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Planning a staycation may not seem like a topic for Emergency Preparedness but hearing “I’m bored” one more time may make you reconsider. Our goal has never been preparing for emergencies but rather preparing to be self-reliant. This means knowing how to create a family-centered home, which includes having fun together, when money is tight.

This year many families are choosing to save money on fancy vacations and to keep things simple. Simple does not need to be dull and it can be a great opportunity to bond as a family in ways an amusement park can never match.

Consider the following as you plan for a day or for a week of family time adventures.

1. Celebrate little-known holidays

2. Build a tent

Years ago, our granddaughters snagged the patio umbrella and built a tent, in the family room. They attached sheets and blankets to the umbrella with safety pins and bag clips to completely enclose their cozy space. Twinkle lights were then added and an air mattress to make a perfect place to relax. Finally, the flaps were adjusted so when they were opened there was a perfect view of the TV. Mom and the girls hunkered down with popcorn in hand and watched their favorite movies and finally the girls slept peacefully under the “starry” lights. If you are feeling really lazy or the kids are too young to build a tent, bring in the camping tent from the garage, string Christmas lights inside, and have fun.

3. Create a chalk drawing

I’m sure we have all seen children’s chalk drawings on driveways and sidewalks with fun images and encouraging words for those out walking. Why not do the same on your retaining wall or fence in your own backyard? Now, when you look outside you will be greeted by something beautiful. Chalk will wash off later. If you have a friend who walks by every day write a message specific to them: “Have a great day, Emma!”

4. Celebrate your heritage

Celebrating a different country each day. Eat foods from a country that is part of your heritage and watch a travel show about that country

5. Do a taste test

Do you really know what your favorite ice cream, barbecue potato chip, chocolate milk, root beer, or chocolate chip really is? Purchase five or more brands of an item and conduct a blind taste test. Keeping a master list, place some of the item you are testing in individual cups, label the cups (1,2,3, etc.), give each person a paper and pencil and have them record their favorite, best to worst. You may be, probably will be, very surprised at the results. Why not do a different test each day?

6. Take an online class

There are online classes for everything from cooking and sewing to carpentry, auto repair, and archery.

7. Fly a kite

When was the last time you flew a kite? Get the kids ready. Explain how a kite flight works. Watch Mary Poppins and learn the song, “Let’s go Fly a Kite.” Now you are ready to head outside.

8. Play classic childhood games

Have you taught the kids to play jacks or marbles? How about Red Light-Green Light, Red Rover, or paper dolls?

9. Hold an Iron Chef competition

If you have watched competition cooking shows, you know there are racks full of ingredients the contestants can use in their creations. Plan your challenge and purchase items that may be appropriate to use. For example, if your challenge is to develop a new rice cereal treat, you may want to have chocolate chips, candies, nuts, syrups, dried fruit, brownie bites, nut butters, cookies, and food coloring on hand. How about a grilled cheese, waffle, mac and cheese, smoothie, crepe, or burrito challenge?

10. Recreate nostalgic recipes

Growing up did your family have food traditions? Did you always have homemade ice cream and nana’s potato salad at summer picnics? Pass those food traditions along to your family. Think about what your dad always wanted for dinner on his birthday or your mom’s favorite dessert. How about Christmas cookies or Thanksgiving pies that made the holiday special?

11. Stage a photo shoot

Kids love taking photos. Let the children pose the family and shoot away. Have them document the activities of the day. When you are all finished review the photos as a family and decide which to print as part of your staycation journal. Be sure to text or email them to grandparents.

12. Indulge in a pajama day

Every vacation needs a day to just do nothing. A great way to guarantee a real do-nothing day is to spend the day in your pajamas. This is a great day to catch up on reading. Every member of the family can sit with their lemonade and read. Make sure you have a variety of books available for all ages in the family. Visit the library the day before and check out a few. It’s also a great time to share a favorite book from your childhood and read it as a family. I love the book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I have several copies in my library. Spend some time reading the book and then watch the movie. There are several good ones. The same is true of classics like Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn, Swiss Family Robinson, The Little Princess, Little Women, The Great Brain, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and so many more. A pajama day is really great for the kids as it proves that  mom and dad really can just relax.

13. Begin the day by watching cartoons

When we were young this is how we spent every Saturday morning. After we were married we still watched Saturday morning cartoons.

14. Play board games

Board games such as “Life” and “Monopoly” are a good way to teach about financial planning. Get an edition that does not use credit cards. I can’t believe they have started making games that teach children to use a credit card!! There are also games such as “Boggle” and “Scrabble” that teach spelling and can introduce new words to a child’s vocabulary. There are games that require players to work as a team. All of these are important skills for a child to learn. Choose one or two and have fun!

15. Work on a puzzle

Doing puzzles together is a fantastic way to unplug and bond. It encourages cooperation and creates an opportunity for connecting conversation. It’s amazing how busy hands can encourage opening up and sharing.

16. Host a movie night

Remember drive in movies? It was so much fun to watch movies under the stars as a family. Dress in your pajamas and bring out your blankets and pillows. Get out the calendar and check for the full moon. It would be best to choose a night for your movie fun that is the darkest night. Move the TV and sofa and/or comfy chairs outside or just throw out a blanket and a bunch of pillows. Don’t forget blankets to curl up in. If you have a projector or have a friend who does, hang a sheet, and watch on a big screen!

Snack bars always had candy, soda, hot dogs, and popcorn. Do the same. Get a large tub and fill it with ice and individual cans of soda. Set up the barbecue and cook up some hot dogs. Take a basket and fill it with everyone’s favorite candy bars and pop plenty of popcorn. Nachos are a fairly new addition but if your family loves nacho put some nacho cheese in a crock pot and everyone can go back for refills as they run out.

Have fun. Laugh out loud. Cheer the hero and boo the villain.

17. Go camping trip in the backyard

All the fun with half the work. Set up your tent(s) just as you would at a campground. If you have more than one tent face all the openings toward each other. Set out a table and camp chairs. Bring out your camping gear, pillows, pajamas, extra blankets, board games, and anything else you may want to do for the night. If it gets cool at night, don’t forget sweatshirts.

Make a fire pit in your yard. Dig a small hole in the dirt in your yard away from plants and the house. Place bricks or large rocks around the circle to contain the coals. If this is not possible, just get out your grill and build a fire. If you have a friend who has a portable back yard pit, ask to borrow it. Stories are lots more fun around a campfire. Once your camp is set up, the house is off limits except for a potty stop.

Make foil dinners or Dutch oven meals. Both are a great way to cook an all-in-one meal over coals. Foil dinners are great because each family member can customize to their own taste. They are fun to prepare and when you are done, no clean up.

Around a campfire is a great time to tell your children about your childhood or relate family stories. What a perfect introduction to family history stories or to share stories of your own childhood. This is also the perfect time to encourage children to talk about their goals and dreams. It’s amazing how the walls seem to fall when you are just sitting around a fire talking.

18. Visit family history sights if you live in the area where you grew up

Take your children to see the house you, your parents, or grandparents grew up in. Visit the schools and church you attended. Take them to the cemetery to see where family members are buried. Be sure to bring along maps and any old addresses you may have. You may think you can just drive to a location but landmarks change quickly and unless you still live in the same town you may get confused.Really ham this up. You know the way tour guides conduct a tour of the stars’ homes.

Document the locations you visit by taking lots of pictures and/or recording your memories on a video or a recorder. Next spend time visiting any old handouts. Have lunch at the deli where you used to eat. Buy apples at the grocery store. Go to the park and roll down the hill. Go bowling at the alley where your dad belonged to a league. Landmarks will have changed if it has been awhile so take a map and addresses with you.

But what if you don’t live near the place where you grew up? Spend the day visiting important places in your children’s lives. Go to the elementary school and tell them about their first day of school and how you felt. Remind them of old friends who may have moved away. Drive by the church where they were baptized or the hospital where they were born. Visit the bakery where they used to go with dad on Saturday to buy donuts. You get the idea. Again, make sure you take lots of pictures.

19. Create a crossword puzzle about your family

There are several sites on the Internet where you can enter a question and the answer and the site generates a crossword puzzle. Work as teams and have each team create a puzzle. When you are finished trade puzzles and see which team can complete the other’s puzzle first. When you’re done put them in your staycation scrapbook.

This would also be a great way to get to know what your children are thinking about as you create the questions and enter the answers creating a puzzle. Questions could be favorite foods, favorite place to hangout, a friend they are most worried about, what country they would like to visit.

This would also be a great way to teach some family history: where grandma was born, what grandpa did for a living, where mom and dad met, etc.

Check out Word Mint to create your puzzle.

20. Look to the past

Gather photos from a past event, a holiday, vacation, school program, etc. Turn on a recording device and ask each family member to talk about their favorite memory associated with the occasion. It could also be the funniest thing that happened that day or any other prompt you want to give. Continue this discussion as you look at each photo. Just let everyone talk and share as long as they want. Use the results to make a hard copy as part of your family history.

There are free activities around most towns so ask friends, do an internet search, call the welcome center or city hall for ideas. Make this summer fun, right at home. There are people who drive long distance to see sights and participate in activities in your own backyard. This summer enjoy them.

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