How to Have Fun on a Rainy Day
Ten Activities to Keep Your Mind and Body Entertained and Energized
What do you do when your plans are ruined by a rainy day? Here's a list of 10 activities to do when the rain gets in the way of your planned outdoor activities.
1) Try a Yoga Class: Yoga is an activity for both the body and the mind. Most yoga classes are taught indoors and with yoga's growing popularity the number of studios is increasing as well. There are many different styles of yoga and many yoga studios have websites explaining which yoga style they teach as well as some basic information about what to expect. Some yoga studios have specials or coupons for new students. If you're currently a yogi or yogini try going to a different studio or taking something different from your usual class. If power yoga is your thing, try a gentle restorative yoga. If extra gentle and meditative is typically your cup of tea, find your inner strength and try a power yoga or Vinyasa Flow class.
2) Window Shop: Head to the nearest mega mall and window shop. See the latest fashion trends without breaking the bank. If you know you have an impulse to spend, leave the wallet in the car! (Always carry your ID on you though, just in case.) Window shopping is a great way to fantasize about what you'd do if you hit the lottery and a great way to get in some walking on a rainy day. Wear a pedometer to see how far you've gone on your window shopping expedition. Time flies when your mind isn't focused on the workout. You might just surprise yourself with how far you can walk inside on a gloomy, rainy day.
3) Bake a Loaf of Bread: Have you ever baked your own loaf of bread? A rainy day is a great time to try out that bread recipe you watched on the Food Network last week or read about in Aunt Margaret's family cookbook. While baking a loaf of bread can be time intensive, the required ingredients and cooking skills are fairly simple. Use the rainy afternoon to make a simple dough, take a nap or read a magazine while the bread rises, knead it, and let it rise again, then bake! Although it might be chilly and rainy outside, you'll have a nice warm homemade loaf of bread to cheer you up from the inside out.
4) Pretend You're a Maid: Use the time spent indoors to tackle all the cleaning you haven't done over the last month, or maybe even year! It's amazing how many calories cleaning can burn. Move the appliances out of the way and vacuum up all the ant attracting crumbs from the kitchen. Use your legs and arms, but not your back, to move the couch and vacuum up all the dust bunnies that live underneath it -- just remember to claim all the loose change you find under the couch and under the couch cushions as a tip for yourself. Once you're done, enjoy your newly clean surroundings and relax.
5) Plan Your Next Vacation: Just because it's rainy now doesn't mean it'll be raining later. Use this time to fantasize about your dream vacation and do some research to see if your dream vacation might actually be feasible. Pick a place then look online for possible activities to do while there, hotels to stay at, restaurants to eat at. Even if you're not in a position to book the vacation, when you are you'll know exactly where you want to go, where you'd like to stay, and what you'd like to do.
6) Be a Tourist in Your Own Town: Many towns and cities have tourist attractions that locals miss out on. Does your town have a museum for a little known niche in history? A house where a semi-famous historical figure once lives? If so, go visit it! The number of small museums located across America is amazing. If your local town or city doesn't have a tourist attraction, try and find the closest one to your hometown. Make sure it's an indoor attraction, or bring your wellies and umbrella to stay warm and dry.
7) Explore the Library: Libraries are a great place to visit on a rainy day. Stay indoors and become an expert on any topic you choose. If expertise isn't what you're hoping to achieve, read a magazine or newspaper instead. Many libraries have periodicals from places near and far, and on topics ranging from the mundane to the esoteric. The current month's magazine and newspapers are usually classified as reference materials and cannot be be checked out, so they're certain to be there for your browsing on a rainy day.
8) Learn a Trick: Many card tricks are surprisingly simple to learn and take a minimum amount of skill to master. As with many tasks, practice makes perfect for card tricks. Spending a rainy day learning a card trick is great because card tricks serve as excellent ice breakers and can keep both children and adults entertained. Literally having a trick up your sleeve can make waits in long lines seem shorter and can help make friends.
9) Visit a Neighbor: In decades past, neighborhoods were close-knit communities where everybody knew everyone and neighbors waved as they drove by or said "hello" when they strolled past. In current times, this sense of close-knit community can be absent. One way to help revitalize the sense of community is to introduce yourself to, or visit with a neighbor. Yes, this may involve a short walk in the rain, but once inside, a lovely afternoon can be had catching up with an old friend, or getting to know someone new while staying out of the weather.
10) Jump in the Puddles: Instead of lamenting the onset of a gray, rainy day, make the best of it and go outside, jump in the puddles, pretend you're a kid again, get a little muddy, and enjoy being outside in all of Mother Nature's glory.
Jumpin' in the rain
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