There is a particular feeling that comes with waking up to rain on a free day. Plans for the park or the market fade, and the risk is that the hours dissolve into scrolling and snacking. Yet a rainy day can be one of the best days of the week, precisely because it removes the pressure to be out doing something. All it takes is a few ideas ready to go.
Get creative
Rain is the perfect excuse to start the project you keep putting off. You do not need to be good at it; the point is to make something with your hands.
- Sketching or painting: still life from the kitchen table, the view from the window, or a scene from a favourite photo.
- Writing: a short story, a letter to a friend, or a few pages of journal.
- Crafts: knitting, embroidery, collage, candle-making or a simple printing project with potatoes and paint.
- Photography: raindrops on glass, steam from a teacup and wet streets make great subjects.
- Music: dust off an instrument or try one of the many free beginner lessons online.
Play something
Games turn a grey afternoon into a social one, whether you are alone, with a partner or with a house full of friends.
| Who is home | Ideas |
|---|---|
| Just you | A large jigsaw, a crossword or logic puzzle, a single-player video game |
| Two of you | Card games, chess, cooperative board games, a two-player video game |
| A small group | Strategy board games, party games, a home quiz with themed rounds |
| A mixed-age crowd | An indoor clue trail, charades, a building challenge with whatever is in the recycling |
Video games deserve a mention, too. Sandbox and building games in particular reward a long, unhurried session; our look at the Minecraft modding community shows how much creativity people pour into them. If you have a group at home, a trail of clues hidden between rooms works just as well as one outdoors, and our guide to making a scavenger hunt explains how.
Cook something slow
A rainy day is the right time for recipes that need patience rather than skill. Put on a stew, a pot of soup or a slow-roasted dish and let the smell fill the house. Bake bread, try homemade pasta, or work through a recipe you have bookmarked for months. If friends are coming round, a long lunch or a make-your-own pizza evening fits the mood perfectly.
Do one useful job
Some people feel happier after a rainy day if something has been ticked off. Choose one small, satisfying job rather than a whole list:
- Clear out one drawer, shelf or cupboard.
- Sort the photos on your phone into albums, and pick a few to print or display.
- Rearrange a room or a corner to give it a fresh look.
- Plan meals or outings for the coming week.
- Repair the small things that have been waiting: a loose button, a squeaky hinge, a wobbly chair.
Stop when that one job is done. The point of the day is still to enjoy it.
Rest properly
Rain gives permission to slow down, and that is worth taking seriously. Read a whole book in one go. Watch a film series from start to finish. Take a long bath, do some gentle stretching or simply nap with the window open a crack so you can hear the rain. Make the space cosy with a blanket, warm drinks and soft lighting, and keep notifications off for a few hours.
Go out anyway
Wet weather does not have to keep you indoors all day. Many places are at their best when the crowds stay home:
- Museums, galleries and libraries
- Covered markets and food halls
- Cinemas, theatres and afternoon concerts
- Swimming pools, climbing walls and bowling alleys
- A walk in a good raincoat, followed by a warm café
Keep a rainy day list
The easiest way to make the most of the next wet weekend is to prepare for it now. Keep a short list on the fridge or in your phone of things you would like to do "when it rains": films to watch, recipes to try, games to play, projects to start. When the rain arrives, you will have a plan ready, and the grey sky becomes the start of a good day rather than the end of one.
