How to Make the Most of a Rainy Summer Day

Should the weather turn rainy this summer, as it does fro time to time, here are seven activities to convert a downer day into a delight.
How to Make the Most of a Rainy Summer Day
(izzet ugutmen/Shutterstock)
Barbara Danza
7/21/2017
Updated:
10/8/2018

On the surface a rainy summer day sounds like a bummer—a wrench in the plans—a justified call for the sad trombone (womp womp).

The reality is, however, that a rainy day (assuming it’s not following a whole string of rainy days) presents a welcomed change of pace and opportunity for an indoor reset. I mean, enough with all of this warmth and fresh air, right? ;) (Stay with me here.)

Should the weather turn rainy this summer, as it does from time to time, here are seven activities to convert a downer day into a delight.

Head Out for Indoor Fun

Just as in any other season, the fun doesn’t have to stop for the weather. Pack up your crew and visit a museum or aquarium, a bowling alley, a roller or ice rink, a movie theater, an arcade, a bookstore, a pottery painting studio, or any indoor fun place that suits your fancy.

Get Crafty

Pull out the craft supplies—even the messy ones: the glitter, the paint, the clay—and let the kids make stuff all day. Feel free to join in the fun and remember that creative person inside you, too.

Family Board Games

Make some snacks and set up a favorite board game to enjoy as a family. Sometimes the simplest activities make for the best memories.

Tidy Up

This many not be a child favorite, but if you’ve got beach towels piled high and toys everywhere, a day to get your home back on track may be just the thing to see summer moving along full swing.

Prepare an Elaborate Meal

Get the children involved in making a special dinner. Break out the fine china; set the table; encourage the kids to design a menu and place cards; light candles; and enjoy a meal you'd typically not have time to create.

Family Movie

Pop popcorn and get out all of your favorite blankets in preparation for a family movie together. To add to the fun, dress up like characters in the movie, make snacks that coincide with the theme, or have the kids decorate the living room like a movie theater or a scene from the film.

Just Chill

Of course, one of the most underrated way to spend a rainy day is by doing absolutely nothing. Enjoy actual free time and ignore any claims of boredom by your children. In childhood, it is often out of boredom the most creative endeavors are born. Stay unscheduled and let some relaxation and chill into your summer.

Summertime can be a whole lot of fun—especially when warm, sunny days are balanced out by the occasional cozy, rain one. Happy summer!

Barbara Danza is a mom of two, an MBA, a beach lover, and a kid at heart. Here, diving into the challenges and opportunities of parenting in the modern age. Particularly interested in the many educational options available to families today, the renewed appreciation of simplicity in kids’ lives, the benefits of family travel, and the importance of family life in today’s society.
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