Create a vacation oasis right at home. Sleep in late, and then enjoy a lunchtime picnic in the backyard. Set up a water slide and a sprinkler for some splash fun or invite the whole family into the kitchen for a make-your-own pizza dinner. After dinner, serve up some ice cream sundaes with a range of tasty toppings and create an outdoor movie theater for evening entertainment.

If you’re wanting more than a backyard splash zone, pack up the family and spend a day cooling off at a water park. Even if a huge commercial water park isn’t within reach, you can probably find a neighborhood pool or an urban splash pad that the kids will love.

Are there wineries, breweries or distilleries within a short drive of your home? Ones you’ve maybe always meant to visit but have never managed to find the time? Make a deliberate plan to visit one or two during your staycation, using Uber to get around so you can have fun safely.

Spend a day canoeing, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding in a local lake or river – you can almost certainly rent the equipment you need regardless of location. A few hours on the water makes everyday worries disappear.

Visiting an art museum on a blistering hot day is a wonderful way to cool off while getting some culture at the same time. Do a web search; there are probably nearby museums you didn’t know existed. Treat yourself to lunch in the museum cafe and spend the afternoon surrounded by beautiful and thought-provoking paintings and sculptures.

Get up early, before it gets too hot, and explore a hiking trail or two that you’ve been meaning to hit. Your city probably has several parks you’ve never visited. A staycation is the perfect time to connect with the outdoors, right in your own hometown.