We might think of a playcation as a holiday centred around relaxing, kid-friendly fun. But the term was coined by mid-20th century Texas gossip columnist Maxine Mesinger, who chummed around with Frank Sinatra, Carol Channing, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Shirley MacLaine. Mesinger used “playcation” to describe glamorous, party-oriented trips taken by high society and Hollywood elites.

For gay travellers, the perfect playcation is a mashup of the two: a vacation that sets aside complex itineraries and intense sightseeing for playful fun—fun that could also be a little wild. All-day foosball would count. So would an all-day roleplaying scenario with a favourite (or new) hottie. It’s about letting go of inhibitions and cynicism to engage in pure queer joy.

Here are seven ideas for playcations of the gayest kind.

1. Adult summer camp

Many LGBTQ2S+ folks didn’t get to experience standard childhood milestones, like summer camp, as their authentic, out selves. This playcation is all about embracing it as a grown-up. A DIY version would be gathering a group of friends together for a weekend of arts and crafts, field day games, lake swimming and late-night campfire storytelling, all wrapped in a blanket of community safety. But there are also organized events that aim to scratch this itch.

Sign me up

The Toronto, Ontario, LGBTQ2S+ activities club Out & Out hosts an annual jamboree summer camp (August 15 to 22, 2026) about three hours north of the city, where campers sleep in shared bunkhouses between bouts of swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking, volleyball, crafts and alcohol-free parties. It is just like a kid’s summer camp, including the mess hall, but for queer adults.

Notorious and beloved filmmaker John Waters hosts his annual Camp John Waters (September 11 to 14, 2026) in rural Connecticut. Waters himself presides over the weekend, along with guest counsellors Ricki Lake, Mink Stole and Matthew Lilliard (IYKYK). Aimed at misfits and dreamers, attendees should expect costume contests, cult-film screenings, outrageous themed parties and other activities inspired by the Pope of Trash. Shuttles for the 90-minute drive from New York City are available for an extra fee.

If planning for an annual event is too much pressure, many gay campgrounds in the United States and Canada are great places for gay and bi men to have lighthearted fun in the outdoors with fellow campers. (Read our list of clothing-optional gay campgrounds here.)

2. Theme park extravaganza

There is a unique joy in being a DINK (double income, no kids) couple or part of a queer friend group hitting a theme park. Without strollers to push or early bedtimes to enforce, adventurers can fully lean into the thrill of roller coasters, Gravitrons and oversized snacks, unapologetically owning your space in a playground appealing for kids of all ages.

Get in line

Though Florida as a state has issues with LGBTQ2S+ people, Orlando, home to the world’s largest theme park, Disney World, does not. So put on your rainbow-coloured Mickey Mouse ears and ride all the rides. If Florida is not in your future, and the steep Disney prices are a turnoff, then check out a regional amusement or water park near you. Six Flags (which merged with the Cedar Fair chain in 2024) has 35 parks across North America, from the Toronto area to Valencia, California, to Mexico City. For those on a tighter budget, many local and regional fairs, festivals and carnivals, complete with midway rides and games of skill and luck, are worth splurging on. That said, your comfort level flaunting your relationship, identity or child-like excitement about riding the Ferris wheel may depend on the exact fair, festival or carnival. 

3. Dive in to a den of inequity

This is a gay adult male take on “play,” perhaps not for the sexually inhibited. (Of course, some readers would call this an ordinary Wednesday afternoon.) Rather than make an impromptu or impulsive visit to a gay bathhouse or sex club, plan to make a day of it—like going to a spa or meditation retreat, but hornier. Pack a skin-baring outfit you’d like to wander the corridors in, flip-flops and your favourite adult toys. Get a room and immerse yourself in a purely sexual environment for an extended period of time. Bring a partner or a favourite hottie, if they’re up for it. Commit to experimenting with some positions and situations you’ve been shy about trying in the past. If saunas and sex clubs aren’t your cup of tea, plan a bar crawl of all the gay drinking establishments in your area, making sure to include ones you wouldn’t normally go to. Create a bingo card of things you want to try but need an excuse to do: buy a stranger a drink, compliment someone on their outfit, tell an out-of-towner a secret, sing karaoke, dance on a raised platform.

A more PG version

Book a hotel room in the gay village of a city you intend to visit. Spend 48 hours enjoying everything the gaybourhood has to offer: perhaps a local community centre, an archives, boutiques and restaurants. Dress in the most flamboyant attire you feel comfortable in. Make a point of striking up conversations with people at the venues you visit to learn more about local LGBTQ2S+ history and what makes the community tick. By the end of the weekend, being gay will, indeed, be 100 percent of your personality.

4. Arcade & pub games marathon

If your idea of play involves button-mashing, air hockey and the friendliest of heated rivalries, design a playcation around retro gaming culture. It’s a low-pressure, high-energy way to disconnect from screens that bring email and world news to your attention, and to reconnect with screens that require joysticks. Bring a group of friends, make up scorecards and award prizes to those who do the best—or do it the most fabulously.

Place your bets

Located in Montreal’s gay village, Le Weiser Pub Sportif (1309 Rue Sainte-Catherine E., Montreal, Quebec) has an arcade area with air hockey, foosball and electronic darts, as well as handsome servers. The Detour (2200A Market St., San Francisco, California) in SF’s Castro district is a neon-lit industrial space filled with a curated collection of vintage arcade cabinets, modern consoles and a library of board games. They also host a fun drag brunch. Replay Lakeview (3439 N. Halsted St., Chicago, Illinois) is an all-welcoming but super gay bar where customers can play all the games for free (except the pinball machines, darts and Mario Kart Arcade GP). Also lots of karaoke and shows, including drag.

5. Chosen family cabin retreat

A playcation with your chosen family is the perfect antidote to burnout. Find a rental house or cottage within a two-hour drive of your city, split the bill and focus the itinerary entirely on group games. A beautiful location in nature is a bonus, but you’ll be spending most of your time indoors, living life like it’s a slumber party. 

Ideas for group play

Assign rooms based on who can tell the most embarrassing story about themselves. Compete on who brought the trashiest outfit or who wore the most ridiculous onesie. Host a queer trivia night—it could be trivia out of a commercially available game or questions about your peer group and city that you prepare before the retreat. One night could be a RuPaul’s Drag Race watch party with homemade cocktails. Each meal could be a different kind of cooking challenge.

6. Wellness & radical rest retreat

Are some of these ideas too rambunctious? Is your inner child one of the kids who stood to the side of the playground making notes on all the social hierarchies and manifestations of gender? Is your idea of fun a day of quiet contemplation and listening to your body? Sometimes the best way to play is to completely stop performing and trying to fit in. A wellness playcation shifts the focus from high-energy activities to queer-centred healing. Think restorative yoga, sound baths and outdoor hot tubs. Deep conversations with like-minded folks are optional.

Escape & liberate

Nordik Spa Village (16 Chemin Nordik, Chelsea, Quebec), the biggest spa in North America, has got something for everyone. There’s a silent area; a whisper area, where low-talking is permitted; and a social area that can feel like a low-key nightclub weekend evenings. It can take all day just trying out the five kinds of baths and seven saunas, including “ritual saunas” where a sauna master does a kind of performance spreading the heat and scent around the space. Just across the river from Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, and close to Gatineau Park, known for its beautiful fall foliage, it’s also a natural retreat. For a more urban experience, try a deeply thought-out spa like AIRE Ancient Baths (10 locations including New York, Toronto, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Seville and others). They don’t merely have amazing treatments and an array of baths; they also get the subterranean atmosphere right with candlelight dancing on brick and weathered wood. You’ll forget the city you’re in the moment you step inside.

7. Introvert’s media oasis

Travel can be overstimulating. For some, a cozy, introverted playcation is all about nesting with a partner or solo, building an epic living room fort and dedicating 72 hours to low-stakes fun like movie marathons, co-op video gaming, reading queer literature and ordering delivery. Lock your phones and tablets in a box and give a friend the key.

Where to cocoon

You can do this at home, but to make it feel like a true vacation, book a design-forward Airstream, tiny home or hotel suite. Look into glamping options like The Desi (a vintage 1958 trailer Airbnb in Palm Springs, California, listed on Airbnb).