We previously blogged about the growth in popularity of staycations at home. This is where you don’t physically go away on holiday, but instead, you spend time at home with your loved ones, relaxing from the pressures of work/school.

The Rise in Popularity of Family Staycations

Family staycations have become popular because it’s a much easier way of spending time together as a family. Rather than rushing around trying to get a last-minute passport or having to cope with toddler tantrums as you travel along the M25, a family staycation means that you can spend some valuable time making memories with your children.

It may surprise you to know that there are many delights available at your fingertips without having to travel anywhere. A quick search of your local tourist information bureau should be able to bring up some examples of some wonderful days out or places of interest for you to visit during your family staycation.

Ten Ways to Make the Most of Your Family Staycation

You may be considering staying at home for your next holiday, but maybe you’re not sure how to make it fun for the family. To help you make your decision, we’ve compiled a list of ten tips on staycation for families.

1. Get the whole family involved

When it comes to family staycations, it’s important to ensure that everyone is on board with the idea. We recommend taking some time as a family to plan what you want to do during your time off.

In our experience, family staycations are about compromise. It’s important that everyone feels included and has the time to enjoy their holiday in the same way that they would if you travelled away from home.

2. Spend as much time as possible in the fresh air

It’s impossible to fully unwind if you are glued to your devices, so why not implement a digital detox where you all put down the phones and tablets? Try to spend a few hours each day in the fresh air – you may be amazed to discover how much It can help you to relax.

3. Set yourself a budget

One of the main advantages of family staycations is how affordable they are.

If you choose to stay at home, you may find that you are spending more money on days out to local tourist attractions. Your food bill is likely to be considerably higher – even if you aren’t eating out, or ordering takeaways during the week, your snack budget will increase! If it is important your UK staycation is affordable, then why not set yourself a budget in the same way that you would if you were away from home.

4. Challenge yourself to save some money

Why not set yourself a challenge not to spend any money for 24 or 48 hours to make things affordable? You may be surprised by what you can do to keep you and your kids entertained. For example, why not take a walk in the local woods or go on a family bike ride?

5. Don’t be tempted to do the chores

If you’re staying at home, it’s so tempting to get started on those long-awaited chores. After all, how often do you have time to paint the fence or tidy up the shed? But if you spend your entire UK staycationwith your family completing the odd-jobs, then you’ll be missing out on a chance to unwind.

Instead, make a promise to yourself that you won’t do any unnecessary household tasks. Why not take the time to spend quality time relaxing with your family?

6. Invite family or friends to join in

A bonus of staycations for families is that you can invite family or friends to join you at a moment’s notice. If you have a fun afternoon planned in your garden playing games, or you’ve transformed your garden room into something completely new, why not invite those closest to you to join in?

The flexibility of a staycation at home means that you can change your plans quickly and easily.

7. Give yourself a fantasy theme

If you have a garden room or an outdoor space, why not temporarily redecorate a room to choose a new theme? You could choose a different theme or location every day – maybe incorporate this into your family planning that we mentioned earlier? Thanks to online retailers such as Amazon or local pound shops/charity shops, you could easily transform your living space in a quick and easy, yet affordable way.

8. Step out of your comfort zone

A great feeling about holidays is that time is endless. You are not bound by normal routines. If you want to go to bed late or get up in the early afternoon, it’s not a problem. So why not bring some of that flexibility to your staycation for families?

A simple way to feel like you’re doing something different is to step out of your comfort one and routine. Why not spend the day in your pyjamas? Who says that films can only be watched in the evening? Simply changing a few elements of your usual routine can help you to feel like you’ve had a well-deserved break.

9. It’s all about playtime!

Our final tip is that staycations for families should be all about fun. We know that many people like to use their garden rooms as a distinct playroom so why not spend as much time as possible in there with your children? You may be surprised to see where young imaginations may take you, or how competitive you may become whilst playing another round of Uno!

10. Make sure you have some ‘you’ time!

Being in the same space with your loved ones is great, but we all need a little break at times.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden room, then why not set aside half an hour each day where one of you can use the space for some peaceful reflection and relaxation? You could even invest in a chalk-board, if you haven’t already got one, and decide who has first pass each day!

Make the most of your garden room

When it comes to family staycations there are numerous possibilities for you to make use of your garden room. Whether you want to spend time with your children playing games, or you want to transform it into a luxury getaway in your own backyard, the possibilities are endless.

At SMART Garden Offices, we have a wide range of garden rooms which can give your family the extra space that you need. With 6 ranges available, and 64 different sizes, there is something for everyone.

To find out more about how to make the most of your garden room, please contact us or download a copy of our latest brochure.