Anyone who lives in the UK knows that summer is never going to be several months of sunshine and heat. Some parts of the country do get more sun than others, but there usually isn’t more than a couple of weeks of warmer weather during the season. Apart from a short heatwave, we can generally expect milder weather and even plenty of rain. It can be a bit disappointing to have to put up with miserable weather during the summer, but it doesn’t have to stop you finding things to do. You might not want to go to the beach, but you don’t have to be bored.
You can do all sorts of things on a rainy summer day, whether you want to stay home or go out.
Have a TV/Movie Day
Rain doesn’t have to keep you inside, but sometimes you really don’t want to go out when it’s wet. Fortunately, you don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to. You can find plenty of things to do at home, including having a day where you watch TV and movies. Use your favourite streaming services, or line up some DVDs or BluRays if you’re old school (or some VHS tapes if you’re really old school). There’s no need to even get changed out of your pyjamas if you don’t want to. You can make your favourite snacks, order a takeaway and just enjoy rewatching old favourites or discovering something new.
Visit a Museum
If you do feel like going somewhere, museums are perfect for a rainy day. They’re full of fascinating things to see and do and even museums you’ve visited before can offer something new. And plenty of them have cafes, so you can sit down for a cuppa and some cake too. If you’re lucky, there will be some free museums nearby, or you could take a day trip to London or somewhere else with free museums. But even museums with paid entry are often pretty affordable, so it shouldn’t be an expensive day out—unless you get drawn into the gift shop.
Another option for staying at home is to have a board game day. There are so many options that pretty much everyone can find a game they love. There are the more traditional games if you want to set up a chess board, a game of drafts, or even backgammon. Then there are family favourites like Monopoly and Scrabble that everyone can enjoy. And there are plenty of more modern choices too, some of which even hook up to mobile apps or other tech to make them even more fun.
Book Some Indoor Play or Activity
Museums aren’t the only indoor activity you can enjoy. There are lots of options for indoor play or indoor activities if you want to go out and do something. If you’re going out as a family, you might enjoy something like a soft play area or a trampoline park. Other options could include bowling, ice skating, escape rooms, indoor crazy golf, or other fun ways to spend the day while staying inside. If you have a local pool or leisure centre, that can be fun too. Some of these things might need to be booked in advance, but there are also things you can just turn up for.
A rainy day could be the perfect time to go and see a performance. Look up local theatres and see if there are any plays, musicals, or other performances available. Some of them might be family-friendly and you’re sure to find some more grown-up options too. There could also be opportunities to go to a concert or see some comedy, or even just see a film at the cinema. You can even find free performances sometimes, which will help you save money.
Go Out to Eat
There are worse ways to spend a rainy day than eating something tasty. If you want to get out of the house, going out to eat is a great use of your time. You can find a restaurant to try or return to one you’ve been to before. Of course, if you would rather stay at home, you can always order in or perhaps make yourself something. Spending some time cooking or baking can be a fun way to make use of a rainy day.
British summers might not be the hottest or even the driest, but you can still have plenty of fun even when it’s raining.
