Finding the Joy in a “Homecation” (When Everyone else is Travelling)

When Travel Isn’t in the Cards: Homecations!

If your social feed is full of friends jetting off to Disney or Europe, it’s easy to feel like your summer is falling short. But a summer homecation with kids can still be joyful, memorable, and deeply connecting. Whether you’re sticking close to home for financial (and perhaps, er, political reasons), or work schedules, there are ways to turn this season into something your kids will still talk about in September—and not just with envy.

Why Homecations Matter (Especially This Year)

For many families across Canada and the U.S., 2025 is shaping up to be a tighter summer. Rising travel costs, long work commutes, and overbooked camps have left lots of parents wondering: What now?

Here’s the good news: Kids don’t need plane tickets to feel wonder. They just need presence, novelty, and a little maybe magic and creativity.

How to Make a Summer Homecation with Kids Feel Special

Homecations shouldn’t feel like leftovers. Here’s how to elevate the everyday:

• Pick the top 10 places to visit in your area – Look for the top tourist area where you live and select a few you haven’t done before. TripAdvisor is a great place to start, you’ll likely start to gain a new appreciation for your local area!

• Create a “Homecation Passport” – Use stickers or stamps for every new activity completed.

• Flip the Routine – Try breakfast picnics, flashlight walks before bed, or pizza for breakfast. Make it wild and fun.

• Invest in One Wow Factor – A sprinkler dome, outdoor movie projector, or even a bubble machine can go a long way on those days when you may be stuck at your computer, or weekends that need a little excitement for the kids.

Jealousy is Normal—Here’s How to Handle It

Kids are natural comparers. If their friends are off to Legoland or a European cruise, it’s okay if they feel a bit left behind. It’s important to help them manage that disappointment and reframe.

How to respond:

• Validate, then reframe. “I get it—it looks amazing! I’d love to go too. Let’s plan something fun of our own today.”

• Share your own stories. Talk about your favorite childhood memories that didn’t involve big trips.

• Focus on what they can control. Give them choices: water balloon fight or scavenger hunt? Ice cream for dinner or breakfast?

• Limit doomscrolling. If every scroll brings more FOMO, suggest a break from social media (for them—and you).

💡 Tip: Create a “Summer Highlights Jar” and add a slip of paper every time something fun happens. By August, it’s a reminder they had a great summer!

Unique & Affordable Homecation Ideas:

Not your average “go to the park” list—these ideas add something special:

Backyard Festivals

• Make a DIY carnival with face paint, prizes, and popcorn – or even better check the local calendar and see what festivals and carnivals might be in your area. The more unique the better- I’m looking at you Butter Tart Festival!

• DIY Carnival – Set up mini games (ring toss, sponge toss, bean bag throw), offer prizes from the dollar store, and sell popcorn or lemonade with play money.

• Friday Theme Nights – Rotate each week:

  • Taco Truck Night (serve from a wagon or picnic table)

  • Backyard Glow Party (glow sticks, LED balloons, music)

  • Beach Bash (kiddie pool, tropical snacks, ukulele playlist)

  • Outdoor Pajama Party (storytelling + s’mores)

• Build Your Own Waterpark – Use tarps, sprinklers, baby shampoo slides, and water balloon piñatas.

• Backyard Spa Day – Kiddie mani-pedis, cucumber water, and foot soaks under the sun.

• Bubble Bonanza – Giant bubble wands, bubble foam pits (just tear-free soap + water + bath bomb mixer), and bubble art painting.

• Mini Olympics – Compete in silly events: three-legged races, spoon-egg relays, and hula hoop marathons.

• Camp Backyard – Sleep outside (or don’t!), tell scary stories, roast marshmallows, and stargaze.

Neighbourhood Explorers

• Geocaching or Nature Bingo – Use a phone app or printable to hunt for local treasures.

• Playground Challenge – Visit and rate every park within biking distance. Bonus: Pack “judging cards” with scores for slides, swings, and shade.

• Tour de Snack – Walk or bike to try a new treat from every local café or bakery. Make it a summer bracket.

• Urban Safari – Take photos of 10 different animals, bugs, or birds in your area.

• Litter Scavenger Hunt – Help the environment by picking up trash, with prizes for weirdest find or most items collected.

• Neighbourhood Art Walk – Leave chalk messages, painted rocks, or yarn bombs around your block.

 Creative Stay-In Adventures

• Make a Cooking Show Video – Let the kids teach how to make smoothies or grilled cheese (with costumes, accents, and props).

• Around-the-World Week –Italy Monday (pasta night + spaghetti art)  Japan Tuesday (sushi rolling + origami). Mexico Wednesday (piñatas + telenovela skits. India Thursday (bollywood dancing + henna tattoos) Canada Friday (poutine night + maple syrup taffy)

• Book Club + Movie Night – Read a short book, then watch the movie version (e.g., Charlotte’s Web, Matilda, The Lorax).

• Frozen-Inspired Ice Day – Giant ice blocks with frozen toys inside to chip out, Elsa dresses, and snow cones.

• Mini Fashion Week – Kids design outfits from recycling bin materials, then do a living room runway show.

• Home Science Camp – Try DIY volcanoes, slime labs, or solar oven s’mores.

 Build Something Big!

• Cardboard Kingdom – Collect boxes and create a castle, pirate ship, rocket, or maze. Let kids paint it!

• Fairy Village or Gnome Home – Use twigs, moss, rocks, and clay to build a magical backyard zone.

• Obstacle Course – Design it together: hula hoops, pool noodles, ropes, tunnels, and balance beams.

• Mini Golf Course – Use household items to create 9 backyard holes.

• DIY Birdhouse Village – Paint, decorate, and hang together. Watch for guests!

• Pallet Playhouse or Mud Kitchen – A perfect longer-term project if you’re handy.

• Grow Something Together – A pizza garden (tomatoes, basil, oregano), sunflower challenge, or butterfly-friendly flowers.

• Photo Challenges – Pick a daily theme (“blue things,” “silly faces,” “nature close-ups”) and do a daily family vote.

• Sensory Sandbox – Rotate between themes: dinosaur dig, construction zone, “ice cream” shop with kinetic sand.

• Make a Time Capsule – Fill it with drawings, newspaper clippings, favorite toys, and summer notes to future selves.

Connection Over Comparison

The best part of a summer homecation with kids? You’re not rushing. There’s room for spontaneous fun, relaxed mornings, late evenings, and meaningful moments you might miss between airport lines, busy museums, and itinerary checkboxes.

Let this be the summer your family remembers not for where you went, but for how you felt together.