How to Spend Vacation at Home?
• Posted July 9 • 2024.
So, this vacation we decided not to travel. Great! We have a wide variety of activities we can do as a family or alone that will keep us from getting bored, stimulate our creativity, and help us bond together. When I was a child, and for various reasons, we didn't always go on trips, but we always had activities to do at home with our families or friends. Here are some fun suggestions!
Themed Nights
Movie Night
Pop some popcorn and pick a movie that everyone enjoys. But guess what? You're on vacation, so you can even have marathons of your favorite sagas, finish watching that series you love, or start a new one. Just don't spend the entire vacation in front of the TV, but a couple of movie or series marathons won't hurt anyone.
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Board Game Night
One of my family's favorite activities, whether on vacation or not, was playing board games, starting with the world-famous UNO. What memories, hours and hours of fun and competition, with the occasional upset. Anyway, having board games at home makes it possible to spend hours and hours entertained with the family in some friendly competition. I know there are many options, but bring out the classics like Monopoly, Scrabble, or the indispensable UNO.
Cooking Night
Cooking together as a family or even as a couple can be very fun. Nowadays, finding fun and delicious recipes is extremely easy with our smartphones at hand. You can select new recipes, not too exotic to avoid problems but ones that allow for team cooking. Don't forget the desserts; those are always fun to make and even more fun to eat. Depending on the age of your kids, choose the type of dessert they like, and you'll see how it keeps them entertained.
DIY Projects: Exploring Your Creativity and Imagination
Painting and Drawing
We were all kids once and know that one of the best ways to keep entertained is through painting and drawing, so grab your art supplies and let your imagination run wild. You can do various things like drawing and painting animals or nature, and even create paintings together to decorate the house with your artwork. There are plenty of free coloring pages available online, so finding them is not a problem. Just don’t get the kids to paint the house. LOL
Crafts with Recycled Materials
Crafts always keep both adults and kids entertained. You can use things you already have at home to create new decorations or toys. It's a creative and eco-friendly activity, and again, it's easy to find hundreds and hundreds of ideas on platforms like Pinterest, so DIY projects are always an excellent idea for vacations.
Exploring Nature in Your Garden or Nearby Park
Picnic in the Garden
You don't need to go far to enjoy nature. Just prepare a delicious meal, head to a nearby park, and enjoy it outdoors. You can even do this in your own garden and use the food and desserts you previously prepared as a team, combining two activities in one day. Additionally, you can have dinner with a good movie and create a wonderful day that will leave a beautiful memory for your children.
Bird Watching
If you have binoculars, go out and watch birds. It's quite entertaining to search for them, find them, and learn more about them. You can combine this with drawing or painting, using the type of bird you saw to select the colors you'll use.
Stargazing
If possible and your city allows it, observe the stars at night, the moon, and look for Venus in the sky. This activity amazed me as a child, and I still do it. Complement it by explaining the vast distances that separate us from them and asking the question, "What do you think is out there?" Believe me, it's a great idea for curious kids.
Reading and Storytelling
Family Book Club
Choose a book and read it together, meaning each family member reads a part of it. Always look for a book that is easy to read; don't pick one that you love and try to force the kids to read and accept it. Trust me, it won't work. Then, talk and discuss what everyone liked most about the story.
Sharing Family Stories
I adored when my dad told us stories about his family, like when he was in boarding school and how he and his friends would climb the walls to get some corn from the neighbor. Every family has great and interesting stories that deserve to be told and passed down from generation to generation. Don’t lose this idea. Gather and share family stories. It’s a wonderful way to connect as a family, learn more about your roots, and be amazed by them.
Exercising Together
Yoga or Dance Classes
Whether you look for and find online videos to do yoga or dance classes as a family, or go out to practice them at a school, it’s a great way not only to spend quality time together but also to stay active while having fun.
Outdoor Games
If you have space at home or nearby, organize games like soccer, volleyball, or a fun treasure hunt. Depending on your kids' preferences, the more athletic ones will always choose a physical activity, and the more intellectual ones will undoubtedly go for the treasure hunt, where you can include additional prizes to motivate them more.
In conclusion, when we're at home on vacation, we always look for ways to keep the kids from getting bored, but also not spending all day in front of the TV or on their phones, or playing video games all day. But let's be honest, it's not easy to simply make them stop doing these things, so it's better to set schedules or limits on the time they spend on these activities and combine them with one or more of the activities we suggested above. As parents, we know that often it's not that these activities are boring, it's just that the kids don't know them. So, we need to teach them from a young age. Don't you think so?
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Tastes of La Paz.