How many times have you heard someone (usually an exhausted parent) say that they need another holiday to get over the one they’ve just had? This summer, why not give the hot, sweaty airports and delayed flights a miss and spend some quality time holidaying at home instead?
Why Staycation is a Great Idea
OK, maybe what you had in mind was more Rome than home, but think about it for a minute; holidaying with young children can actually be a real challenge. How will your little one cope with the heat? Is your hotel room going to be big enough? Is it air-conditioned?
Is it near a noisy disco that will keep the baby awake all night? At home, you have everything that you need in terms of convenience – teething gel, nappies, favourite foods and toys, and the heat (sadly!) is not usually a great problem! Of course, one of the things that can spoil a family holiday is lack of sleep, but the holiday at home offers the luxury of your own bedrooms!
Plan Your Staycation
If you do decide to holiday at home, the trick to making it work is planning. Without a decent plan, there’s a risk that you’ll end up just slipping back into the normal routines - and escaping the usual routine is probably the reason why you need a holiday in the first place! Make sure that you have at least one exciting activity lined up each day, and get all the family involved in planning them so that there’s something for everyone.
Dining Decisions
Think about where you’ll eat. If you’re going to have some of your meals at home, will they just be the usual, or will you try something different? Are there any restaurants that you’ve been meaning to visit or that friends have been raving about? Book them in advance so that you make sure you have a table. Another top tip is to make sure you’ve done all of the household chores before your holiday starts. Nothing takes the edge of a holiday like a bit of cleaning, washing or grocery shopping!
Staycation Activities
So, what do you do on your stay-at-home vacation? Here are a few suggestions to get you going.
Explore Local Attractions
So many of us never get round to visiting all of the interesting and fun places near where we live, and a holiday at home provides the perfect opportunity. From stately homes to zoos, art galleries to theme parks, there are bound to be some great days out not too far away.
Picnic in the Countryside
Britain is blessed with many areas of beautiful countryside, and it’s not too hard to find yourself a quiet spot by a river or even in a park and just sit down and eat al fresco (sounds more exotic than having a picnic, right? Well, you are on holiday!). When preparing your picnic, make sure every family member has a say in what goes in the basket. The last thing you want is your three-year-old telling you they have decided that they hate cheese sandwiches and you didn’t bring anything else!
Camp in the Garden
Perhaps surprisingly, this can be a really fun thing for the whole family! Younger children can experience the thrill of sleeping outside, older children will enjoy sitting around a campfire cooking sausages or toasting marshmallows (remember safety first!), and mum and dad can enjoy a glass of wine or two cuddled up under a blanket! If you don’t own a tent, you could try borrowing one; many people have them stored away in sheds and attics. If you don’t have a garden, you might be able to find a local campsite for the night.
Spend a Day at an Amusement Park
Although you might think theme parks are really for older children, many of them now cater very well for little ones too. If you have a big age gap, you could consider a ‘divide and conquer’ strategy if necessary, with one parent staying with the older children and going on the bigger rides, and the other taking the younger children on the more sedate options.
Host a Barbecue
Invite your friends or relatives round for a barbecue in your garden or at a park or the beach. Make sure that you invite other children too, to keep your little ones occupied. It’s your holiday too, and you don’t want to have to entertain them every minute of the day! If they’re old enough, the kids can even help with the preparation of food or craft decoration themselves.
Water Fight in the Garden
Take one sunny day, a paddling pool, a hose pipe, some buckets, several water pistols and a small group of children, and you have a recipe for a fun day! Add towels as required.
