10 of the Best Activities for Your Next Staycation

July 21, 2020 | Holidays

With many events, festivals, camps, and other activities cancelled this summer, it’s the perfect time to organize a staycation. Instead of mourning the summer events that were lost, be intentional with your time, and plan some fun and relaxing activities for your family. With a little effort, you can come up with a full schedule that both encourages deeper connections between family members, and takes advantage of the beautiful sunny weather.

 

Safe Staycations in 2020

Take it from our local Windsor real estate team: there are lots of fun activities to do in Essex County that can still be enjoyed while maintaining safe social distancing. To strike a good balance, divide your time between exploring fun outdoor activities locally, and staying closer to home. Make sure you pack lots of sunscreen, as well as snacks from home as many restaurants and food vendors may not be open this year.

 

Great Activities for a Fun Summer Staycation  

If you aren’t able to go anywhere this summer, it’s tempting to simply ditch your time off and continue with regularly scheduled work hours. This consistency might even feel safer. However, it’s so important that we make time for ourselves, and create space for family activities on a regular basis.

Instead of continuing with work, make a family or solo staycation a priority this summer. Consider some of these activities that will take you away from your normal routine, and encourage both fun and relaxation.

 

1. Go for a Hike

There are lots of places in Essex County for hiking or nature walking. From Tremblay Beach or Ruscom Shores in Stoney Point to the Pelee Island Waterfront Trail, there are plenty of great choices that are open now.

Be sure to keep it moving on beaches, and avoid close contact with others if you’re making your way along narrow trails. While most outdoor areas in national and provincial parks in Ontario are open, keep in mind that facilities like restrooms may still be closed to the public.

 

2. Have a Picnic

A picnic is a great way to create some excitement about something as mundane as family dinner. You can either do an impromptu backyard picnic at your own home or plan a picnic in a local park.

If you’re going further away from home, make sure the food you’re bringing can survive the trip. Cold packs and bags of ice will help. Sandwiches, cold pasta salads, cut fruit and veggies, and sliced cheese and crackers are all great options for a summer picnic.

 

3. Play Mini Golf

There are a few different places around Essex County that offer mini golf to enthusiasts of all ages. On the Water Miniature Golf in Tecumseh is open 7 days a week and offers two separate 18-hole pirate-themed mini golf courses that are perfect for whiling away an afternoon. Another great option is Silver Tee Golf, located just outside Windsor in Oldcastle. They offer 18 holes of mini golf, with free club rental.

If you don’t feel like being around other people, find a golf putting mat and practice your precision putting. You can easily turn this into a tournament, or take a few quiet moments to coach anyone who wants to improve their form.

 

4. Have an At-Home Wine Tasting

There are so many great wineries in Essex County. Many of them are not conducting wine tastings right now, but that’s not a problem. You can easily organize your own at-home wine tasting by picking up a few bottles from your favourite winery.

Lay out some snacks, invite a few friends over for a backyard visit, and taste the wine together. If you make this a regular occurrence, you can sample the best wines Essex County has to offer!

 

5. Camp in the Backyard

Lots of people are impatient to get out of the city, and even the most eager camping enthusiasts are finding many national park campsites booked through August. Instead of anxiously searching out an available campsite, pitch a tent in your backyard and enjoy a stress-free night under the stars.

 

6. Watch Theatre Online

There are many arts organizations like the Stratford Festival and even Broadway theatres that are making their productions available for viewing online. You can easily check out their websites, or use an external service like BroadwayHD to stream them on any device at home. This is a great way to enjoy live theatre at home, while still supporting some of Canada’s top arts organizations.

 

7. Challenge Your Family to Make Art with Found Objects

Most of us don’t get to flex our creative muscles much at work. To keep things interesting at home on hot summer days, challenge your family to make art from whatever they can find around the house.

Beforehand, try and dig up any art supplies you can find, as well as old magazines, worn-out clothes, recyclables, or toys that can be turned into something brand new. Have a gallery showing after everyone is done, and display each piece for all to see.

 

8. Learn Something New

If the thought of long, idle afternoons makes you eager for a challenge, teach yourself a new skill. There are lots of sites like Coursera, Udemy, or Bluprint that can teach you anything from advanced art history to beginner HTML on your own schedule.

 

9. Take Up a New Hobby

If you aren’t feeling like you want to do a formal course, exercise your brain and keep yourself entertained by learning a new hobby. You can experiment with drawing or painting, take up running or jogging, or even try your hand at woodworking. There are lots of great instruction videos on sites like YouTube, or you can ask a friend who’s into the same hobby to run you through the basics over Zoom.

 

10. Do a Virtual Tour

Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t see the world. Use a tool like Google Arts and Culture to take a virtual tour of historic sites, major museums, and art galleries. This site gives you perfect panoramic views of locations like the Pantheon in Rome, the Taj Mahal, the Louvre, and many more. Google Arts and Culture is a great resource because in addition to giving you HD views of these sites, it also has plenty of information on their history, cultural significance, and more.

 

Treat Every Day at Home Like a Vacation

As real estate agents, we know the importance of your home. Even if you can’t leave your house for a vacation this year, you can still slow down, have fun, and spent quality time with loved ones.

For more ideas of what you can do in the Windsor and Essex County region this summer, get in touch with our local experts at the Dan Gemus Real Estate Team.

 

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