Sparkling sunny days seem full of promise and boundless energy for getting stuff done. Yet, when the rains sweep in we can be left feeling despondent and several shades of bla. We all know that you can't change the weather, but you can change how you view black and blue cloudy days. We have rounded up a whole host of fun and fabulous rainy day activities and ideas (specifically for adults) to keep you from getting the gloom the next time the sun gods decide to disappear. Check out these thirty things to do on a rainy day...
30 Rainy Day Activities (For Adults)
1.Have a Movie Marathon
Is there anything better than sprawling on the sofa in sweats with a pile of popcorn on your lap and the whole of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy on the big screen? OK, for all those non-Tolkien lovers out there, you can swap out LOTR for your fave movie marathon. Whether it's retro eighties classics, vintage Hollywood, or folk horror fun - films and food is the only way to spend a rainy day.
2.Plan an Epic Vacation
Whether you aren't traveling right now because of cash flow or because of the pandemic, that doesn't mean that you can't dream big. Mapping out an ideal vacation can be an awesome activity that turns rainy days into dream days. Whether it's the great American road trip or a backpacker adventure across Europe, we invite you to pore over maps, salivate over swimming pools, plan routes, and pick your hotels. Check out this article from National Geographic on why planning vacations are good for your mental health. Remember to take care of your mental health while traveling too, take a moment to center yourself whenever you can!
3.Take the Longest Bubble Bath Ever
Who needs a spa when you have a tub at home. Don't just make your rainy day bath any old bath - it's time to go to town. There is nothing more soul-warming than sinking into a deep steamy and bubbly tub with hours to spare. Use your fanciest products, bring a book, smother on a face or hair mask and stay in until wrinkled like a prune.
4.Take an Online Cooking Class
From Italian flair to vegan feasts, one of the best things to do on a rainy day is to take an online cooking class. Seriously, online learning has always been awesome but the pandemic provided an opportunity for online classes to become the norm. You can pick from short courses with your favorite chef or delight in a deep dive into cooking up cuisine from your most beloved part of the world. The possibilities are endless and as an added bonus you get the eat the results.
5.Check Out a (Virtual) Art Museum
If you can't get to your fave contemporary art space it may be worth checking online to see if they have any virtual tours going. With Covid causing many people to skip out on booking for an indoor attraction, many of those places have embraced the art of online special events where you can peruse the art or even take a virtual tour around the museum all from the comfort of your own living room. It may not break the cabin fever, but it certainly provides plenty of awesome content to get inspired about.
6.Go to the Bowling Alley
Cool shoes, vintage vibes, and hearty wholesome competitive fun, bowling is all about good old fashioned family indoor fun. Whether you head there with your friends or take the kids, bowling is an easy rainy day activity that can turn a dreary day into an event. Step it up a notch by hitting up the local arcade games, doubling up the fun with laser tag, or going for ice cream just to add that special cherry on top.
7.Have a Dance Party
You don't have to wait for darkness to descend before you get glammed up in sequins and glitter for the ultimate dance party. A rainy day time disco is bound to become your new favorite thing. Moving the body can be incredibly beneficial for our mental health. It can shake off stagnant energy, help us to dislodge old stuck thoughts, and gets our heart beating in all the right ways. Go it solo or invite your crew just make sure to turn it up loud and throw down your best shapes with pride.
8.Have Sex
Whether home alone or with your boo, while away a rainy afternoon by getting intimate. This is an ideal time and the perfect place for delving in and playing around with your desires. From solo toys to naughty fun, a tumble in the sheets followed by pizza, or some far-out role play, sex can make sad weather days better.
9.Have a Picnic or Tea Party Indoors
While summer days call for the sweet shade of trees and sipping lemonade in the sunshine, there's no reason why you can't shift this idea indoors. Stretch out a giant blanket, decorate with fresh flowers and greenery to bring that pretty park vibe, and fill a basket with cheese, cold cuts, beautiful blinis, and baked goods to nibble on. Don't forget to chill a bottle of prosecco or whip up some summer-inspired cocktails to share.
10.Go Splash in Puddles
You don't need to have kids to adore the pure rainy day pleasure of pulling on those rain boots and stomping in every single puddle you can find. Taking the time to let our inner child play can be truly beneficial for our mental health and practicing this can be as simple as tapping into those tiny joys we loved when we were little ones. Here are a few more ways to welcome and find your inner child.
11.Make an Obstacle Course
An indoor obstacle course is a great way to exercise or simply just a fun project for rainy weather. Whether you have kids in the house or roomies who would appreciate hopping, jumping, climbing, and cracking up with laughter, a course is forever a winner when it comes to indoor activities. From tying a string between two chairs for jumping to hopscotching on the sofa cushions, throwing beanbags into laundry baskets, and doing jumping jacks - you can get as chaotically creative as you like.
12.Plan a Video Game Tournament
Whether you choose Mario Karts with your roommates, an epic Minecraft sesh with your partner, or playing Pokemon Go in your own home with strangers, video games are a great way of turning a rainy day into a championship dream. With plenty of consoles offering online gaming experiences, it's an awesome way of staying social while staying inside.
13.Binge a Brand New TV Show
Hit up all your old faves or lose yourself in the latest Netflix smash hit. Pull your sleeping bags to the sofa, let the rainstorm run wild, and have a no-holds-barred binge-watch session. Check out our awesome big list of TV shows not to miss.
14.Get the Board Games Out
Sass your way through Scrabble, reclaim Capitalism with Monopoly, or go full-on with the Settlers of Catan - rainy days beg for board game afternoons. From the downright ridiculous to the risque. Plus if these kind of games aren't doing it you could always dive into that stack of thousand-piece puzzles or pull out a pack of cards. Check out our fave adult card games right here.
15.Make Your Own Wine Tasting Room
If you don't have a vineyard close by, you can make your own wine tasting event. Hit up your local brewery and the supermarket to pick up a few bottles of fabulous booze. Invite your friends over, lay out some nibbles and perfect pairings with your selection of red wine, white wine, and rose, and have a go at a homemade sommelier experience.
16.Visit the Bookstore
We are book store addicts and whenever feeling hemmed in or restless because the weather isn't playing ball, heading to the bookstore is the ultimate soothing experience. Perusing the shelves, soaking up the soft murmur, finding a cozy corner to read in, and even grabbing a coffee while we furiously scroll Goodreads. Bliss.
17.Play Indoor Mini Golf
Another family-friendly classic - whether you are parents with kids who are climbing the walls or a couple wanting to find an indoor-outdoor option away from home, mini golf is always fun.
18.Check Out Local Yoga Classes
From your downward dog to spending seven hours in child's pose, yoga brings a delightful dose of Zen to any rainy day. If you want to find your sense of harmony in the company of others, you can check out local classes or if you are feeling the need for peace while perfecting your tadasana, there are so many amazing online classes and YouTube videos to pick from.
19.Visit an Escape Room
There are many fun things in this world and escape rooms are definitely one of them. If you adore problem-solving and teamwork then this is sure to be something special for you. Pick your smartest best buds and solve riddles, puzzles, and mind-bending clues to help you get out of a locked room. For those who need a little help climbing out of their head sometimes, escape rooms are it.
20.Go Indoor Rock Climbing
Speaking of climbing, who needs to scale the grand canyon to get a thrill? Indoor climbing is all the buzz and it's a truly empowering form of exercise and adventure that will have you feeling like a true superhero. Check out your local indoor climbing center and get ready to flex those biceps.
21.Plan a Grownup Treasure Hunt
Scavenger hunts aren't just for kids, they are for anyone who wants curious fun with a prize incentive. Whether you make it a sexy scavenger hunt with your beau or if you get your friends involved for a boozy treasure hunt or just as a great way of exploring your home / your neighborhood / the city. You can even base your hunt on clues about each other to truly cement and celebrate your bonds.
22.Write a Short Story
If you ever wanted to tap into your inner Virginia Woolf, a rainy afternoon is a perfect time for sitting down with pen and paper and letting your muse run wild. If the idea of just straight up penning a short story is too overwhelming, there are a ton of awesome writing prompts online to get you in the flow.
23.Catch up on your Reading
If your bed stand stack is threatening to topple and crush you in your sleep then perhaps it's time to dedicate a rainy day to reading. Whether you want to lose yourself in the lacy pages of a romance or get a head start on this summers beach read list, from the bath to bed and the sofa, sprawl and read is our new rock and roll.
24.Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Your Instagram score is sure to shoot right up when you snap a pic of homemade gooey warm baked cookies against a rain-streaked window. That is a mood right there. Chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate comfort food and super easy to make, check out this recipe here to get your bake-off going on.
25.Call Your Friends
As adults, our BFFs don't always live close by and when life gets in the way, those updates can be few and far between. A rainy day is a perfect time to pick up the phone or plan a zoom and catch up with loved ones.
26.Take a Guided Tour of an Art Gallery
Check out your local galleries and museums and see if they have tours running. A tour brings so much more depth to the experience as an expert can let you in on all the secrets stashed away in that painting and give you the context to connect with an artist on a whole new level.
27.Go to the Comedy Club
We could all use a good laugh and whether you head out to an actual club or make your own at home with a selection of side-splitting stand-up shows, this truly is the best medicine for chasing those bad weather blues away.
28.Get Crafty
We don't mean macaroni and a glue gun, getting crafty in adulthood means you get to be as ambitious and creative as you like. Find divine inspiration while making magical resin jewelry, rearrange your plants and build a beautiful indoor garden space, or make your own dreamy DIY beauty products.
29.Find Some Live Music
We have all missed gigs and concerts over the last year but just because it's raining and we are stuck inside doesn't mean that we can't embrace our love of music. From bands to DJ's there are a ton of live shows happening on the world wide web. Dress up, grab a beer, and turn your living room into the best gig venue yet as you stream your favorite artists.
30.Get Organized
Yeah we know it's not the funnest thing on the list but you are bound to feel amazing if you end the day with your closets cleared, your work schedule sorted, your fridge free from old moldy food, and your makeup brushes sanitized.
What are your favorite rainy day activities or what will be making your next downpour day list? Share with us in the comments.
TOP
