Fun without leaving home is important. Especially if you can’t get away for a vacation or camping trip. Here are some ideas to make Labor Day or any day a ton of fun.
Stay-camping
Camp from home can be the perfect experience for a staycation adventure. Tell family they are stay-camping. Plan out some things that can give you the experience as if you were actually camping. Beyond just setting up tents, have a fire planned to do a tin foil dinner or fireside hot dogs. Whatever the family can get behind. Also plan to get out and go for a hike. Most cities, like Portland, have some sort of trail you can hit the trail. Pack water, trail mix, some sandwiches, and whatever else your family might like. Add a bonus of geo-caching, these are often little things that people leave for others to find using coordinates. Your phone can be the perfect
Movie Festival
Watching movies is a great past time but planning a festival turns it up the fun a little more. Allow each member of the family to choose a film to watch. Next, look for any fun film trivia about the movies to share that you can ask trivia for the family. You may want to warn them to be looking for interesting things within the movie. This might include funny lines to bloopers which makes watching the movie a little more entertaining if everyone has seen it. Also, have some plans for snacks, popcorn, and any meals that would satisfy those munchies. Last, have everyone dress in perhaps something fun, exotic, etc. You can go to a secondhand store to pick up some phototype props. Everyone gets to be a star for a short photo shoot.
Water Park Stay & Play
Water parks may not be the easiest to get to but a little ingenuity can be just as much fun. Plan some time to have fun in the sun with a little bit of sunscreen for the family. Plan a water obstacle course can make the day a whole lot of fun. A few things can help this be a little easier but aren’t necessary. A sprinkler, a Slip ‘N Slide, a kids pool, water balloons, a water bucket, and some water guns. Items like water balloon dodge, bucket dump, kids carwash, and the classic Slip ‘N Slide can make the day great. A simple search like a DIY water park can help you get started.
Gamecation
Playing games as a family can be fun and bonding. A board game is certainly fun but there are things you can do to break from the norm.
1) I’ve Got A Funny Feeling. In this game, you make contestants of your whole family. Having premade a variety of food and items, a member must feel the item. Describing the feeling, the other family members have to guess what it is they are describing. Here are some ideas.
a. Cooked Rice
b. Cooked spaghetti,
c. Pieces of fruit
d. Gelatin
e. A toy
f. Real or fake flowers
g. Gummy bears or worms
h. Feathers
2) Home bowling.
a. First, get a small plastic ball as the bowling pin. Second, get some 16 oz plastic bottles and fill them with water. These will act as your bowling pins. Next lay down some boards for the length of the bowling alley. Adding a frame underneath of 2×4 and then adjusting the height by using wood shims from a local hardware store to make it even. Finally, use 2×4 and frame along the side to act as guides for the ball.
3) Boardgames are classic. So set up some of the family favorites and plan some prizes. This is a good way to help younger kids learn to be good sports.
4) Household adventures. Fun all day long as long as you have a little creativity. Fort building is a ton of fun. Chairs sofas, blankets, pillows can add tons of fun for any child.
Obstacle courses can also fill up the day with the same things. Up over, around, and do this can fill up the day. Letting your child change it up with their imagination makes even more fun. Having timed runs makes it even more exciting as they try to beat their records or other siblings time.
A staycation can be a lot of fun with a little ingenuity and a lot of fun. Perhaps this gives you a few ideas to make a weekend full of fun and excitement. What kind of things do you do for stay-at-home fun?
