4 Fun And Nearly FREE Staycation Ideas For Families

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of chatting it up with Megan Gilliland live on Good Day Baltimore, the morning after the phenomenal Act Like a Success Conference (more on that later). This was the first time I did media where I actually had to set up props. I probably had less than sixty seconds to set up all my props, and although I didn’t get everything up, thankfully they weren’t missed. Note to self: have props ready to go! The best part, was having Megan tell me it was excellent and inviting me to come back on the show anytime (Yes!).

Are you wanting to travel somewhere with the family but time or money won’t allow you to get there? Well, here are the 4 staycation ideas for families I shared on Fox 45’s Good Day Baltimore, and you can watch the full clip below. The great thing is that these are nearly free ideas that you don’t even have to leave the house for.

Christine St.Vil Fox 45 - staycation ideasTIP #1 – Bring the Outdoors Indoors

  • Host an indoor campout in the living room or basement with sleeping bags, pillows and campfire treats.

Our kids love their pop-up tent they received as a birthday gift a couple of years ago. We love it because it’s lightweight and stores easily, taking up hardly any space at all. The kids love it because they can set it up and collapse it on their own. Either way, it’s a win-win.

TIP #2 – Indulge in Tropical Delights

What’s the next best thing to relaxing poolside? It’s indulging in mock-tails and sparkling drinks to make it feel like you are relaxing poolside.

  • Add fresh fruit to the beverages to make them more tropical
  • For a sugar-free option, try a sparkling beverage like Sparkling Fruit20 Lime Twists, which comes in four unique flavors.

What I love about these mason jars are the tops and straws. Let’s face it, kids can be messy. But adding their favorite fruits to their drinks in a “fancy cup” makes things that much more fun for them. And the lids keep things less messy for us. It’s a win-win (check out the clip below).

TIP #3 – Host a Film Festival

  • Pick a theme (ex: Black History or comedy) and have each family member pick a movie, then get comfortable for a day of movies.
  • Keep the kids busy by playing a game of “movie bingo”

Movies meet game night is genius! And we LOVE this movie night Bingo board game that Complicated Mama put together. We printed the cards and had them laminated for maximum usage. You can check it out and print your own here.

Make things even more fun by putting together a movie concession basket full of goodies. Because we homeschool, we use any opportunity for learning. So we’ll take out the Monopoly money and have the kids purchase their treat(s) of choice (check it out in the clip below).

TIP #4 – Family Game Night

  • Have each family member choose a favorite game and snack on delicious treats while you play.
  • Play a board game or an off-the-board game like Red Light, Green Light

Our kids love board games and their current favorite card game is Uno. They will literally play for hours if we let them. And what better way to spend quality family time with them than to play old school classics like Candyland or memory matching games?

What are your favorite family staycation ideas? Let me know in the comments below and they may be featured in a future post.

*Disclosure: I was sent free samples of Fruit20, and a small fee to cover some of the props used for this segment. As always, all opinions are my own.

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20 Comments

  • Michellette 'Mimi' Green
    March 13, 2015 at 2:52 AM

    Love these ideas.

  • Stacie
    March 13, 2015 at 9:41 AM

    Congrats on you segment! These are really good tips. I especially like the movie marathon with monopoly money for concessions. Very creative!
    Stacie would like you to check out…All Black Errthing: #EverydayMomStyleMy Profile

    • Christine St.Vil
      March 15, 2015 at 11:07 PM

      Thanks so much Stacie! We just did movie night on Friday and the kids get so into it. My son who is 7 is really great with Math so he enjoys being able to “practice” his spending LOL

  • Emerald Lavender
    March 13, 2015 at 10:26 AM

    Hey Christine!! I loved your segment! These are such fun ideas to do with your family, it really creates a loving and joyful environment!
    Emerald Lavender would like you to check out…Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken RecipeMy Profile

    • Christine St.Vil
      March 15, 2015 at 11:08 PM

      Aw thank you Emerald! These are so easy and simple to do, and the kids really do enjoy them. It doesn’t take much to make them happy 🙂

  • Earl-Leigh
    March 13, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    Congratulations on your segment! That is so fun! I feel the need to have some mocktails this weekend.
    Earl-Leigh would like you to check out…That’s it, I’m moving!My Profile

    • Christine St.Vil
      March 15, 2015 at 11:10 PM

      Thanks Earl-Leigh! Yes, these are super fun and super EASY to do. And the mason jars take them to the next level 🙂

  • Mimi - MimiCuteLips
    March 13, 2015 at 11:25 PM

    My kids have pop tents and they are a hit for indoor play. They are fans of the movie night, they like to black out the house and everything.
    Mimi – MimiCuteLips would like you to check out…Review: LuLaRoe Leggings & Pencil SkirtMy Profile

    • Christine St.Vil
      March 15, 2015 at 11:11 PM

      Yes girl, this pop-up tent has been so instrumental to curbing this cabin fever with all this snow LOL The thing I love is that they are so easy to collapse and take up little to no room at all 🙂

  • Carin Kilby Clark
    March 14, 2015 at 4:22 PM

    Excellent ideas! We always do family movie nights so I’ll have to add the bingo, it’s sure to be a hit. They also love the indoor play. Great segment.
    Carin Kilby Clark would like you to check out…Enter to Win a $400 Target Gift Card {Ends 4/10/15}My Profile

    • Christine St.Vil
      March 15, 2015 at 11:12 PM

      Thank you Carin! Yes, the older two are definitely more into it. The younger one got tired halfway through but she started off strong LOL

  • Violette
    March 15, 2015 at 10:52 PM

    You’re just awesome! That’s all 🙂 I see all kinds of doors opening and opportunities coming your way. It’s a blessing to see God at work in your journey. Excited for you 😀

    • Christine St.Vil
      March 15, 2015 at 11:13 PM

      Hey Violette! You just made my day, thanks so much. I truly appreciate those words of encouragement. He definitely amazes me day in and day out 🙂 Thank you!

  • Christine St.Vil
    March 16, 2015 at 3:06 AM

    Thank you Mimi! 😉

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  • Fidelia
    March 19, 2015 at 10:46 AM

    Gooo lil sis! These are great ideas which kids of all ages can incorporate. Although your sons/nephews are 20 and 16, I can see the older one jumping into this before the younger one! Lol

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