CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Not enough time left to take a vacation? Travel too expensive? Try making an adventure in your own back yard! Here are a few suggestions:

1. Have a picnic with your family and neighbors. Sit on blankets and serve the food from picnic baskets. Plan games like tag, hide and seek or even a water balloon battle for the kids.

2. Have a campout. Sleep on your deck or in the yard. Build a fire if you can to toast marshmallows or make s'mores and tell ghost stories around - or use a flashlight for the ghost stories and a microwave for the s'mores.

3. Organize a treasure hunt for your kids, planting clues around your yard and in your house. The prize at the end could be as simple as some homemade cookies.

4. Make up your own home Olympics. You could have events like an around-the-house spring, across-the-yard crab walk, obstacle course, tree climb and ring toss. Just be creative!

5. Make your own water park. Set up a Slip-N-Slide, a sprinkler and a small inflatable pool.

- Amy Robinson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Not enough time left to take a vacation? Travel too expensive? Try making an adventure in your own back yard! Here are a few suggestions:

1. Have a picnic with your family and neighbors. Sit on blankets and serve the food from picnic baskets. Plan games like tag, hide and seek or even a water balloon battle for the kids.

2. Have a campout. Sleep on your deck or in the yard. Build a fire if you can to toast marshmallows or make s'mores and tell ghost stories around - or use a flashlight for the ghost stories and a microwave for the s'mores.

3. Organize a treasure hunt for your kids, planting clues around your yard and in your house. The prize at the end could be as simple as some homemade cookies.

4. Make up your own home Olympics. You could have events like an around-the-house spring, across-the-yard crab walk, obstacle course, tree climb and ring toss. Just be creative!

5. Make your own water park. Set up a Slip-N-Slide, a sprinkler and a small inflatable pool.

- Amy Robinson