8 Things to Do on Rainy Days
I like rainy days, but when you get several weekends of them in a row, it can be a bit tricky not to watch rather too much television, or even—the genuine horror—end up doom scrolling on your phone until you’re emotionally wrung out and not rested at all. I can imagine that if you have kids bouncing off the walls it doesn’t help either. So, I’ve come up with 8 activity ideas for rainy days. Some involve going out and some involve staying in, and I’ve tried to make them fun for the whole family, yet adaptable for just adults, or mainly kids. And I’ve attempted to make some of them a bit different.
I hope you find something in this list that you can’t wait to try:
Puddle jumping
So what if it’s raining—if you were planning to go out, you still can! Wrap up in your waterproofs, pull on your wellies and embrace the rain. Delight your inner child (and your outer children if you have them) by splashing in the puddles, making footprints in the mud and watching the ripples on the water. Just for a little while though, then you can come in, get dry and try the next suggestion.
Hot chocolate bar
This one may take a bit of advance planning, but it’s worth it, as who doesn’t love a hot chocolate on a damp and dark afternoon? Make proper ones with milk and real chocolate stirrers if possible and have a selection of toppers laid out on the counter—think whipped cream, sprinkles, marshmallows, Malteasers and mint candy canes.
Culture catch up
Museums and art galleries can be great options on rainy days, and many change their displays for new seasons. For example, Perth Art Gallery is featuring a new collection by JE Millais, and they also do a free drop-in gallery highlights tour at weekends. If you need something before then, there is also the Perthshire Open Studios Showcase exhibition in The Barn Gallery at the Bield from now until 14th September.
We also have some quite exciting and unusual museums to enjoy here in Perthshire, including the Scottish Crannog Centre, Cultybraggan Camp, and Stanley Mills.
Storytelling challenge
If you don’t feel like going out, try this novel activity. Collect together a good selection of random household objects, then get everyone to choose two and use them as inspiration for a short story. Both objects must be included. Bonus if you do this round a cosy fire with tea and toast!
Cupcake decorating
You can make the cupcakes in advance for this if you like and freeze them, or you can buy plain ones from a supermarket. Make lots of different coloured icing in small bowls and have a selection of sweets, sprinkles, fruit or even edible flower petals and get creative! Also, you of course get to eat the cupcakes afterwards…
Nature walk
Wet weather is actually the best time to spot certain outdoor creatures—for kids you could call it slime time and look out for snails, slugs, and earthworms! Make it educational by all learning some facts about these squishy invertebrates when you get home. You may even discover a new appreciation for them! I’ll start you off: did you know that each slug trail has its own individual scent, so the slug can find its way home? That also means no slug could get away with a crime…
Book day
One of my favourite things about rainy weekends is you can read without any nagging feeling that you really ought to be something else. It’s great to make reading a bit of an event, so start with a visit to the library to choose a book each, then make a den to enjoy reading it in.
If you have children you can make it interactive, perhaps by having a tea party where everyone plays a character from their’s, or using one of the settings as inspiration for a themed meal.
Decoupage project
I did a decoupage workshop this summer and loved, but one thing I definitely took away is that it’s surprisingly easy.
All you need are scissors and a paint brush, some things to cut out from—old magazines, gift wrap, wallpaper off cuts, book pages and even paper napkins all work great—some glue, which can be proper decoupage glue or just PVA mixed with water, and something to decorate, such as old wooden trays, picture frames, or small items of furniture.
Add some varnish afterwards if you want your work to last longer and enjoy the process of turning something you were thinking of replacing into something you love! (Do please research the exact method before diving in if you care about the end result at all.)
