I know a few of you have already had spring break, but many of you are still (im)patiently waiting like we are. Usually we stick fairly close to home for spring break, but this year we have some fun adventures planned! We’re headed to two destinations, one of which will be brand-new to everyone in our family! I hope you’ll follow along with the fun on Instagram. Our family even has a hashtag dedicated to our travels–#YoungFamilyJaunts. If you are planning to stick closer to home for spring break here are some staycation ideas I think you’ll love!

what is a staycation?

A staycation means just what it sounds like–you have a vacation by staying right where you are. Typically this means that you will be doing day trips and sleeping in your own bed at night. One of the benefits to a staycation is that you get to explore your nearby attractions you wouldn’t normally get to. How often do we forget about all the fun right in our own town? Also, for those that can’t get a good night’s sleep there is definite appeal to sleeping in your own bed!

staycation ideas for spring break

be a tourist in your own town

This is the most obvious of the staycation ideas I’ll mention. However, so often we don’t take the time to explore right in our own town. During your spring break staycation make a point to visit all the touristy things you never do. Is there a community park you don’t usually visit because it’s on the other side of town? Do you have a small town museum you’ve been meaning to visit for years? Try to pick a new spot to check out every day and have fun being a tourist!

have your own restaurant week

This one has the potential to be a little pricey, especially if you have a family of eight like I do. But just think about all the money you’re saving by not traveling anywhere and sleeping at home! We tend to stick to a couple of our favorite restaurants when we go out, yet our town has tons of unique eateries we’ve never even tried! Try out a new restaurant everyday during your spring break staycation. Make sure to switch up meals too–so some days you’re trying out breakfast fare and some days you’ll get dinner. Really challenge yourself and your kids to order things that might be a little different than the usually choices.

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explore your nearest State or National Park

Chances are no matter where you live you’re somewhat close to a State or National Park. We’re actually mere minutes away from some State Parks and Rec areas, plus only about a three hour drive to Yosemite! Sometimes we get so caught up in planning trips to far away destinations we forget about how lucky we are to live nearby the beautiful resources that are close to us. See if you have one close to you that you haven’t visited yet. Pack a picnic and plan some road trip stops along the way–sometimes the journey is as fun as the destination!

plan your own family Olympics

Check out this blog post for some fun Olympic “competitions” your family will love! Once you know what “sports” your family wants to compete in then plan out how you want to run your Olympics. Do you want to spend all week training and have one final day full of competitions and award ceremonies? Or do you want to do a different event each day? Have fun with it!

host your own waterpark

Is spring break usually warm where you are? Why not plan a waterpark day and invite friends over–you don’t even need a swimming pool. Sprinklers, water balloons, and kiddie pools can all be a blast for little ones! Or go in with some other parents and rent an inflatable water slide for the day!

have a family art show

Of all the staycation ideas this one will show you everyone’s creative side the most. Plan a family art show for the end of the week and spend the days leading up to it preparing. Create the art, plan the space, assign someone snacks and a playlist to stream in the background… it’ll be a fun family evening. Take things up a notch by dressing up for your big night too!

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book a hotel for the night

We have a hotel in our town that my kids ask to stay in every time we drive by. Why would we stay in a hotel when we could sleep in our own beds though?! But having a staycation might be the perfect time to do just such a thing. Plus, you might be able to enjoy the hot tub and a free breakfast if your hotel has those things. Best of all, packing and traveling will be a breeze.

start a family book club

Spring break is the perfect time to start a family book club. Looking for some reading inspiration the whole family will love? Check out this blog post! Pick a book that you’ll be able to read in a week. Have your meeting at the end of the week, complete with snacks, of course. Bonus points if there’s a movie to accompany the book that you can watch at the end!

Have you ever done a staycation? What was your favorite thing?