Since all the recent news of the coronavirus outbreak, almost everyone in the world will be staying home for a while. That all sounds nice until you realize, uh I have to entertain my kids at home now. So let’s talk about some staycation ideas for kids that will make your quarantine fun and a little more bearable.

We have compiled a list of some great things to do together in your house while we are all trapped inside waiting for the coronavirus pandemic to subside. Masks are always a good idea if you do need to go out. Here is a comfortable one that I like on Amazon. It comes in lots of different colors so you can pick a few.

If you are worried about the coronavirus, check out our post on how to not catch the coronavirus. I know it’s a scary time right now but there are measures that you can take to protect yourself and your family from the coronavirus.

If you are worried that you have gotten the coronavirus and check out what you should do here. Since you will need to self isolate for 2 full weeks, these staycation ideas for kids will be the perfect ways to spend your days inside.

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Staycation meaning

Let’s start at the beginning first, what is a staycation meaning? A staycation is when you stay at home but do some activities that you would traditionally do on a vacation. A lot of times a staycation means that you would tour your own city. Visit museums or sites in your city that wouldn’t normally see.

But we are going to talk about some staycation ideas for kids at home or close to home, so you can avoid crowds.

Staycations for families

Staycations are a great way to save on the budget over a traditional vacation. They are also a great way to make some wonderful memories as a couple or family. Traditional vacations can cost you a couple of thousand of dollars per person.

Doing a top-notch staycation can cost you at most a couple of hundred dollars, but the memories can be just as exciting and long-lasting.

Spa Day

On vacation, I always look forward to a couple of hours at the spa. It’s my time to be pampered and relax. So how about creating a spa day at home for you and the family. (Guys and boys included).

A spa package will run you anywhere from $150 up to $500 per person. But we can create one at home for way less than that! Here is what you will need for a staycation spa day:

1. Facials and face masks. Nothing says spa-like a nice detoxifying feel of a face mask. Start with some of the masks in this pack. Or cut up some cucumbers and place them on your eyes.
2. I always enjoy the smell of essential oils in a spa, recreate this in your home with essential oil and a diffuser.
3. Once your masks are on and your diffuser is going, get a nice warm bath ready for you or your kids. Add some bubbles and bath salts to really enjoy your bath. Don’t be afraid to make the room steamy, the steam is great for your skin.

Really set the mood, the more you get into the more your kids will enjoy it! Maybe even buy them some mini bathrobes as a way to start the spa day. This staycation idea for kids also goes really well with a yoga retreat staycation, we’ll talk about that next.

Yoga Retreat

A yoga retreat is all about restoring your body and your mind. It pairs perfectly with a spa day staycation liked we talked about above. Spend this day at home focusing on restoring your mind as well as your body.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on yoga videos for you or your kids. There are so many great videos on YouTube that you will have plenty of options to practice your yoga. My kids love Zen Den, here is one of their favorites.

Other things you will need to prepare for a restorative yoga retreat at home:

• You will want to have a yoga mat for you and one for each of your kids. This gives everyone space to practice and it makes it more fun. These yoga mats for kids on Amazon have fun drawings and designs.
• Your favorite yoga pants or workout outfit
• A yoga block is always a good idea

Meditation, reading, and writing in a journal are also excellent ways to spend a restorative day at home. You will be surprised at how refreshed and energized you will be after a day spent taking care of yourself.

Film Festival

Set the stage, rent some movies on iTunes or Amazon, and then hold an “Oscar” ceremony and have your kids give out awards for different categories. The easiest way to do this is to let each of your kids pick a movie to watch and then at the end of the festival they can pick out awards for different categories.

Have fun with this! Set up your home like a movie screening theater. If you have a child that likes to dress up, maybe have everyone dress up for the awards ceremony. Here are a few ideas to make it more fun:

• The first thing you need is popcorn of course and these popcorn boxes from Amazon will really make it feel like a theater.
• Print off some free movie night invitations and signs.
• You will need some Oscars to hand out at your Film Festival award ceremony.
• Check out this fun movie night kit on Amazon, it has all the snacks your family could want!
• Make a photo booth at home with this awesome DIY kit.

You could make your movie time pajama time and buy a matching set of pajamas for the whole family. Then change into fancy dress-up outfits and roll out the red carpet and champagne for your Oscars.

Art Class

I think all kids love art and since you’re stuck inside, you might as well learn a new skill! Here is a really great staycation idea for kids to paint a picture as a family. The best part about this art is that it is super cute too so you can hang it in your home!

Here is what you need to create:

• A canvas painting kit will give you most of the things you will need.
• You may want some additional paint colors.
• Some painters tape to make the lines.
• A few extra sponge paintbrushes, I like this package because it comes with the circle brushes to make dots too.
• If you want to do glitter, you will need to paint the glue onto the canvas.
• Then, of course, you will need glitter.

Have fun with this project and then display it somewhere in your home. It’s a great way to have fun and make something that will last!

Couples Romance Package

When we think of Valentine’s Day or anniversaries we often think of getting out of town. But sometimes staying in and have a romantic night in can be just as fun. (Maybe even better).

If you are lucky enough to have a night without kids, do something different. Make a meal together and try out this fun conversation starter game while you eat.

After dinner, try something different together. You could do an art project together or play a game. Take a candlelit bubble bath together and sprinkle some rose petals in it.

Father-daughter or mother-son date night

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Another fun spin on this is to do a father-daughter date night at home. Or a mother-son date night. This is a great way to teach your kids how to “date” properly.

A fun idea to do with your kids on a date night at home is to cook a meal together. Let them pick their favorite meal and then teach them how to make it.

One idea for a father-daughter date night is to have a “dance” at home. Let your girls dress up and get fancy. Then play some of their favorite music and dance with them.

A staycation idea for kids to do with moms and sons is to be active together. If it is warm enough, go outside and play a game with them. Or you could stay inside and play a minute to win it games together and see who can win the most games.

Tournament – Game Time

One thing I know kids love is games! My kids can play board games for hours. So why not have a tournament game night? Select a few games and keep track of who wins each one.

At the end of the game night, count up the points and see who won! Remember the more you put into the theme, the more fun everyone will have. Make some fun snacks and get ready to play! Here are a few of our favorite games

• Ticket to Ride~ this is by far our family’s favorite game. It’s best for kids that are a little older. I would say 8 years old and above.
• Our kids love to play Sleeping Queens, it’s good for younger kids as well.
• If you have little kids, Candy Land is always fun to play as a family.
• An epic family hide and seek battle is a great way to get up and move around the house
• If you have a Nintendo or another game console, you can have a family dance battle with Just Dance.
• Don’t forget the scoreboard to keep track of who is winning throughout the tournament.

At the end of your tournament, it’s fun to give out a trophy to the winners. Have a trophy ceremony to make it even more exciting.

Backyard Olympics

Get the whole family involved, in fact, why not invite the entire neighborhood or a bunch of friends. This is a great way to connect and enjoy the outdoors. Hopefully where you are at you can find a warm spring day to make this happen.

These games are not sanctioned Olympic games, but if the backyard ever hosted the Olympics it would need to include these epic backyard games.

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• Backyard Croquet – This epic 6 person battle is a great substitute to Golf and a fun way to get kids and adults playing together.
• Cornhole – Cornhole has taken barbeques and family reunions by storm over the past few years. No get together can be complete without playing Cornhole. Cornhole has become so popular that there is even an American Cornhole Association with tournaments and rules. Make sure to add this to your backyard Olympic staycation ideas for kids.
• Asia’s favorite sport – Badminton The object of the game is to hit a shuttlecock, or birdy, over a raised net so that your opponent is unable to return it.  Some like to compare it to tennis/volleyball.
• Volleyball – When you buy your badminton make sure to but the kit that comes with the volleyball. This way you can add Volleyball to your backyard Olympics.
• Outdoor Large Jenga – Take the indoor game outside and give this fun game the Olympic size treatment. This now becomes a life-size game and for the kids, the tower might be as big or taller than they are.

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Tourist in your own town

You will be amazed at how much your own town has to offer once you start to look. As a parent, I know you’re busy running from school drop off to work, and then after school activities. We never have a chance to see some of the amazing things our own towns have to offer.

There are probably a couple of places around your city that you have been dying to check out but just haven’t had the time. One of the ways to see your city and save some money is to book a FLEX Pass from Sightseeing Pass. The best thing about this is that it offers insurance and flexibility if not used but you get to enjoy some of the top attractions in your city. You can buy this for someone as a gift and send to them.

Escape room at home

This is a great staycation idea for older kids. You can spend a few hours solving clues together. This game from Amazon makes it easy to set up an escape room at home. You don’t even have to think of the clues.

You can also do a murder mystery game at home, dress up accordingly to a theme. Make treats that go with your theme. Have fun and go all out. Can you solve the crime from Amazon makes this an easy and fun activity.

You may think of inviting some friends over for these activities. The more people you have, the more fun.

Wrap up on staycation ideas for kids

The more you put into a “theme” of these activities the more fun everyone will have. If your kids see you having fun, they too will want to buy into the activity.

Try to think outside the box while you are all at home. Think of activities that you want to do and involve your kids. When mom and dad enjoy something, it shows and the kids know it. Maybe invite a few friends over to join in some of the activities. It’s the perfect time to get to know each other better. Stay calm and stay at home!

FAQs about staycations

What should I do on my staycation?

There are so many awesome options for a staycation but here are a few of my favorite staycation ideas:
-Escape room at home
-Art class and create paintings you will love
-At-home yoga retreat
– Couples date night at home
-Spa day with or without kids
– Backyard Olympics
– At-home film festival
– Boardgame tournament day

Why are staycations better?

Staycations are better than vacations for lots of reasons. The biggest reason that they are better is that you will save a ton of money! Another reason staycations are better is that you and your family are safer at home. It is better to stay home and stay safe. You will be safer from illnesses and crime if you choose a staycation.

How do you make a good staycation?

The way to make a good staycation is to plan it in advance. Here are a few ways to make your staycation amazing.
1. Pick a theme.
2. Plan your day in advance.
3. Decorate your home to match your theme the night before
4. Go all out! Really visualize your vacation at home as a getaway, put your whole heart into your theme.
5. Disrupt your normal routine. Don’t follow any of your normal at-home routines, remember it’s your day off!
6. Learn something new. On vacation you typically experience something new, so on your staycation you should learn something new too. You could learn a new skill or just learn about a new place.
7. Take pictures, just like on a real vacation, take lots of pictures and have fun with it.
8. Most of all, have fun!

What is a staycation?

A staycation is a vacation at home. It’s two words combined, stay and vacation. It’s a day off at home for the entire family or just for one person. Typically on a staycation, you stay at home and make your home your vacation spot. You do activities at home that you wouldn’t normally do such as a spa day or learn a new skill like a painting.

Why you should take a staycation?

A staycation is a great way to relax and recharge your mind. It takes away the stress and hassle of planning a trip and driving or flying to a destination. You simply plan a relaxing and fun day at home.