How do you go on a trip without leaving home? Easy-plan a staycation! Instead of going to visit your favorite country, have the country come to you with on-theme meals, music, and games. It’s an educational way to keep kids amused, recreate a special trip, and explore the world from your own backyard or living room.
For a staycation breakfast celebrating one of my favorite vacation spots—France—arrange construction paper into flag “placemats,” print out conversation bubbles with French sayings to top croissants (crepes suzette, baguettes, macarons or any other French specialty would work, too), and set out a French-themed game for the family to play.
To create a staycation in your favorite spot—or “visit” a different country every weekend, you might:
Movies:
Host a movie night showing films set in the country—or just have them playing in the background (think Le Divorce or The Umbrellas of Cherbourg for France, Under the Tuscan Sun or Roman Holiday for Italy, Mama Mia and its sequel for Greece).
Music:
Make a playlist of popular songs in the language of the country or by bands from the country—the Beatles and David Bowie for England, say.
Food:
Serve food from that cuisine, whether it’s a whole meal (a tagine for Morocco or paella for Spain) or snacks (fries in a paper cone for Belgium, churros for Mexico).
Games:
Get creative! You could try Celebrity with famous people from the country, bingo with words or icons of the place, a flashcard contest to see who can remember the most vocabulary in the language, or make your own game inspired by the French one we played. (For a how-to, click here) Or, if you’ve got the outdoor space, play a game that’s popular in the country: croquet for England, bocce for Italy, or, if you’ve got little kids, set up a “running of the bulls” as in Pamplona, Spain, with have the gang being bulls and half being humans running around the backyard.
Language:
Learn a little bit of the language! Teach yourselves greetings and goodbyes, how to count to 10, or a children’s song or nursery rhyme.
Decor:
Speaking of language, when it comes to decor, have fun words—use conversation bubbles filled with local expressions or slang to top cupcakes or other food, scatter across the table like confetti, or tape to the wall as decor. To download a conversation bubble template you can fill in with any phrase, click here.
Then, party on! Or, as they say in French (and in New Orleans–staycations can be domestic, too!) laissez les bons temps rouler!
How would that look for a French staycation party?
Movies:
So many to choose from: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, An American in Paris, Le Divorce, Gigi, or Beauty and the Beast if the kids are coming on the staycation.
Music:
Edith Piaf, Johnny Halliday, Carla Bruni, playlists from the Hotel Costes, or the soundtrack to any of the films above
Food:
Brunch would be croissants or quiche, lunch sweet and savory crepes, baguettes and a cheese plate, croque monsieur, and dinner could be bouillabaise, coq au vin or steak au poivre. Or maybe you just serve dessert? Macarons, croquembouche and various patisseries.
Games:
Pétanque out on the lawn, charades in the living room (acting out French movies, books, and people—even the name of the game is French!), celebrity (“Are you Coco Chanel? Marie Curie?), bilboquet is the French name for the cup-and-ball game we all know and love, and it was invented in the 1500s in France; see who can keep it going the longest! And for a grown-ups only affair: wine-tasting!
Language:
Anyone who has seen Hamilton can sing un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix! Add Bonjour, bonsoir, and other celebratory phrases like bonne chance! (Good luck!) along with farewells (bonsoir! Au revoir! adieu!)
For more ideas, check out our From Paris with Love party by clicking here.