Rainy Day Ideas

Being from the Caribbean, I remember fondly the sound of rain pelting down on the zinc roof. Sweet bliss. Our outdoor play would sometimes be interrupted by the rain, but there was so much that we could do indoors as well. I was a frantic reader. Living near the library was a big bonus as we would go to the library, borrow a few books and read them all in a day or two and then have the need to go back to return those and get more. One of the best places I’ve found to read, was under my bed, especially if it was raining, and especially if in the story it was raining as well! I loved that.

Fast forward 40-odd years later and I now live in the UK. I still love reading but don’t often find myself with a lot of time to engage in this hobby. So, of necessity, I find other things to do when it is raining. The sound of rain is different here too I find, and not as mesmerizing, but there still is the need to engage in worthwhile activities instead of being outdoors getting wet.

Craft

Of course, one of my favourite things to do is a craft. This can take various forms. Think of what you are able to do and love and engage. Find a cosy spot and enjoy whiling away the time. Crafts I enjoy include painting, crotcheting, drawing, Cricut craft, and making things from scraps, you know repurposing and recycling. Over the years I have done various pieces of wall art, crotchet blankets, dresses, and pumpkins (for Autumn decor) and I have even made a holder for keys or little trinkets from modeling clay.

If you have kids who are not yet hooked to electronic devices, then you can seek to engage them in rainy-day craft activities too. There is so much available on the internet and in particular, Pinterest. So when it rains, if the kids are home, it is a good idea to get them into crafts.

I remember as a child building many things from scraps around the house. These would include dolls’ houses, furniture, and even the dolls themselves. I would make a small make-believe cooker, the food to ‘cook’, and ever the refrigerator. This was without the help of parents. I can only imagine how amazing it would have been if I only had adult help.

I remember also making a ‘tv’ with different scenes including an underwater ‘movie’. Man those were the days. I would use a cardboard box, even a shoe box would do. I would make the script (drawings and writings) on reels of paper and then make a contraption with a piece of stick which allowed me to turn it so the ‘movie’ would show. I was amazed sometimes to think, I made those things! No wonder I love to craft so much still.

Needlecraft

If you already know how to do any form of needlecraft, then good on you. If you don’t yet know how to, then a rainy day might be a good time to take up learning such a hobby. If you have no one available to teach you, then you might want to find YouTube on a gadget and search for the skill you want to learn. From crocheting to knitting and embroidery, there is a lot of needlecraft that you can learn.

Get Out the Board Games

When it rains, why not get out the board games and have a couple of rounds? You might want to use the opportunity to teach kids (or other adults too), some of the tricks you have learned for mastering the various board games. You might want to make things more exciting by switching up the rules a bit, just remember to switch back to the original rules before these new ones become ‘law’. Our favourite tabletop game to play is Uno. We just never seem to get bored of it and we even take it with us on holiday.

Bake

A rainy day might be the perfect opportunity to have a bake-off. New skills will be learned, the house will smell lovely, and best of all, there will be baked yummy goodies to devour. If you are already good at baking, then perhaps you could use a series of rainy days to hone your decorating skills. Or, it may be the best time to face participating in an area of baking that you had not challenged yourself to do before. A nice cake to bake is an all-in-one carrot cake. I

I also have a lovely recipe for instant coffee and walnut cake that tastes divine and is child friendly too.

Paint

If kids are involved, paint rocks or paint on paper. If adults, paint an area of the house you were always thinking of updating! How about that? It’s major, I know.

Make the most of the rainy days. Don’t just sleep. Life’s too good to just sleep. If you wish to add to the list, feel free in the comment section. Stay blessed.