With the country on lockdown due to COVID-19, we are unable to go on holiday. Whether you were looking forward to lying on a beach or exploring a new city this summer, our travel plans have been put on hold.
So, we’ve put together 3 ways to bring the holiday to you and have a holiday in your garden so you can feel like you’re on holiday without leaving your home.
Going camping in your back garden is one of the easiest ways to holiday at home. All you need is a few camping essentials and you can have an adventure in your own back garden.
What’s more, camping is affordable, simple, and green – there are no campsite fees, no travel expenses, no accommodation fees, and no emissions produced.
Camping is great family fun, especially for the kids – after all, what could be more exciting than sleeping under the stars. It’s all the same fun as going away, but without any hassle.
Simply grab your tent and any other camping gear, including a sleeping bag and camping chairs. It’s best to choose a warmer evening to camp as it can get pretty cold outside, so make sure you wear plenty of layers.
You can recreate all your favourite camping activities – roast marshmallows on a campfire, play cards, tell ghost stories, have a sing-along, stargaze if it’s a clear night. Although it can be tempting to go indoors to the comfort of your own bed, camping at home really is as fun as camping away.
Expanding on this idea, maybe you were planning on going to a festival this year but it has been cancelled. So why not have a mini festival in your own backyard? Pitch up the tent, hang up some bunting, and have a BBQ. For music, tune into your favourite artist’s live stream, watch virtual concerts, and get involved in Glasthomebury.
Did you miss out on your beach holiday and are in serious need of some sun, sea, and sand? You may not be able to get to your favourite beach in Spain, Italy, Portugal or Greece this year, but you can still get some much-needed relaxation and enjoy some sunshine at home by creating your own mini beach holiday in your back garden.
When the sun comes out, set the scene and create your own beach paradise. Blow up the paddling pool, get a few seaside plants like palms and grasses, and lay down some sand or shingle.
Get out the deckchairs and sunbeds, wear your best beachwear, and listen to an ocean sounds or beach sounds playlist. Then sip on tropical cocktails like mojitos and pina coladas as you sit back and sunbathe with your favourite book.
You’ll feel like you’re in the Caribbean or Ibiza in no time, without taking one step outside your front door.
Whilst our lives and holidays have been put on hold, nature has not. And whilst we may have to wait a while to go on that safari in Africa, if we look outside to our own back gardens, we may find a safari of our own. Your garden is your own private nature reserve, in which you can find many common British species, including your own pets!
You can hear birds singing and watch them soaring, including blue tits, goldfinches, robins, starlings, sparrows, and greenfinches. Attract birds to your garden by introducing bird houses and feeders.
You can also spot insects and bugs. From bees, butterflies, caterpillars, and ladybirds to worms, spiders, and beetles, insects can be found all over your garden in and around grass, plants, flowers, compost, rocks and logs.
If you have a pond, you may find amphibians such as frogs, toads, and newts. You can also see mammals living in your garden – bats skimming above, squirrels running across trees, foxes searching for food, hedgehogs rustling around hedges.
Sure, you won’t find any lions, zebras, or elephants in your garden like you would on the African plains, but if you look closely enough, you’ll find that the UK has some exciting wildlife of its own, and the fact that all this nature is happening in your own home makes it quite special.
Try these ideas and holiday in your back garden. Go camping, go to the beach, and go on safari. We may not be able to go on holiday for a while, but we can still have fun in our own homes.
