Stay at home and take a vacation.

That’s how Hall County Parks and Leisure Services plans to celebrate National Park and Recreation Month. They’re encouraging families to take a "staycation" this week to spend time together and find inexpensive ways to take a break.

"We developed this in response to the economic times and wanted to offer alternatives for vacationing," said Katie Nuckolls, who helped to organize the week of events. "It’s a neat concept to use instead of going out of town, and it saves money. One woman who came the other night told me how she tries to find family activities that meet her budget and was excited to discover this."

The week has included scrapbooking, arts and crafts, a family picnic, a dog walk and family fishing. Today, the group is offering Frisbee Day and a movie at Lake Lanier. Although the mystery dinner party, kickball tournament and talent show were canceled, Nuckolls said she hopes to bring back the events this fall.

"We’re definitely going to hold the talent show in the fall for kids to participate once school starts up again," she said. "We’ll keep offering inexpensive activities for families and have extensive programs set up for the whole year."

This week’s staycation is a first for Parks and Leisure Services, and Nuckolls wants to offer them again next summer.

"Family fishing was very popular, and we had 20 dogs out for the dog walk," she said. "We’ve had a good response from everyone who’s attended, so I think they’re really enjoying themselves."