Please help me make the most of this unexpected staycation!

[IHeartKingThistle]

Have had to cancel our adventure round Wales (long story) so have to make the most of an unplanned staycation.

I'm in Surrey and have DD13 and DS10. They won't complain about missing the holiday but I want them to have fun anyway.

I'd love ideas for fun stuff, day trips, places to go to make it still feel like a holiday, stuff we might not have done before. I just don't want to waste the week. Happy to jump in the car and take off, have an OK budget as would have spent it on holiday anyway. But equally would love suggestions for stuff to do at home.

Thanks!

Those ages are perfect for all sorts of water sports. Aqua parks seem to be the newish thing round here, giant inflatables in a lake. Paddle boarding, kayaking, sailing.

My dcs are of the opinion that our best holidays have been our staycations . My tips are:

• try not to tell anyone you are around (i.e. be a bit cut off so that you don't get dragged into the day to day)
• do some time consuming stuff at the pace the dcs want - e.g. pottering painting shop, let them choose anything they want and take as long as they want to create their masterpiece
• don't do any of the mundane home stuff you wouldn't do if away (e.g. just leave the laundry etc) and use all that time to do things like board games and movies in the evenings

Geocashing? Also a local treasure hunt- you download the clues and it takes you around the town/area taking in various landmarks/random stuff.

Day in London? Do the museum's, go to harrods? Go and shout 'oi, boris, sort it aaaat' outside the HOP.

Harry potter studios (but this needs prebooking - check the website for cancellations).

A show?

Woodland walk?

National trust/English heritage property

London zoo

Dungeons and dragons?

Board game day - this would make me want to jump off the shard tbh

Visit the shard

There's a Staycation in Godalming starting this weekend- lots of free / cheap events

We had a staycation quite recently due to passport issues. My DP surprised us with a lovely hotel stay. It was so relaxing. We had some childcare so were able to indulge in the most decadent spa and had such a lovely massage. No cooking, cleaning etc was lovely.

We were complete tourists and took our DD to the zoo, to a local farm, we took her to the beach, it really was a lovely few days. Due to my DD being very young most nights she was with us so we had room service delivered on one night - it was such a lovely luxury!

Buy treaty food that you don't normally eat. Try to relax the housework and cooking standards for a week so you get a break too.

Look for things to do online in your local area - the aquapark things sound great and it's the perfect time of year to do them as the water will be warm-ish, or something like Go Ape. Try to get out and do something some or all days.

Trip to London for the museums and parks or whatever else they are interested in?

Any day that the weather isn't great, have a day of films and popcorn or pizza etc.

Is there a coast you can get to for a day at the seaside - penny arcades, crazy golf, rockpooling etc?

We did a weekend with friends as could not find a suitable campsite
We stayed at ours
Kids slept outside (optional)
Adults inside but everything outside, inc cooking and no tv etc
In-laws used to do B and B
Only sleep at home and breakfast then other meals out as well as going out all day

Brilliant ideas! Maybe it won't be so bad!

Weather is forecast to be a bit meh but I reckon good enough.

I particularly like the suggestions about not doing much cooking or cleaning!

Coral Reef Bracknell

Ooh -

breakfast out one day?

magical mystery tour - get kids to pick weird/obscure place names on a map and make a route on Google Maps, then just see what you see along the way, stopping to eat where it looks good, getting out to explore when it seems fun etc.

Do you need to come home every night or could you do a mini one-night trip and stay somewhere - B&B, cheap hotel on the coast?