I heard a mom once say that children don’t think as much about the “final” destination of a trip…rather they truly enjoy the “journey”. So my husband and I did some thinking about instilling more “journeys” into our family time. And that triggered a thought – how about a “VACATION IN THE BACKYARD”?
Our approach was simple, we decided to leverage my husband’s LOVE for camping. But the thought of camping with a 2 year old and a 39 week pregnant mommy…not a whole lot of fun. But if you pop-up a tent in the backyard, cookout over a campfire, tell princess stories, catch fireflies, and go to bed at a whopping 10pm with a jar of fireflies flashing…that is a GREAT time! Our daughter is still talking about it.
After doing a little research here are some other Back Yard or Homecations ideas:
Drive-In Movie Marathon Remember the days of watching movies from your family station wagon, in your pajamas with a bowl of popcorn?
Imagine; a drive-in in you backyard with your neighborhood friends and a great flick projected onto a large white sheet.
Field Day Fun or Carnival This is a kids extravaganza in your own backyard so you don’t have to deal 
with crowds at a theme park.
Imagine; a slip n slide, snow cones, egg toss, water balloon fight and much more – pretty simple and a lot of fun. If you do decide Disney World is a must…check out the Do’s & Don’ts from Melissa.
A REAL Treasure Hunt Have your heard of Geo-cashing? I haven’t tried it myself but my sister is pretty passionate about it and promises great fun especially with 3 little boys.
Imagine; a treasure hunt that’s fun for kids AND adults.
Hope these tips come in handy. And when in doubt, I find peace in knowing kids love the idea we make a “journey” out of the small and uneventful trips. So my last trip to the grocery store, I caved and let Bear ride in the CARcart – yes the large plastic car mounted on the front of the cart. As I was buckling Bear’s imaginary friend into the seat beside her…I smiled because I could see the excitement on Bear’s face. A couple of fast corners and zoom-zoom sounds, our daughter believed this was better than an amusement park ride!
We love homecations! These are great tips! And at least once a summer my hubby camps in the backyard with the boys. I’m so very glad to have the house all to myself!
Steph
these are great ideas !!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks
I actually gave my nephews personalized Geocashing notebooks this past Christmas. I gave them some leads and then had name stampers made so they could stamp all the treasures they find. I thought it was such a great gift because I think Geocashing sounds like a blast- not sure if they ever used the present but I know my brother liked it!!