heartosunshine Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 I'm hoping to get some good ideas for "Daycations"! What were some of your best day trips with the family? What kinds of activities did the kids enjoy the most? Was it strictly fun or did you sneak in something educational? Please include any tips or tricks (especially for keeping it low cost). :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Favorites in the past have been *berry picking at a local berry farm then coming home and making jam together. *beach *any museum within driving distance. They especially like the ones in the smaller towns. We do this then go for a picnic, or stop off at a tea house. *backyard camping. I have set up the tent in the backyard(though they have not been allowed to sleep in it over night yet, -old town wasn't safe, this one no fence). But having the tent set up to play in, some water fun, roasting hot dogs and/or marshmellows on a fire pit if you have one. * are there any upcoming rodeos, fairs, festivals etc coming up? We have several that will be in our town or in a neighboring town that are fun to attend. Being as dirt poor as I am everything we do is free or cheap. The most I usually spend is on the gas itself, though some of the museums have an admission cost. The berry picking can get pricey but IF we do it, we only do it once the whole summer so we consider it a huge treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 We have an amazing town pool so we spend a ton of time there. We go to NYC a lot. Local museums, exhibits Beach, lake, playground with water feature Zoo Library-we visit ones in other towns also where we can also check out books Starbucks :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) Here are some local things to do: 1. Hang up a city map and try to locate all the parks (or hiking trails, etc.) and see how many you can visit. I got a very inexpensive local map from the local mapmaker. It's cut a bit crooked and he couldn't sell it. He sells pricey ones to the fire department, real estate companies, etc. Or you could make a map. 2. Make a challenge to bike a certain number of local miles. 3. Become food critics and go (bike, drive, walk) to different places and check out their lemonade or iced tea or vanilla ice cream or french fries and then compare them all. 4. Have a block party. Some cities will send out a policeman to barracade the streets and a shiny fire truck to climb on. Maybe organize a bike/trike/stroller/scooter parade where the kids decorate their vehicles (and helmets) with streamers and such. 5. If it is not offensive to your family, check out the local haunted sites. Just go and have fun looking at the old castles, hotels, etc. that are said to have ghosts. 6. Do all the touristy things. 7. Walk through the old historic downtown area that you never go to. Bring a little money for ice cream or coffee or whatever. 8. Go through the city's first cemetery. Take plain paper and crayons and do etchings of interesting headstones. 9. Have one of you take pictures around town and the rest figure out where they were. A sort of treasure hunt. 10. Similarly, do a scavenger hunt. A fun one is to break into two groups (or have two families do this) and give them a list and a camera and they have to come back with pictures of things like a green pickup truck, an emergency vehicle, a cashier wearing a nametag with a foreign name, an ice cream cone, a dog, a musical instrument, a monument or statue, a school bus, a car that's dented, someone wearing braces, a baby sleeping in a stroller. Of course, ask permission first before taking someone's picture... 11. Go to the farmer's markets with a $20 and buy veggies for the week. 12. Take a cooking class, a craft class, etc. 13. Star-gaze in a dark park. 14. Check the paper for free concerts. 15. Some hotels will let you use their gym and pool for a small fee. That's what kids like about traveling anyway, isn't it, the hotel pool! What hotel in town has a water slide or other interesting feature? Edited July 10, 2011 by Bassoonaroo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Trip to the local root beer stand late at night. :) We like to bundle them up in their jammies and take a late night ride for root beer. My folks used to do this with us and I loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 I'm hoping to get some good ideas for "Daycations"! What were some of your best day trips with the family? What kinds of activities did the kids enjoy the most? Was it strictly fun or did you sneak in something educational? Please include any tips or tricks (especially for keeping it low cost). :bigear: This will not be low cost, but the kids (and dh and I) really enjoyed doing a zipline thing. I think this is the place we went: http://www.carolinaziplines.com/ Lots of fun! But around $50 each. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLVD Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 We live in an area with lots of islands and ferries. Some of my favorite daycations include heading to Orcas or San Juan Island. We take the ferry, eat great food, etc. We do try to stay overnight when we can though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Well, here in Michigan, daycations usually mean a trip to the lake. No matter which side of the state you live on, going to the lake is like going to an inland "sea". We head to our favorite state park (this year an annual park pass only costs $10.00 per vehicle so it's a real bargain), pack a picnic lunch and supper, and off we go. The parks have very nice picnic facilities, grills, changing areas, bathrooms, etc. The park rangers usually have nature presentations and there are hiking trails plus places to fish. For us, we are only 30 minutes away so if I pack the night before, we can leave first thing in the morning and not come home until the day use portion closes at dark. I highly recommend the lakeside mini-vacation. The kids get good and worn out, sleep late the next day, and I am usually very jovial after a day at the water. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Trip to the local root beer stand late at night. :) We like to bundle them up in their jammies and take a late night ride for root beer. My folks used to do this with us and I loved it. We do this too, we call them Jammie rides though we usually go for ice cream. The kids adore these rides, though it has been a long time since we did one. Thanks for the reminder, I will add it to our must do's this summer. My folks knew of a little store out in teh country that sold penny candy when I was a kid. We would take jammie rides to the penny candy store. They would give us each a dollar and we would get a whole little bag filled with candies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 1) a walk along a river with a picnic lunch 2) a new hiking trail 3) recently we were downtown with nothing to do except walk. They had a blast checking out the sculptures and statues in from of buildings - stuff I never would have noticed if I was not with them. 4) a farmer's market 5) free outdoor concert or children's program in summer 6) fly a kite 7)playground with water play area or just a really good playground in another neighborhood 8) call your local tourist information or search the web for hidden gems in your area 9)a nearby historic town I am a bit sad that recently we brought the children to some waterfalls and a park that I had not been to in years but that used to be free and now they are both charging admission :glare: but there are still many things that are free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 - Take a walk through a nature preserve. Make sure to stop and read all the signs identifying the plants and animals. - Go swimming at the beach/river/spring, whatever you have locally. Is there somewhere you could rent kayaks or canoes and go on an expedition? - Play at a splash park or city pool. (The city just to the south of us has its own "water park" with a regular pool for swimming and a shallow pool with various fountains for the littler kids, as well as a good water slide. Admission is very inexpensive, like $5 per person.) - Find a walkable part of the city and spend the day wandering and browsing the shops. - State parks often have great things to do and are usually inexpensive. Sometimes, you can buy annual passes that allow admission to all the parks in your state for a very reasonable price. The ones in Florida have fun, historical things like forts to visit. - Drive-in movies? I know there aren't a lot of them left, but we have one within about an hour's drive from us. It's such a novelty to most kids that it can be a big treat. And per-person admission is usually less expensive than a regular theatre. - Day camping? Lots of KOA campgrounds have fun things to do (mini-golf, bounce pillows, etc.). I know you said there are medical reasons that make camping not an option for your family, but would it be possible to rent a space for a night and then just go to the campground for the day? You could use the space to picnic and as a "home base," but then come home and pitch a tent in your living room for the night. - Visit historical sites or districts within a reasonable drive. For example, we live about two hours from St. Augustine, and I grew up in Southern California not far from Solvang. I'm sure there are places like that all over the country. - Find craft fairs or festivals. The big park in the middle of our city has something going on at least a couple of times a month. - Visit all the silly roadside attractions you wouldn't otherwise bother to see. (On a road trip not too long ago, I took my kids to see Foam Henge, which was surprisingly fun.) - Take your own or rent bikes and ride somewhere pretty. - Go to a Renaissance Faire or Pirate Festival or whatever you've got in your area. - Tour a factory if you happen to live somewhere that has something good. There's a fire truck factory in Florida, for example, where you can take a tour. And we have a huge commercial bakery nearby, too. - Paint ceramics. You do have to buy the pieces and pay a studio fee, but it might be fun to do once. (And it has the perk of being inside and air conditioned.) - Museums? - Caves and caverns? I don't know where you are, but if you want to share that, I'd be happy to see if I could brainstorm some more specific suggestions for you. You might also check the websites of your city and state and see what they are promoting to tourists. And then there are things that don't require you to leave town. For example, pack the kids in the car and head to the toy store (or dollar store) and let everyone choose an inexpensive water shooter of some sort. Stop at the grocery store for popsicles. Come home, put everyone in their bathing suits and let them have a massive water battle in the yard. My kids used to love to camp out in the living room. They would choose a movie to watch through the door of the tent, and I would make them a vat of popcorn to share. My daugher reminds that I would sometimes put food coloring in the popcorn to coordinate with the movie. For example, I would tint it green when they watched Skrek, blue for Lilo and Stitch, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 We live between two large cities, so we may have more opportunites than most, but most of the past dozen years or so has been spent packing up every other week or so for a day trip: zoos, science centers, historical reenactments, museums, battlefield tours, plays, musical performances, art exhibits, festivals, scenic train rides, nature walks, state park programming, etc. My biggest tip would be to be organized. I check calendars and events listings and our calendar well in advance. It is better to know the day before where you are going, have everything packed and ready to go, and hit the road early. You beat all the crowds of people who got up and then decided what to do that day. Also, if we are going to pay admission, we like to stay from open to close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartosunshine Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 These are some great ideas! Thank you! We have done many day trips to local museums, zoos, etc. already so it's nice to have the more unusual ideas. Also, my kids are 11 1/2 & 13, so it seems they are not as easily entertained as they used to be. :glare: Also, maybe I'll try driving farther away to visit new sights? How far will you travel for a day trip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 These are some great ideas! Thank you! We have done many day trips to local museums, zoos, etc. already so it's nice to have the more unusual ideas. Also, my kids are 11 1/2 & 13, so it seems they are not as easily entertained as they used to be. :glare: Also, maybe I'll try driving farther away to visit new sights? How far will you travel for a day trip? Yes, as they get older we transition from zoos and science centers to museums and events: technology fairs, cultural festivals, art shows, etc. I will drive up to three hours for a one-day trip if I have to. I think it's a mental thing for me. We lived three hours from extended family growing up, so we often made the trip back and forth in one day. We leave very early for long drives. Many times, anything past one or two hours gets an overnight stay, though, with another visit to something in the area the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Check and see if a movie theater in your area is showing summer movies. There's one about 1/2 an hour away from us that is showing $2 movies during the week all summer long. Most of them are Disney classics -- Mary Poppins, Beauty & the Beast, Winnie the Pooh, Finding Nemo. My kids look forward to this every summer! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 #1 get in the car and "get lost". Basically, you try to get yourself lost (this may or may not work and depends on how long you have lived in your area). You may find new things along the way. These were always my favourite types of daycations our family took and we occasionally do it with our kids. We recently found a wildflower reserve this way. We got so wrapped around roads that every time we came to a sign that said "Lancaster" on it, it was ALWAYS "8 miles". LOL! We must have made one big circle. #2 Find any historical sites in your area. Or any museums, botanical gardens, zoos, etc. #3 bbq at a park. #4 head to the nearest beach, lake, or river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.