For some, a rainy day is a welcome delight.
Rain is click-clacking against the windowsill and your brain is click-clacking too wondering what to do. These are slow mornings and warm cups of coffee as creation plays its very own music on rooftops. For others, rainy days are a damper. They are gray skies and saddened hearts as the sun disappears behind clouds. Rainy days can seem like a joy to some and a bore to others. The bored folks are left pondering, what is there to do?
This list of fun things to do on a rainy day will either A) provide new, creative ideas of things to do for those who already get giddy at the sight of dark clouds forming, or B) provide ideas of fun things to do and hope for those who already don't like the sight of dark clouds forming – the promise of expected rain showers. Everyone, we have you covered during your next rainy day. As does the roof of your house. Both the lovers and the haters of rainy days can find fun and creative things to do from off of this list. With that said, here's to making dreary, rainy days a bit brighter. Here is your list of the 10 fun and creative things to do on a rainy day, wherever you may be.
Read
You know that book on your shelf that you got two birthdays ago and haven't picked up? Oh, you remember. It is the one that has been eyeing you and whispering for you to open its pages? Well, now you have the time. Light a candle, plop onto the couch with a blanket and snuggle in with a cup of hot tea. Flip through page after page and enjoy an afternoon of reading. Read a classic, read an autobiography, read the book that's collecting dust on your shelf, or reread a favorite. While reading, feel free to take an intermission to refill your cup of tea. That is unless the book is a real page-turner. In that case, we advise you wait until it's an appropriate time to dog-ear the page and come out from the world you've been immersed in to heat back up the kettle.
Break out the Board Games
That's right, old-school style. Break out the Checkers and the Monopoly, the Life and the Mancala (anybody?). The Yahtzee, the Pictionary, and the Scrabble. They are all welcomed here on this rainy day. And although they are not board games, the puzzles and the decks of cards are welcomed as well. We don't discriminate. Games are games. So, play a round of poker. Don't have poker chips? Use goldfish and crackers as your chips. Play all of the classic games you loved as a kid (and still love), but haven't had enough time lately to pull them off the shelf. On this rainy day, we say go ahead and pull them off the shelf.
Make DIY Crafts and Redecorate
That board on Pinterest titled DIY that you have only ever revisited once when you made those canvas paintings for your college dorm room? As the rain is coming down, we think now is as good a time as any to revisit that board. Open the bottles of glitter and paint. Take out the scrapbooking paper and the glue. Put on some music and start the craft projects that you always hoped to someday get around to. This rainy day is that “someday.”
Along the same lines of crafting and decorating, how about redecorating? Give your room a good feng shui and replace or reorganize the décor on your walls. Change things up and give your rooms a fresh, updated look. Like the rain, we are washing away the old and welcoming in the new.
Watch a Movie
Go to the movie theater and see what is playing. If you would rather stay at home, then have a movie marathon. Pop some popcorn, pour the popped kernels into a large bowl, and pop in a DVD to watch from the comfort of your living room sofa. Or, see what movies are playing On Demand or on Netflix. However, be careful not to spend the entire day scrolling through the movie options for something to watch. The sun will be out and the rain will be dried up before you have found a movie.
Experiment in the Kitchen
Cook: We are going back to the Pinterest board. The one where you've pinned all of these mouthwatering dishes you've captioned, “YUM!!!” and “Gotta make this ASAP!” This rainy day, make all of those one-day-I'll-make-this dishes a today-I'll-make-this dish. Get cooking. Try something new. Experiment by cooking a different cuisine that you have never made before. Get out of your comfort zone in the kitchen. Try cooking a Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, or Mediterranean dish. The kitchen will explode with flavor and hopefully, your taste buds will too. And the great thing about experimenting? You're allowed to fail and resort to plan B – ordering pizza – if the dish doesn't turn out as planned.
Bake: Brownies. Snickerdoodles. Cake pops. Scones. Crack the cookbook open. Open Google. Or, open Pinterest again because we know you have a board dedicated to sweets and desserts as well. Search for the gooiest gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, fat-free, taste-free, hate-free, calorie-free chocolate chip cookies you can find. Or search for a recipe that fits whatever dietary restrictions you have and preheat the oven because your home is about to smell heavenly. (I am vegan, so I can joke about these things).
Give Someone a Call
That friend you have been meaning to call. That family member that has been on your mind. Take this rainy day to give them a ring or chat via FaceTime/Skype. There is something deeply personal and meaningful about intentionally calling a friend or family member. Not because you need a favor, but because you only want to hear their voice and catch up. Take today to call and say an out-of-the-blue I love you or I appreciate you. Call to tell them how just two days ago you saw someone eat peanut butter by the spoonfuls and it reminded you of how they do the same. Call to ask how they are doing and answer authentically when they ask how you are. Rain glides down windows like a sweet reminder to slow down and remember what and who is really important. Let them know today.
Blast Music and Sing Along
Play those 90s throwbacks, play the High School Musical soundtrack, play the good 80s stuff. But ultimately, we all know the song you can't forget the play: “Come clean” by Hillary Duff:
Let the rain fall down and wake my dreams…
The song is fitting for this rainy day. Whether you are with friends and belting the lyrics for all the neighborhood to hear, or you are alone belting it just as loud and proud, sing-alongs are always a good idea.
Do Yoga
If the sound of rainfall hasn't already mellowed you out, then yoga will be the thing to do it. YouTube has thousands of yoga routines for you to try. Roll out the yoga mat you have stuffed under your bed, or if you are a newbie to yoga I will let you in on a little secret… you don't really need a mat. Shh… A carpeted floor will do just fine. Practice your yoga poses, your headstands, your breathing. Meditate on the things you are grateful for right in that moment (maybe by this point those rainy day haters are beginning to hate rainy days a little bit less? That sounds like a sliver of gratitude to me).
Dance in the Rain
As rain is colliding with concrete outside your door, just pitter-pattering away, what it's really doing is knocking to invite you to come out and play. The best thing you can do on a rainy day? Dance in the rain. Slip-on rain boots and a rain jacket, if you so please, and step outside. But, leave the umbrella indoors. Feel how quickly the water seeps through your clothing and weighs down your hair. Embrace every moment. The puddles forming on sidewalks are collecting water just for you to jump in. They are waiting, expectant, for your arrival.
And of course, as much as you'll enjoy splish-splashing in the rain, don't forget the Dancing in the Rain 101 Pro Tip: If you spot lightning, go back inside. We don't want to rain on your parade or anything, but we also care about your safety. Apart from lightning, have at it. Get soaked to the bone as you frolic and twirl around in the droplets of water falling from the sky. And maybe while you are out there dancing the clouds will roll back, the sun will peak its head out, and a rainbow will arch across the sky. With water running down the strands of your hair, you'll have a front-row seat to watch the colorful show.
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