Hi, my name is Kate Hislop and as a member and volunteer at Coeliac NZ, I'd like to share with you some ideas for planning your Easter 'staycaction' as we persist in week three of the COVID-19 Alert 4 lockdown!
The planning
Get your bubble together and decide what you’d all most like to do. You could let each person have one idea (of course this must stay within the current alert level 4 restrictions). You might like to put these all in a jar, and pull them out randomly or plan the activities. Plan what you might need (items for your pantry to have on hand and so on). Discuss some rules such as, will it be a technology free time? Make sure everyone understands to minimise arguments. Be flexible, we all know things don’t always go to plan so leave room to go with the flow too. Also, it could be a good idea to tidy your home before you start, so you can really relax and enjoy your time.
Some staycation ideas
There are so many ideas on the internet, especially depending on what stage of life you are at, singles, kids, no kids, empty nesters etc, here’s a 20 we picked that could work within the lockdown.
- Plan a movie night, set your lounge up like a cinema or with cushions on the floor. Don’t forget the popcorn
- An in-house dance party. Dress in your best dance shoes and turn the music up
- Head out for a walk, close to home and discuss something interesting to your bubble, such as name five things you are all thankful for, spotting teddy bears in windows or your favourite colours around your neighbourhood or discuss what you most appreciate about each person in your bubble
- Have a games night with your bubble or plan one with friends and family online
- Choose your favourite recipes and do some baking with your bubble
- Plan and cook a family favourite meal, you could even make your own ice cream sundaes!
- Create your own day spa, pop a bath bomb, some essential oil or whatever you love into a bath, get a good book and relax
- Have a beauty and nail afternoon. Have fun creating new looks with make-up, hair and do each others nails
- Enjoy your backyard. Whether it’s a DIY cricket set, volleyball or setting up a mini golf course let everyone get involved and be a part of setting it up as well as playing, you’ll make some great memories!
- Set up a video chat with family or friends
- Let the kids put on a concert for you, they create the script, design the tickets and you’ll be the audience or have a family karaoke night
- Have a picnic in your own backyard
- Set up your own “photo booth”, find some props from your wardrobe or toybox and have fun taking pictures, you could even make this into a photo book to remember your memories through the lockdown
- Stay up late and star gaze
- Play the latest craze, “the floor is lava”!
- Put up a tent the backyard and camp for the night or weekend. If you don’t have a tent you could create a family slumber party in the living room
- Dress in your finest and have a dinner party with your bubble, even if it’s GF macaroni and cheese, dress up and make it a memory
- Create treasure hunts for each other, this can be a lot of fun for the creators and the hunters
- Make coffee, tea and/or hot chocolate one evening and take turns telling each other what your wildest dreams are and where you want to be in five, ten years time
- Have a crafternoon! Whether it’s learning to knit, sew, make a bird feeder, colour, make a thankfulness jar or create a vision board there are SO many ideas (if you’re stuck head to https://www.pinterest.nz/).
I hope that no matter what your staycation looks like, it brings smiles, laughter and memories for everyone in your bubble. Stay safe!
Kate Hislop is the owner of the marketing and social media company 320 Marketing Co and is dedicated to helping small kiwi businesses to thrive online
