse and children, and you’ll keep costs down.
Try these 18 fun and inexpensive staycation ideas to keep your family entertained for the holidays.
1. Create an “Itinerary”
To get the most out of your staycation, use our calendar to plan your daily fun.
Get access to all free or low-cost activities in your area by attending free events (free day museums, farmers markets, etc.). Include a meal plan because you probably don’t want to cook every night while on vacation.
Does your favorite restaurant have hours where kids eat free or offer free desserts on certain days? Be sure to check out our Living on the Cheap post cheap restaurants for kids.
Have fun, but leave time for a nap or a last-minute change.
2. Stay at a Hometel
You don’t have to go anywhere to take a vacation. Turn your home into a hotel for the night with just a few simple changes.
Clear out your bathroom counter and line it up with a small bottle of soap and a small bottle of hand lotion. Rent a movie and stay up late watching it.
Afterwards, a turndown service will be held in the children’s room with chocolates on their pillows. Creating a room service menu and keeping it under your door can really make your day. Check the box to order breakfast in the morning.
3. Let’s dance
Your kids are too young to learn dance moves like electric slides and typewriters.
Then put on your favorite music and ask them to show you their stuff. At least it can provide a little comical relief for their afternoon. If you want to try new steps, there are some dance how-to videos on YouTube.
4. Have a hot chocolate party
Prepare warm milk, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, and other essentials, and supervise your child as they make steaming mugs of cocoa.
To make it even tastier, add lots of extra “goodies” like white chocolate chips, whipped cream, and peppermint sticks for stirring.or teach them art of teawith an assortment of caffeine-free teas and a tea set you never use.
5. Pretend it’s summer (if it’s not)
Flip your “Winter in July” ideas with a beach-themed shindig in your living room. Turn up the heat, dig out the kids’ swimsuits and sunglasses, and enjoy ice-cold lemonade and shaved ice.
If you are brave enough, you can even “swim” in the tub. Or pull out your beach chair and towel, grab a book and sun hat, and play some summer tunes.
6. Spend a day at museums and other local attractions
The museum is a fun outing for kids and adults and a way to sneak an education into your staycation entertainment plan. Visit your local natural history museum, children’s museum, or aquarium.
On weekdays you can often find museums with cheaper admission or no admission at all. You can also find discounted tickets online or find free passes at your local library to make your outing even more affordable.
7. Go outside and jump
Most towns have indoor facilities with inflatable bounce houses and slides.
Bring the kids to the temperature-controlled fun while you relax with a book or smartphone and find out when the ‘Open Jump’ is. (Extra saving tip: Daily sale sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial often offer discounts at these locations.)
8. Have a pool party
can’t go to the beach Enjoy indoor water fun at your local county recreation center. These facilities usually have great indoor pools with water slides, playground equipment, children’s water playgrounds, and more.
Other facilities offer rock climbing, fitness and art classes. If you don’t have a membership, pay the day pass fee or just the pool fee.
9. Go to the library
Your public library may offer more than you think. Your local library has audiobooks, educational DVDs, audiobooks, and more.we will tell you more in this post.
Some libraries also host storytimes, performances, workshops, and cultural activities. Check with your local library for special events and classes.
10. Go on a field trip
Think beyond the typical field trip. Ask local artists if you can visit their studio.
If someone in your family loves cars, go to a car dealership. Ask your local airfield if your child can visit the pilot in the hangar.
The possibilities are endless. Machinists, woodworkers, researchers, and musicians may all be willing to spend time with an interested child. The “excursion” probably doesn’t cost a dime.
Government services such as water treatment plants, fire departments, and recycling centers often offer tours.
11. Outdoor Adventure
Enjoy your vacation outdoors with your family and go hiking or biking. Geocaching and disc golf can add extra excitement to your park outing.
If it’s cold, bundle up your snowshoes or attach straps. Other winter activities include sledding, snowball fights, and snowman-building contests.
If it’s wet, pull the galoshes to “mudfly”. Enjoy nature, have a gadget-free policy, and insist on kids leaving their gadgets at home.
12. Learn to cook
Try new recipes or pull out old favorites. Full participation. Cooking and baking is a great activity for all ages.
Elementary school children can take over weighing ingredients, and elderly family members can cut and cook vegetables and fruits. Even small children can stir and enjoy.
Bake bread or make ice cream without a machine. Bake lots of cookies and freeze lunch-sized portions so your kids can show off their skills at school.
Find kid-friendly recipes and tips for cooking with kids these websites Living on the Cheap Editor-approved.
13. Or don’t cook at all
Stock your freezer or refrigerator with easily reheatable foods that you made or purchased before your staycation.
Eat out with a “Kids Eat Free” night, BOGO, or half price specials. Make it sandwich week and spice things up with bagels, pita, or wraps instead of bread.
14. Run a movie marathon
Have everyone pick a movie and have a moviethon. Watch movies and TV series on a whim, make popcorn, eat vegetables on the couch. Or create themed days based on old favorites.
For example, wearing a costume to watch “Downton Abbey,” or eating fish-shaped snacks and candy while watching “Jaws.”
15. Go on a scavenger hunt
Make a list of hard-to-find items around the house and have the kids seek them out while you time them.
Scavenger hunt item ideas are ‘things that smell like lemons’, ‘things that are fuzzy’, and ‘things that have today’s date’.
Adjust the length and difficulty of the list to suit the age of each competitor.
16. Build a home spa
Everyone loves spa day! Start with a relaxing bath with all the foam, bath salts and bath bombs you’ve been crazy about on a rainy day. We do each other (yes, men too) with crazy colored manicures and pedicures.
Engage the whole family in a friction chain on your back with a strict no-tickling rule, then lie down in the fluffiest bathrobe with a moisturizing mask on your face and cucumbers on your eyes.
Light the candles and play meditative music on your smart speakers to set the mood.
17. Play the tourist
Do you live near a national park, historic battlefield, iconic tower, or other attraction frequented by tourists but rarely seen by locals? It’s time to check it out.
Find a guidebook or look online to find the top tourist destinations in your area and visit them. Or head to the nearest big city and take a walk around the neighborhood looking for urban art, window shopping in delightful boutiques and reading all the historic plaques.
Check out the annual Local Business Awards in your city or region and try the best pizza, ice cream, donuts or tacos in town. And let everyone rate the business and share their opinions.
18. Go to a farm or zoo
Bring your wild animals home to visit real animals at local farms and zoos. You can sneak out and exercise outdoors while your family runs from the chicken coop to the cow pasture, or from the reptile house to the elephant paddock.
The winery is also a farm, and there are many fields for children to play while adults try affordable wine samplers. In many cases, you can even bring your own picnic, so you don’t have to buy an expensive charcuterie platter.
