What do you do when you're on vacation and it rains? (Keeping the kids entertained)

Here are 20 or more of our favorite ideas:

Preparing for a rainy day in a hotel or self-catering facility while traveling is easier than you think. When it is simply not possible to go out for a day of exploring, you need ideas. Well here is what to do when you’re on vacation and it rains:

Visit Indoor Attractions: Look for museums, aquariums, or indoor amusement parks nearby. These places often have exhibits and activities suitable for kids, keeping them entertained while staying dry.

Go Bowling or Play Arcade Games: Bowling alleys and arcades are great places for family fun, offering a variety of games and activities that are sure to keep everyone entertained.

Storytelling Time: Have a storytelling session where each person takes turns adding to a story. Start with a simple prompt or theme, and then let each person contribute a sentence or two to build the story. It’s a great way to exercise creativity and imagination while having fun together.

Sock Puppet Theater: Gather up some old socks, markers, and craft supplies, and let the kids create their own sock puppets. Once they’re done, they can put on a puppet show right in the hotel room using the bed or a table as a stage.

Explore Indoor Play Centers: Many cities have indoor play centers or trampoline parks specifically designed for kids. Let them burn off energy while you stay dry indoors.

Get Creative with Crafts: Bring out the art supplies and have a craft day indoors. Let your kids’ creativity flow as they make drawings, paintings, or other crafts.

When traveling with your family which includes young children, be sure the book kid-friendly places to stay.

Road Trip Activities For Kids – Must Haves!

If you need some more inspiration, check out our article about traveling with kids.

Indoor Swimming: If your accommodation has a pool, take advantage of it! Indoor pools offer a great way to still enjoy swimming even when it’s raining outside.

TRAVEL TIP:

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Have a Board Game Marathon

Gather around the table and play some classic board games or puzzles. It’s a great way to bond as a family and have some friendly competition.

Keeping in mind what is easy to pack and takes up the least space in your luggage:

Game of cards

With evidence that the very first card game in the worlds’ history dates back to the 9th century, it is no wonder that today it is still a family favourite. It is compact and easy to pack.

Previously on a weekend away I was so surprised to see families taking card games with them to restaurants. Just think how awesome this is. Instead of everyone sitting staring at the ceiling or their celphones, they were all laughing and enjoying the evening. This happened at various restaurants in the middle of holiday season.

Trick card games are a favorite for younger children. The object of a trick-taking game is based on the play of multiple rounds. Each player plays a single card from their hand, and based on the values of played cards one player wins or “takes” the trick.

When traveling alone: A good book is always a great option. Then again a good old card game like Solitaire (Patience) or Spider can make time disappear. When traveling on your own, this can all come along on your iPhone or iPad.

Puzzles get the mind going

Now available on the internet @ Jigsawplanet, it is as easy as having a screen big enough where you can access the site. You can choose from just 15 pieces up to 300 pieces and there are lots of categories to choose from.

Family Board Game Night

Children still love this family time with mom and dad. You might start at first with a sigh and taking a deep breath, but soon you will all be laughing together. All time family favorites include games like Monopoly, Cluedo, Ludo and many more.

Considering the travel friendly versions in the shops, other favorites are: Dominoes, Checkers, Battleship (travel version), Chess, Clue and Uno Cards. (see out link below)

Games you can play without having to pack anything: Charades, Dots and Boxes and Simon Says. The game Tic-tac-toe, noughts and crosses, or Xs and Os can be played in unique ways: With pen and paper or let the kids collect stuff from nature to use as markers.

If you need more gaming ideas for what to do on holidays when it rains, the website “whatdowedoallday” gives you loads of game ideas and many more.

Cook or Bake Together: Spend some quality time in the kitchen cooking or baking together. Let your kids help out with simple recipes or try making something new as a family.

Games that teach children about color

This is an activity that both adults and children enjoy. With the advent of adult coloring books, it’s now possible to spend quality time together without feeling exhausted from running around. Get out the coloring books and enjoy. BUT, if you’re up for a little bit more fun…

Play some of the best and most fun games that will at the same time teach them about color:

Paint by numbers: You don’t have to be an artist to give this activity a go. You would be surprised at how professional your end product will look. Especially ideal for rainy days in self-catering facilities.
Color Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of colorful items for the kids to find around the house or hotel room. Give each child a list and let them search for items of different colors. You can make it more challenging by assigning points to each item or setting a time limit.
Rainbow Relay Race: Divide the kids into teams and set up a relay race where they have to collect items of different colors to create a rainbow. For example, they might have to find a red toy, a yellow book, a green sock, and so on. The first team to complete their rainbow wins!
Colorful Twister: Use colored construction paper or colored tape to create a colorful Twister board on the floor. Call out combinations of colors and body parts for the kids to place on the corresponding colors. It’s a fun way to get active indoors while incorporating the theme of colors.
Painting Party: Set up a painting station with various colors of paint, brushes, and paper or canvas. Let the kids unleash their creativity by painting colorful masterpieces. You can also provide stencils or templates related to your vacation destination for added inspiration.
Colorful Memory Game: Create a memory game using pairs of cards with colorful pictures or patterns. Mix them up and lay them face down, then take turns flipping over two cards at a time to try to make a match. It’s a great way to improve memory skills while having fun with colors.
Balloon Pop Color Match: Write different colors on small slips of paper and place them inside balloons before inflating them. Scatter the balloons around the room and challenge the kids to pop them. Once popped, they must find an object in the room that matches the color written on the slip of paper inside the balloon.