Staycation - A vacation at home.
Gas and food prices got you down? Are you staying at home this summer? Are you worried about boredom? Don't!
Vacationing at home is a good thing. For most of us home is a safe environment and it's where we keep all our stuff. Just add a few friends, a variety of activities and you can have the best family vacation ever, a Staycation!
Check this website site daily for updates on cheap, fun, activities for the family this summer.I'm not talking about amusements parks or spending big bucks while staying home either. I'm talking about cheap fun that really works.Try just one of these activities each day of your vacation and your family will have a great time. Use the discount coupons found here. I do they really help a lot! Check this out! 2008 ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS now only $10. Hurry this deal won't last!
Get a list of free and cheap activities in your area!
The US government has a website dedicated to tourism. Just type in your zipcode.
Click here for USA.gov
Kayak and Canoe
Nearly every lake or bay has kayak or canoe rentals. Take advantage of those before you purchase. New they are expensive but you can find some very good deals on used. they may not look pretty but if there are no leaks it's a great boat.Craigslist or any classified ad can get you a good deal on kayaks and canoes but you have to be patient. Kayaking and canoeing are great no impact aerobic sports.
Minature Golf
Take just your the family to play a round of miniature golf. Better yet organize grandparents, cousins, friends and neighbors for a friendly evening miniature golf.
Family Garden
Every family can have a garden. Kids love to watch plants grow and it's cost effective with the price of food today.For those who live in the city with only a balcony or window sill try a container garden. A Cherry tomato plant in a medium to large pot with a cage, is a must for the first time gardener. Try a small backyard garden. I have found raised beds with chicken wire beneath are better for those of us who have gophers. No need to buy fertilizer's. A free and good plant food is Starbucks coffee grounds. Starbucks offers the used grounds free for your garden. You can normally find a container in the store with bags of grounds package for you to take. If not just ask.
Ice Sliding
What do you get when you buy 4 blocks of ice, add a small grassy hill with no trees or benches, and 6 teenagers? A Blast!!. Ice Sliding. Just sit on the ice and away you go. For about $15 you can have hours of fun. This activity is made for the older kids and adults. Even though the younger ones will want to try it. The ice can slide very fast when someone is not on it so be careful and always have a person at the bottom to stop the run away ice blocks.
Bowling!
Take the family bowling. It's fun and very social. Most bowling alleys have specials. Check it out. The bowling alley near me has "Cosmic bowling". Friday and Saturday nights, it's a glow in the dark party! 2-hours of lights, music and bowling. Prices are different everywhere and it depends on the time of day. Mornings are the cheapest. The Cosmic Bowl is $10 a person or $46 for 6 people. The later you go the cheaper it gets. Call ahead to reserve a lane. They tend to get crowded. Purchase an Entertainment Book. They normally have coupons for near by bowling alleys.
Big Box Backyard Camping
Kids love Boxes! This is a great camp out for kids. Just take a large cardboard box. (Maybe a box the new refrigerator came in.) With the kids, cut a couple of small windows in it. Let the kids spend the day decorating the outside of the box. Then come evening give them flashlights and they can have a their own private camp out. My kids (ages 9&11) slept 2 nights in the box, until they got visitors, ants!
Tip - Don't let them eat in the box, They'll have ants.
Family Bike Ride
Parks, river walks, beaches are all great areas for a family bike ride. Most bike racks do not carry 4 or more bikes so plan ahead. Try a family errand day totally on bikes. I've done that it's a lot of fun a little shopping and then lunch. Don't forget the bike lock!
Neighborhood Block Party
Purchase an Entertainment Book
Entertainment Books have discounts for the city you live in or for the city you're visiting. They range from $25-$45. If you purchase the book on online half way through the year they're only $10. A fantastic way to save money for the summer. (This is one of my favorite tips)
Outdoor Movie Night
What can I say, it's just like going to the drive-in.
Outdoor Video Game Night
Believe it or not, this is an outdoor evening activity. Take 1 or 2 TV's outside, hook up the video games, throw a blanket on the grass and invite the neighbors. The admission price for a night of fun - a bag of chips, 6 pack of soda, popcorn, etc...The best part of having a video game party outside everyone can be really loud and move, without the fear of breaking a lamp. This is great if you have a Wii
Purchase an Above Ground Pool
Have a great Staycation with an above ground pool.
The pools are fun and relatively cheap to purchase. They do need a little care at least once a week. Get one with a good filter. We have a 15 foot round that stays up all year. It's been there for 5 years now. Careful in the heat they can turn green quickly. (My did last week. Bummer!)Our neighbors had a pool for years. The late spring ritual was to put the pool up for the summer and take it down every fall. You see, their yard was really small and they needed the room for the kids to play basketball.
Picnic
Backyard Family Campout!
Giant Slip and Slide
On a lawn lay out a huge thick plastic tarp($8) from the hardware store, add a water hose or sprinklers. If your yard has a slight slope to it even better. If you don't have a slight hill in your yard, use the kids small plastic slide. Works Great. (Boogie boards do well on the tarp too.) We had a group of 14 year olds doing this just recently. It's the large tarp that makes it fun. The teens love to swirl and spin.
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