With an estimated 19.1 million Brits missing out on a holiday abroad this year, there’s no denying that many of Brits are feeling deflated.
So, to help, we have created the ultimate list of holiday and adventure-inspired activities to complete at home – and best of all, they’re all cost-friendly or free!
Whilst obviously, these activities can’t replace the feeling you get as you leave the aeroplane and are hit by a heatwave, they are, however, creative ideas that can help you create happy memories from the comfort of your own home (or garden).
Missed Out on a Holiday of a Lifetime? Five Ways to Celebrate What Could Have Been
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Witness the beautiful sunrises and sunsets Britain has to offer
Cost: Free
Can you remember the last time you saw the sunrise or sunset? Just because you’re in Britain doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate what Britain’s skies have to offer. You can check what time the sun is expected to rise or set, using this tool.
But, how do you get your best view of the sun? If you want to see a gorgeous colourful sky, check the weather forecast – look for a ridge of high pressure and light winds. Face east to see the sunrise, on a hill or the beach, or go west to see an amazing sunset.
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Transform your back garden into a Bali-inspired wellness retreat
Cost: Free
If you’ve missed out on a wellness retreat there’s no reason why you can’t take this time to focus on yourself. And yoga is a great way to give yourself some self-love. So, it’s little surprise that Google searches for ‘How to do yoga’ rose an astonishing 120% during March to May 2020 (from 590 monthly searches to 1,300).
However, if you want to take self-care one step further, why not create your own wellness retreat? Leave distractions behind for a day by putting your phone on do not disturb or turn it off. Start your day off by clearing your mind and setting your intentions for the day with a meditation. Then start your favourite yoga routine or find a new one on YouTube.
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Learn the language of a country you were supposed to visit
Cost: Free
So, while you’re trip away has been re-arranged, why not use this time to learn the language of the country you were supposed to visit? It appears Brits are yearning to learn Spanish and French during the lockdown period. Google searches for ‘free online Spanish courses’ increased by 1,015% (from 260 searches to 2,900). And searches for ‘free French courses’ rose by 665% (from 170 to 1,300 monthly searches) in the same period.
There are plenty of free ways to brush up on your languages, there are lots of free apps such as Rosetta Stone, Duolingo and Memrise.
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Try or cook the local delicacy of the country you had booked to visit
Cost: It depends on how much money you decide to spend.
One great way of scratching that travel itch is by cooking the cuisine of a country you were planning on visiting. Perhaps you were planning a trip to Jamaica? Try out a Jamaican bun recipe or a Jamaican shrimp pepper, Google searches for these terms rose 2,614% and 750%, respectively (from March to May 2020).
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Take your taste buds around the world with wine tasting in your back garden
Cost: It depends on how much money you decide to spend.
Wine tasting is all about trying different wines, therefore you don’t need to be in another country to go on a wine experience. You can take a round-the-world trip by simply sampling wines from France all the way to Argentina. Prepare some snacks to accompany your wine, create tasting cards and then try out your wines.
Five Adventure-Activities to Try at Home Before Your Next Outdoorsy Trip
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Camp out in the garden under the stars
Cost: Free if you already have a tent, however, you can purchase a tent from as little as £25
Just because we’re in lockdown, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the fun of camping! If you have children, set your children the task of putting up the tent, and time them to see how quickly they can erect it.
Or if you live with a loved one, why not use this as an excuse for the ultimate staycation? And by staycation, we mean staying in your own garden? Not only is this a mini adventure but it’s a good way of spending quality time with the person.
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Learn how to start a fire with two pieces of wood
Cost: Free
While you’re camping in the garden, take it up a notch with an outdoor fire. Not only is this a great skill to have, but you’ll feel extra cosy cuddled up around the fire with your loved one or friend.
This is a handy guide that clearly lays out how to start a fire with just sticks. You’ll need to find a clear space away from the tent. Having a firepit is a good idea if you don't already have one, you can make one easily with bricks.
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Once you’ve created your first fire, create s’ mores to celebrate
Cost: Approximately £1.26 per s' more
What’s a campfire without s’mores? They’re a delicious treat, perfectly cooked on a fire.
Once you’ve got your fire going, place marshmallows on sticks and cook them on the campfire. When the marshmallows are toasted nicely, place them on a layer of chocolate between two pieces of biscuits or cookies. Enjoy!
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Learn how to use your watch as a compass to impress your friends in the future
Cost: Free
Did you know you can turn your watch into a compass? Not only could this simple trick help you out in the future but it’s a good way of impressing your friends and family, too.
If you’re in the northern hemisphere, hold your watch horizontally, face-up. Point the hour hand in the direction of the sun. Halfway between that point and the 12 o’clock mark on your watch is south. In the southern hemisphere, lay the watch the same way, except this time point the 12 o'clock mark towards the sun. The north is halfway between the hour hand and the 12 o’clock mark.
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Build an outdoor shelter which makes the perfect sun protector
Cost: Free
Building an outdoor shelter with your friends or family is an entertaining way to pass time.
Plus, if you have a big family - you could even set up a prize for the best shelter. There are many ways you can create these shelters, using branches and trees in your garden. Popular ways are in the shape of an ‘A’ or a tipi – just have fun with it!
Having Wanderlust Woes? Five Ways to Positively Plan Future Holidays
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Create a physical travel bucket list
Cost: Free
Remarkably, a study found that adults planning to go on holiday were actually happier planning the trip than the trip itself. This makes good news for Brits and makes this period a perfect time to plan your next travel adventure.
Not sure where your next adventure should be? How about climbing Mount Everest in Nepal, or trekking to Machu Picchu in Peru? Or raft one of the greatest river journeys, seeing hippos and crocs on the Zambezi River, Zambia.
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Remind yourself of happy holiday memories and create a travel scrapbook
Cost: Free
Write down fond memories, gather old photos and collect memoirs of holidays. Put them all in your travel scrapbook and have fun reminiscing your favourite holidays. What do you love the most about these adventures? Do you notice any patterns? Use this to inspire your next holiday!
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Prepare your gear for future adventures
Cost: Free
You’ve probably not looked at your adventure kit in a while, understandably so! However, whilst you’re not out on adventures you can still monitor your outdoor kit. GearLog is a useful app that allows you to record usage, inspections, and even notifies when you should inspect your gear, so you can safely use them in the future.
Or you could even paint your surfboard, or wax your snowboard - so they're good as new once it's time to get them in use.
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Create a personalised piece of travel wall art for your home
Cost: Depending on how much you decide to spend.
Although we can’t travel right now, we can feed our travel-pangs with other projects, such as a map wall art.
Order a print of a map online or print one from your home. Next, use pins to illustrate what places you’ve already travelled to and where you would like to go. For example, you could put the ‘visited’ places in one pin colour and ‘to visit’ in another pin colour.
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Plan your hiking trails
Cost: Free
Browse famous hiking routes online for anywhere in the world, or create your own. Wandermap lets you plan your personal hiking trail for free online. Have fun exploring your destination virtually, and you may even feel like you’re actually travelling.
So, how many of these tasks will you be doing? If you’re feeling inspired and want more projects to set yourself, why not check out our blog about DIY Milestones.
