Your Money

Budget-Stretching Ideas Transform A Staycation Into A "Playcation"

Posted: 8/5/2010

With a little help from digital cable services, families don't have to travel far to experience other cultures, create unique crafts or hone their cooking skills.

(NAPSI) - With recent reports from Money magazine putting the average cost of a vacation for four at $1,600, many families are opting for a staycation or "nearcation" this season.

But the question remains: How do they make the most of their time and get the most value? Fortunately, parents have cool options to beat the heat and doldrums by turning a staycation into a "playcation."

With a little help from On Demand digital cable services, families don't have to travel far to experience other cultures, create unique crafts or hone their cooking skills. Kids can get insider secrets on magic tricks, explore dance or try yoga. There's even a professional chef on hand with advice on making summer treats. Parents can easily access it all at no extra charge by clicking on the designated "free" category on their On Demand menu.

Before the thermometer hits the red zone, kids can help parents with do-it-yourself outdoor home-improvement projects.

They might even be more likely to eat "good-for-you" foods if they help build and plant the family's own vegetable bed. And s'mores will definitely taste better when roasted over a family-built backyard fire pit.

When the mercury does soar, the library is a great place to cool down. Remember the summer reading program? Put a new spin on it.

Kids can check out and read their favorite books, and parents can bring the titles to life with an inexpensive On Demand movie screening, featuring Max and his pals from "Where the Wild Things Are," and Perseus and the creatures from "Clash of the Titans."

Sports camps are more convenient and economical when held in the living room. Fitness-oriented families can host their own camps On Demand with icons such as Olympic soccer champion Mia Hamm and pro skateboarder Mike Vallely. Little Leaguers can check in with baseball hero Tony Gwynn before heading to the diamond. And dads can consult performance-training expert Mark Verstegen, while moms can get poolready working out with cover model Brooklyn Decker.

Once the kids are asleep, moms and dads can kick back and catch up on their favorite basic and premium television series, from networks such as AMC, MTV, USA, HBO and Showtime.

For more ideas, check out www.thisiscable.com. A playcation can be fun, educational and energizing.