Hitting the road for a vacation can still be a bit nerve-wracking coming off of the pandemic. And packing the kids up, arranging kennel care for the dogs, and hiring someone to water your plants can be a bit overwhelming. With our busy lifestyles sometimes a Staycation (a vacation at home) can be just what you need for the perfect summer break. Here are seven super ideas for a vacation at home. Don’t forget to drink your Aroniaberry Juice or Aroniaberry Smoothie before you go for great energy and pack your Aroniaberry Gummies for a better-for-you snack on your adventures.
Visit A Park or Two
Plan a day at the park that has something for everyone. My family loves going to a state park. It has a waterpark for me—I love to swim; A climbing wall for my daughter and a souped up playground for my son. My husband loves the nature trails that wind through the park.
Organize a Lawn Game Day
Borrow or buy a few new lawn games that the family can enjoy. Plan the day dedicating an hour or 2 to each game. Horseshoes, Bocce Balls, Crochet, Ladder Toss, Badminton, Cornhole or try giant versions of Jenga, Connect 4, Checkers, Tic Tac Toe or Yardzee (Yahtzee with Giant Dice.)
Attend a Sporting Event
Make a day of going to your local professional or semi-professional baseball team. Take in the whole experience. Before you go buy team t-shirts for the family. Plan on eating at the ball park. There’s nothing like a foot-long stadium hot dog with all the fixings. Pick up team fan gear to make the visit complete. (We love the #1 Foam Fingers.) Or create a sporting event in your back yard with a homegrown obstacle course.
Conduct a Tasting Tour of the City
Pick bakeries, restaurants or food trucks that you’ve been wanting to try and make a day or week of it. Plan tours of local bread, wine or chocolate factories to see how local specialties are made. Try different ethnic restaurants for a cultural food sampling of your city.
Be a Tourist
Pick local attractions that have been on your list to visit and make a day of it. Combine a trip to the zoo, with an afternoon at a new museum exhibit. Pick up fun mementos from the visit and create an scrapbook from your day.
Plan a Movie Marathon
If it’s a bad weather day on your staycation, don’t despair. You go to the movies right in your own home instead. Using a streaming movie service, watch a trilogy of movies or your favorite movie series. Pop popcorn and buy movie candy to make it more like an actual trip to the theater.
Throw a Letter-Themed Day
Pick a letter out of the alphabet and do all things that start with that letter for a day. For instance, for the letter “B”, go for a bike ride, attend a baseball game, play bocce ball, go for burgers and banana splits.