How to Enjoy a Staycation With the Kids – Five Quick Tips for Finding Local Entertainment

You have a vacation from work but not enough extra money to travel to a great vacation destination...or do you? The family budget is tighter than a tick on the dog, but there are many low cost ways to enjoy a vacation while staying near home. Taking short day trips can be a great way to create fun family memories while saving on accommodations. Pack a picnic lunch and you can also forgo expensive restaurant bills.

Here are five tips for finding local spots for entertaining the kids near home:

Find Fun Family Activities Near Home © Katrena

1. Ask friends/family members who live nearby. 

This is a great place to start because they often know your interests and may be able to give you the inside scoop on a nice variety of day trip ideas in the local vicinity. Many folks live within a few miles of a park, museum, ball field, or other recreational opportunity. Some of my friends may remark that they have never been to a place featured in one of my articles that is a short distance from their home.

Find Fun Local Places and Activities at Chamber of Commerce © Katrena

2. Check out your local Chamber of Commerce. 

Many counties, cities, and towns offer free services at the Chamber of Commerce. They often feature a calendar of events in the community and surrounding areas. Many have online services. I also like to visit the Chamber of Commerce in person and find brochures with coupons. Some offer free maps – I realize most folks have GPS now, but some maps include information about recreational activities.

Free Kids Activities at the Local Library © Katrena

3. Visit your local library. 

Many libraries offer free programs for the kids throughout the year. We have enjoyed a wonderful mix of activities at our library, such as Mad Science, animals, music, meet the author, magic shows, story time, and much more. Future library funding may be tied to number of participants, and it would be a real shame to lose resources simply because people were unaware of the great wealth of free programs offered at the public libraries. Libraries also offer books, videos, music, online resources, and much more.

Fun Outdoor and Indoor Activities at Local Parks and Recreation © Katrena

4. Look at your local Parks and Recreation Program. 

Many people look at the parks and recreation program only as a way to sign the kids up for sports. Local parks and recreation give the family a great opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the scenery and time together. It doesn't have to be fancy. Pack a Frisbee, athletic shoes, and a picnic lunch. You might also find classes and other interesting activities through these programs. If you haven't visited a local park in recent years, you may be surprised to find new resources awaiting!

5. Find your local Smart Start program. 

In my early years of raising kids, I avoided Smart Start. I thought it was another program altogether. Finally, someone clued me in on the wonderful resources at the Smart Start office that are available to local families with young children. Our office offers a great toy library where you can check out a themed box of toys. The kids play with the toys for a couple of weeks, and then we return the box and search for another one. They also have many other resources. This is where I signed my kids up for Dolly Pardon's Imagination Library, a program where the kids younger than 5 receive a book in the mail each month.

Equipped with these five resources, you can quickly transform a boring TV-watching staycation into an amazing time of family fun and adventure. By utilizing local resources, you may help your community to keep adding more opportunities for future generations while creating fun family memories to enjoy together without busting the pig.

Find more of Katrena's travel ideas and reviews at Love 2 Travel With Kids and Travel NC With Kids.