How to enjoy a vacation at home

Staying at home for summer vacation can be really enjoyable. You can take advantage of the time to rest, get some chores done that you’ve been putting off or go exploring in your own neighbourhood.

If you're running out of ideas for how to fill your days off this summer, here’s a list of activities to help you make the most of your “staycation”.

Get a garden started

Whether you have a big backyard or a small city balcony, there are lots of ways to enjoy the summer outdoors at home. One of the most popular gardening activities is growing your own vegetables. There are lots of different fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers that are easy to grow, either in containers and pots or right in the ground.

By growing your own, you’ll have fresh food all summer, and you can attract beautiful birds and butterflies to get better acquainted with the local wildlife.

You can also grow plants to help out the bees, who are so important to our ecosystem, and whose health and numbers have been suffering for several years. With urbanization and the use of chemical products in agriculture, the bees have fewer and fewer sources for healthy food. Thyme, raspberries, rosemary, lavender and sunflowers are all plants that will make the bees in your neighbourhood happy.

Read our article Preparing your garden in the spring to find out how to get started!

Cool down with water games

On hot days, there’s nothing better than cooling down with water games! Whether it’s something as simple as a garden hose and a sprinkler, water baseball, where you replace the ball with water balloons, or a water gun fight, there are tons of ways to cool down while having fun.

If you’re lucky enough to have a pool or a spa at home, don’t forget to make sure your home insurance is up to date!

Master the BBQ

Now that you’re spending more time at home, why not work on your BBQ skills? It’s a delicious way to take advantage of the nice weather and make hearty family meals.

You can also find markets and other sources near you to prepare feasts full of local flavours. Plus, there are lots of benefits to eating local!

Make sure to be careful when you’re cooking! To check out our tips, read our article Hot tips for BBQ safety.

Go exploring in your own neighbourhood

By exploring your own neighbourhood, either walking, biking or on a scooter, you can discover or rediscover local gems right around the corner. Take advantage of the nice weather to have picnics in city parks, which are usually well maintained and laid out for families, or discover independent shops in your area.

To make it fun for the kids, why not have a neighbourhood treasure hunt? Challenge your little ones to spot, for example, three red cars, two cats, two basketball nets, say hi to a dog, and more. Let your imagination guide you!

Visit our national parks

Across Canada, we’re lucky enough to have access to huge national parks where we can see flora and fauna unique to our vast country. The website for Parks Canada and your provincial park website have all the information you need to plan your visit.

Do those tasks you’ve been putting off

By spending your vacation in the comfort of your own home, you can take advantage of this time to work on tasks or projects you’ve been putting off because of your busy schedule.

There are lots of things you could choose to tackle:

• Work on chores inside and outside your house
• Get your finances in order with the help of a financial advisor and make a budget for the upcoming year
• Learn something new, like painting or the basics of a new language
• Update your life, car or home insurance coverage
• Do a big clean of your house, or make it more eco-friendly
• Get involved in your community

If you do get to go on vacation this summer, don’t forget to make sure you have good travel insurance coverage so you can enjoy your trip with complete peace of mind.