How to make the best memories from your 2021 Staycation
Worried you won’t wow the kids with your staycation this year?
Think again as we show you the best way to make magical memories on your 2021 staycation.
The coronavirus pandemic has made lots of us choose a staycation as our holiday choice in 2021, but that gives us an opportunity to make the most magical memories to cherish forever! In this guide, we will show you how to make the best memories from your staycation this year, and capture them for everyone to enjoy for years to come…
How to make the best memories from your staycation
Making sure that you make the best staycation memories is all about planning. In 2021 spontaneity is much more difficult, meaning you’ll need to plan in advance to ensure there’ll be plenty of ‘wow’ moments.
Research together
Firstly, if you are taking a road trip or a summer staycation in another county, do your RESEARCH! Think about what experiences the whole family will enjoy at the destination. Get creative! Have family meeting and get ideas from everyone. You get bonus family time achieved too head of the trip!
Cosmopolitan.com has a great round up of the most quirky and unique Airbnbs in the UK. Glamping is also becoming the perfect staycation escape from it all holiday. Your family can get closer to nature, and to each other at sites such as River Barns, Bridge, in Cornwall, which is ideally located for a mix of seaside and countryside activities.
Plan a variety of activities to suit everyone
Secondly, research the local area and plan some fun, memory-making activities. Your accommodation website, and local town/area websites are usually great places to start. Activities don’t need to be expensive though to create the best memories. For instance, simple things such as enjoying time together, visiting beaches, taking picnics and playing board games can all add to the best family staycation your kids will remember.
Book in advance
And finally, don’t forget that in our current climate of covid restrictions, you’ll need to book most activities and meals out in advance, but once your staycation itinerary has been planned, you can relax and concentrate on making the best memories with your kids.
Take photos
The most obvious way to capture memories is to take photos – lots of them! A dozen shots of the same view, a group selfie, or a plate of food. These often just end up clogging up your phone as you can’t decide which ones to delete. Why not try something different this year. In amongst your usual photos, include shots of hotel signs, shadows, clouds and colours in the sky, and candid shots of your family members enjoying a moment. Take photos of doors, boats, textures in the sand, flowers and plants – anything that makes your location unique. These are the photos that will capture those magical moments, therefore enhancing your memories of your trip.
Keep a journal
If you are planning to make a scrapbook of the best memories your family staycation, why not keep a journal whilst you are away. It doesn’t have to be an hour by hour account of each day. Using the notes app on your phone, or a small pocket sized notebook, make notes on each days itinerary, write about funny things that happen, about people you meet. Describe memories using all five senses: sights, sounds, smells, taste, textures. Most important of all, record in the moment feelings that you’d like to capture for your scrapbook.
Collect Souvenirs
Why not include some fun memory capturing activities for the kids also. You can get them to take responsibility for collecting souvenirs from places you visit: travel and entry tickets, business cards of places you stay or visit, brochures, receipts, napkins, favourite food wrappers, postcards, flowers or leaves to press, tiny pebbles, shells or sea glass.
Mark out your route
If you are on a road trip, get your kids to help you mark on a map all the places you stop on your route, and make a note of their favourite songs that they’ve listened to in the car each day for a staycation top 10 at the end of the trip. Have fun with numbers too: get them to make a note of how many miles you travel, places you visit, days you spend away, ice creams they eat etc! Getting kids involved with capturing memories can add to the excitement of the trip.
There are many reasons for scrapbooking to be a great way to store staycation memories. Here are our top 5:
- Scrapbooking is a fun project to make together after your trip, prolonging the magical memories you’ve just made. It helps you to reflect and feel thankful of your time together.
- You can use it to create an edited version of your memories, by making photo collages of the best parts of each day or location, therefore showcasing the highlights of your staycation.
- It’s a way of recording less tangible things such as feelings, sounds and smells to trigger memories of moments you might otherwise forget.
- A scrapbook organises and preserves your memories in a way that can be cherished forever. Memories can change over time, so it can sit on your shelf as a reminder of a magical staycation to be dipped into whenever the mood takes you.
- Sharing memories of your staycation with others becomes much more enjoyable. Kids have a visual reminder of a magical staycation to show to grandparents and friends.
Browse our collections of memories and travel scrapbooks and have one personalised for your family staycation, or why not order one with a plain cover and customize it yourself.
Where are you staycationing this year? We’d love you to share your best memories with us.
