A trip to the Caribbean not in the budget for you and your family this year for spring or summer break? Yeah, not us either. But that doesn’t mean we have to let go of the idea of having an awesome time with our family!

Have you ever thought of doing a staycation with your family? It is a fun and intentional way to plan a family vacation without traveling far. It can be as small as planning a few intentional activities to do at home during the week and looking for a couple free and frugal activities to do close to home or planning every second of every day as if you were really on vacation.

Planning the Best STAYcation Ever

1- Plan ahead

You wouldn’t go on a vacation without a plan in place so you should treat this in the same manner. This is the key to a successful staycation! Sit down and plan it out with the kids. You could have all the options ready and written on little pieces of paper, put them in a hat and have each member of the family pick out an option until you have the week planned.

Maintain a list of all the interesting places and activities in and around your hometown. Keep this list handy for each year to make it easier to plan your staycation the following year. As I begin to plan out a staycation week, I am then prepared with a master list of options for destinations and activities.

2- Set a budget

It’s always important to make sure you budget. Figure out what your total budget for the week’s activities should be ahead of time. You can set a daily limit or just check for admission costs before you leave the house so you don’t get any surprises and go over budget right out of the gate.

3- Say yes

As a Mom, I say no to my kids MOSTLY. During staycation, I try my hardest to indulge them by saying yes more than usual, within reason. (Enjoy it while it lasts, kids!)

4- Mix up the routine

As a homeschool mom, we have a rigid schedule we follow daily, but for a staycation you gotta let go of the everyday schedule! Keep it light and fun and try to fly by the seat of your pants, imagining how we would be if we were on a real vacation. Stay up past bedtime? Why not? — Wear PJs until lunchtime? Yep! Well we do that a lot anyway…lol.

5- Be silly

Why are we so serious? Oh yeah, cause we are the adults. LOL. But come on for just a week let go. Just get goofy with it and have a blast! Embrace the child in you. Turn the music up and let go. Don’t stress, relax and go with the flow.

6- Unplug

Ummm… this should go without saying, but no tech should be allowed or at least not during any activities. Social media and cell phones can suck up a lot of your time without even noticing. Just turn it off for the week and really engage with your family.

Yes, I know, that is crazy! We are going to miss what is going on in all of our Facebook friends’ lives. (Gasp) But they will survive; we have our own family to enjoy. And might I just add, don’t post what you are doing every second of every day. Be in the moment. If you feel like you have to do this, just post once a day and engage with your family.

Whatever you decide to do over spring or summer break, be intentional! Don’t just allow the days to tick away! We can’t get these years back with our kids. When they are gone, they are gone! You got this! Make it great and make it memorable!

Want to learn more? Get some really great tips and learn step by step how to plan an awesome staycation. (tons of activity ideas included) check out my (first ever) eBook on Amazon. If you do not have a Kindle click HERE to get your free Kindle app for your tablet, smart phone or computer. 

Your turn… What are your plans for spring and summer break? Let me know in the comments!

Forest Rose

Forest Rose is a God Loving, Blessed Wife, &  Mama to 3 girls. She’s passionate about lifting moms out of the trenches that are discouraged, overwhelmed, or feeling alone or isolated. Her hope is to point them to Christ and equip them to rise up with a newfound hope and joy within, that He alone can provide. Besides blogging, she also loves to create printables!