You may not be going away, but there is absolutely no reason that you and your family cannot still have fun. To make a staycation truly work you have to actively plan for it like you would an ordinary family vacation. To ease the disappointment of children (and yourself!) who are used to traveling every time school is out, make sure that everyone is involved as much as possible in the planning.

The best thing is to do some research months in advance for upcoming local events or programs in or near your community. One suggestion is to get a big wall calendar in which members of the family can write down things that are coming up. It’s important to treat your staycation as special as if you were all going to Disneyworld or the Grand Canyon. Getting everyone involved in finding fun things to do will help to create some enthusiasm and also take the burden off parents to plan every single activity.

So, do what would normally do if you were going off on holiday. Get the maps out, surf the Internet, and make up an itinerary. Of course, you do not have to schedule activities back-to-back, just make sure that there are days where you have several options, particularly a back-up plan for rain, sold-out events, etc.

Here are some staycation ideas for the whole family:

Camping
Even if just for a night, a camping trip to a nearby state park can be a great getaway. Also do some research into some nearby trails that the entire family can handle. And on a clear night, why not pitch a tent in the backyard. It could be a trial run for the real camping trip.

Museums/Planetariums/Botanical Gardens
Your local botanical garden, planetarium and museums are often more prepared than you are when it comes for ideas on keeping kids educated and entertained. It’s so easy to spend an entire day, but before you go check to see what kind of special events/exhibits are on. A tour is a great way to make sure your time is focused and not spent wandering around aimlessly.

Theater/Music
Find out what kind of outdoor plays and/or music events are playing in your area. If they are being held in local parks, why not pack a picnic and invite other family members or neighbors with children. If there is a weekly summer series, this could be a great thing to put on the calendar.

Nature/Wilderness Walks
Even if you live in a city, your local park might have special hours where park officials give guided tours of the park. Or if you are not too far from a national park, you will more than likely be able to participate in a wilderness walk of some kind. This could be one of those activities that is both fun and educational.

Sport Centers
There is more than likely a sport center near you that is filled with family activities such as miniature golf, basketball, bowling, rock climbing, etc. Often these also have summer-camp style classes for kids.

Town Festivals
Every city has a number of different festivals celebrating all kinds of things such as cultures, cuisine, music, etc. The best thing is that they often have free entry and can be a great way to spend an afternoon.