© 2025 Rachel L. Shumate | All rights reserved.
You’re going to love this so-called “travel post” if you’re an introvert, low on funds, or a mom who is simply too exhausted to even conjure the mental fortitude or energy to pack and plan a trip for the whole famdamily. (You feel that deep in your soul; amirite?!) And even if you’re none of those things, I’m willing to bet you’re still going to love this concept (which isn’t new; I can’t take the credit for this genius idea). Drum roll please… I present to you, the Staycation…!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a vacation. They’re amazing! Admittedly though, they can also require quite a bit of effort. I typically find that I need to work twice as hard to prepare to go on a trip, and same goes for when I get back to try and catch up. (It doesn’t really add up, but that seems to be the norm.) Of course, it’s always totally worth it!! I adore traveling and exploring new places. However, once in a while my inner nerd also wishes that I could just hide at home under some blankets with a good book for an entire weekend and do NOTHING. So, if you’re over there muttering, “hell yeah…” you’ll likely be over the moon about this novel approach to some much-needed downtime.
The thing with staycations is that you first need to set clear boundaries with yourself and establish your desired objectives. Because you don’t want to spend your vacation (at home) doing chores, answering work emails, or even hanging out with people you don’t want to. And let’s be honest, when we’re at home, that to-do-list can loom quite large, and it’s sometimes hard to relax. So, if you want to try the staycation thing, make sure you intentionally set aside the entire designated time to actually decompress and enjoy yourself.
To get started, schedule your staycation and block it off on your calendar just as you would a regular vacation. (Remember, you are unavailable for anything you don’t want to do.) In fact, do all the necessary prepping you normally would as well (minus the packing, obviously). Heck, you could even hold your mail if you want. The whole idea is to quite literally pretend you’re on an actual vacation – while staying at home. The next step is to plan. What activities do you want to do? What places to you want to visit? What sights do you want to see? And so forth. This is important. You want to be intentional with your time, otherwise you run the risk of getting sucked into a Netflix vortex and then your staycation just feels like any other weekend (that is unless, binge watching a series is on your agenda). A big reason vacations feel so exciting is because we’re doing something out of our routine.
Are you getting pumped about hanging out at home yet? To help you go all out while staying in, I’ve listed some fun activity suggestions below, and you can print off this spiffy itinerary to fill out as you see fit. I hope you give this a go and have a blast! You might just find that your new favorite retreat is right in your own backyard, or living room.
40 Fun Staycation Activity Ideas:
- Have a movie night (either order pizza and watch a movie at home, or go to the theater)
- Go to a farmers’ market or flea market
- Have a picnic (inside or outdoors)
- Go to a new restaurant
- Visit a local park (maybe take a hike)
- Go on a local food or drink tour
- Do a karaoke night
- Make a bucket list (maybe even do one of the things you listed)
- Have a spa day
- Make a blanket fort (pair with a movie and snacks for added fun)
- Do a craft
- Have a game night
- Take a bubble bath
- Go to a painting class
- Stargaze (gather a bunch of blankets and pillows and put them in a kiddie pool for an extra plush front row seat to the galaxy)
- Spend the day, or an hour or two, reading a good book
- Watch the sunset
- Pick a tourist attraction in your town (or nearby) that you haven’t seen yet and check it out
- Take a nap (yep, seriously)
- Have a dance party
- Get dressed up and have a fancy dinner and evening at home
- Shop at a new, or favorite, small business
- Make a puzzle
- Bake something yummy
- Have a lazy morning (drink your coffee slowly and stay in your PJs as long as you want)
- Visit a museum or gallery
- Go to a local trivia night or bingo
- Cook a new tasty dish
- Do some yoga
- Sit on your porch or back deck and enjoy some adult beverages (or mocktails)
- Take a walk
- Go to the pool or ice skating (depending on the season)
- Pretend that you’re a tourist in your own town and take pictures
- Have a coffee date with a friend
- Do some journaling
- Go to a murder mystery event
- See a play or ballet
- Attend a local music event
- Go bowling
- Color or make some art
🙂
