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Guide to what to do on rainy days

Let’s be realistic. Even during the finest of English summers – let alone all those “shoulder” months when you’ve taken a trip in your caravan – you’d better be prepared for the possibility of at least a rainy day or two.

The better prepared you are for spending some hours sheltering from the rain within the confines of your caravan, the better you’ll be able positively to enjoy that time. Or, if you are happy to brave the weather and don’t mind getting wet through, there are activities you can still enjoy.

So, let’s take a closer look at what to do on rainy days during any caravan holiday.

Board games

Board games have been around since the dawn of civilization – the British Museum has one called the Royal Game of Ur that is around 4,600 years old! So, you could say their popularity has been well and truly tested:

  • during the recent lockdowns of the pandemic, families spending more time at home have enjoyed a resurgence in the popularity of board games – such as the perennial favourites of Monopoly and Scrabble – reported the Metro newspaper on the 12th of August 2023;

Variations on a theme

Broadly developing on the enduring popularity of board games, there are also slightly newer and somewhat different variations on the basic theme, such as:

  • Trivial Pursuit has also become an old-time favourite, but there are constantly updated versions available, and the range includes ones for different age groups – there is even a travel version for the game if you don’t have space to open a full board;
  • a much newer board game Articulate! is nevertheless a variation on an old theme when you attempt to describe a particular word without actually using it – as the tension gathers pace, you’ll probably find yourselves lifting the roof of your caravan as the war of words locks anything from four to twenty people in battle;
  • another board game almost certain to raise a raucous din involving the whole family, Buckaroo takes you all on a trip back to the Wild West and a famous bucking mule – it’s quick, it’s frenzied and – best of all, perhaps – even children as young as four can play along with you;
  • who’s never played Snakes and Ladders before?! And that’s all part of the fun, of course. Unfold the board and you’re almost certain to be taken back to those times of innocent family fun – the game’s stayed just the same and you’ll enjoy teaching a younger generation all the ups and downs of this classic. The British Council has even published on their website a version you can print out at home before you go on holiday;
  • if you’re looking for something more cerebral, when you might even enjoy a bit of peace and quiet before things get really tense, then Scrabble is the go-to board game – it says it’s for ages 10 and up but, quite honestly, anyone who can spell can have a shot at this game designed for between two and four players;
  • there’s nothing like a guessing game, especially for the younger members in your party, and Guess Who? is one of the originals – players get to ask the yes/no questions (are your eyes blue, are you a boy, are you on the television, and so on) until someone guesses your secret identity.

Cards

A fascinating history posted by David Parlett reminds us that card games appeared in the UK more than 400 years ago – and, in one shape or another, continue to enthral and engage players of today.

Break open the pack of cards at the slightest sign of rain – or whenever there are members of the family at something of a loose end:

  • there are literally hundreds of different games you can play with a simple pack of cards – from a boisterous game of Snap for the young ones to the sober-minded challenge of bridge if you’ve invited some neighbouring caravanners around to share a rainy night in;
  • the great thing about cards, of course, is that they’ll take up practically no storage space at all – and Games Radar shows that new games and new versions of old favourites are appearing all the time.

Other than board games

You don’t have to rely on board games, of course, because there are plenty of other activities to take your mind off however bad the weather has turned:

  • if you’re touring, or if your caravan is somewhat compact, keeping the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle up together might prove something of a challenge – but if you’ve stopped in one place and the family is getting restive under the sudden opening of the heavens, why not get a touch nostalgic and tackle together this 1,000-piece puzzle depicting VW campervans through the ages;
  • have you tried the cereal box challenge? It requires nothing more complicated or sophisticated than an empty cereal box. Players take it in turns to lift up the box using only their mouths – no hands allowed – and when round one is finished, a strip is torn off around the top of the box, making it shorter and more difficult to pick up. The winner is the last person still able to pick up the box when it has been reduced to its smallest possible size using only their mouth;
  • it’s not a board game, of course, but equally nostalgic might be that game beloved by Victorians and Edwardians alike by the name of charades. It’s a game likely to be fun for all the family – often collapsing into a chance just to be silly in each other’s company – and today being 2024, rather than 100 or more years ago, there is even a charades app for your mobile phone;
  • after the fun and exertion of all those charades, you might want to settle down for a quieter activity before bedtime and turning your caravan into your own home theatre might be just the answer – buy in some fizzy drinks and microwave some popcorn to create an authentic home cinema;
  • you might even be able to tear your teenage children away from their smartphones if you’ve smuggled a Twister mat into a storage corner of your caravan – the game is simplicity itself, of course, but is also likely to engage and reduce to laughter even the most reticent of both the young and the not so young in a short space of time;
  • another favourite likely to go down well with the younger members of your family is to let them build their own den, home, or fort using the blankets, other soft furnishings, and even empty boxes you’re likely to have lying around in your caravan – as the Elf on the Shelf suggests, it’s a way of encouraging children’s imaginations to run wild, involves no further expensive equipment, and could occupy them for hours;
  • if it’s a challenge you’re after, how about testing your skills by baking in what is likely to be the fairly restricted space of your caravan’s galley, suggested the website Caravan Advice on the 22nd of July 2023 – young children, in particular, will probably relish the chance to get ingredients everywhere while developing their culinary “skills”;
  • let yoga be your escape. For many caravanners, the worst of being cooped up indoors and sheltering from the rain is being kept from exercising outside. If that is you, then now might be the time to take up yoga – or practise it some more if you are already a dab hand. Even in the relatively cramped conditions of a touring caravan, you can still find the space to unwind through your yoga exercises – physically challenging for your body and mentally relaxing for your soul.

The rain’s your friend

Come the morning, with everyone bright-eyed and bushy-tailed – isn’t every day like that when you’re caravanning – don’t be disappointed if the rain is still coming down. A caravan holiday is all about enjoying the great outdoors – whatever the weather, including the rain:

  • why not make it a friend for you and your children, therefore, by positively encouraging play outside even when it’s been bucketing down. Some of the activities can be serious, like making a rain gauge to measure just how much rain has fallen to simply splashing about in the puddles, hunting for worms, or making mud pies and soup;

Swimming

  • for ducks and swimmers, of course, a drop of rain is neither here nor there – if you’re already soaked to the skin what better way to spend your time than taking a swim;
  • outdoor pools will serve just fine but more sensitive souls might want to head to the local leisure centre;

Twitching

  • while you are safely snuggled inside your caravan, nature continues its everyday chores come rain or shine and you can try your hand at the gentle art of bird spotting – or “twitching” as those in the know will call it;
  • you’ll want to keep by you the birdwatcher’s bible, the RSPB Handbook of British Birds – authoritative, comprehensive, and now in its 5th edition.

There is just one clear message behind all of these suggestions: and that is that a rainy day needn’t put the damper on any caravan holiday – when the fun and laughter subside, you might even have been glad of the opportunity to try something different.

Please note that any links to third-party suppliers are purely for example purposes only and should not be deemed as recommendations.