Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times we chant this rhyme, we can’t control the weather. Inevitably, you will have rainy days on your camping trip at some point. The last thing you want to happen is to be caught off guard with an unexpected rain day in a small space. Trust us: Having the family cooped up in the RV without a plan is not fun for anyone!
Most likely you have planned for tons of fun in the sun during your RV trip, as most of us do. But it’s a good idea to have a few ideas/activities on the ready in case you do find yourself with a bit of rain.
Here are eight ideas to keep your family happy and entertained without going crazy through the rain!
Dance, Jump, Run
If you’re not worried about getting a little wet, embrace the rain! Light rain showers are a great opportunity to let the kids do what they do best — play! And if you enjoy acting like a kid from time to time, join them. Jump in the puddles, dance in the rain and run around. Take it up a notch by making it a contest for the biggest puddle-jumping splash, best dance moves or even a game of rain tag. If you do it right, you’ll be wet, muddy and full of laughter! Don’t be surprised if your rainy day quickly becomes one of your favorite days, getting messy and making memories with your family that can be told around campfires to come. Just be sure to leave some towels and a plastic bag for wet clothes near the door BEFORE you go out. That way you don’t have to track water and mud through the camper to clean up when you decide to come in after the rainy fun.
Play Games
Playing games as a family is a great way to connect, laugh and have fun. Of course, you don’t need rain to do this, but a rainy day is a great excuse to pull those games out. We have a bin full of games, including a deck of cards, Spot It! (a matching card game), Catch Phrase and Pass the Pigs. These are some of our favorites, but there are so many small-size games available for all ages out there. We also have Jenga, which never gets old!
If you didn’t pack games, don’t worry. You can play Pictionary with just a pen and paper, or charades with your mind and acting skills. You can also download entertaining games such as Heads Up! on your phone or tablet. Remember to download a few games before heading out, as you never know how good the Wi-Fi will be at your campground.
Take A Hike
If you and your family love adventure and are up for anything, take a hike. Pack your raincoats, ponchos and waterproof shoes/boots so wet weather won’t have to hold you back from experiencing nature and adventure during your RV trip. Make your hike extra fun for the family by doing a rain hike scavenger hunt, playing in the mud, throwing stones in nearby water or looking for worms and bugs. Depending on what area you are in, be sure to check the trail description before venturing out to make sure it is not prone to flooding during rainstorms.
Make S’mores
If you don’t make s’mores, did you even go camping? Even if rain keeps you from having a campfire, there are still plenty of ways to make this camping staple inside! You can use an electric s’more roaster, microwave or even the stovetop to make the chocolatey, gooey treat. A quick Pinterest search will pull up a bunch of recipes and ingredients to have on hand.
We prefer to keep our indoor s’mores super easy with marshmallows and fudge striped cookies. All you need to do is place a fudge striped cookie with the striped side down on a microwaveable plate. Add a marshmallow on top and microwave for 10 seconds. It’s fun for the kids to watch the marshmallow get huge and then shrink back down. Remove them from the microwave, top them with another fudge striped cookie and eat!
Arts And Crafts
It’s no surprise to parents that having your kids participate in arts and crafts during a rain shower is a great idea. In addition to coloring books and drawing pages, there are a few ways you could incorporate the outdoors into your crafts even though you are indoors.
Consider grabbing a handful of rocks from outside and painting them or decorating them with stickers and markers. It’s quite common to see painted rocks along trails and campgrounds where the kids have decorated the rocks and left them somewhere special for others to enjoy. You could do something similar with pine cones and acorns, too. The kids could hold on to them as memories of the trip, or they even make great gifts for grandparents or relatives.
Another fun idea is to create a rustic mobile out of twigs. Your kids can create and decorate the items that hang from their mobile with construction paper or items from nature. This is especially fun in the fall when the leaves are changing, and you can add the beautiful colors throughout your RV.
Bake A Sweet Treat
Baking as a family on a rainy day isn’t just fun, it’s tasty too! A few of our RV favorites to bake are chocolate chip cookies, coffee cake and blueberry muffins. Our son loves to bake anything that involves him getting to crack an egg.
If you only have a microwave, a few ideas to try are Rice Krispies bars or chocolate-drizzled fruit. And if you have neither an oven nor a microwave, make-your-own trail mix is a lot of fun! This lets kids be creative and enjoy the end result, too.
Watch A Movie, But Make It Special
Watching a movie on a rainy day is pretty much a no-brainer. But if you’re going to do it on your RV trip, make it special. A few ideas are to shut all the shades to make it dark like a movie theater, pop tons of popcorn, grab any candy you can find and pull out all the blankets and pillows to make a fort or massive snuggle pile on the couch. Whether you’re watching a family favorite or a new movie no one has seen yet, going all out to make it fun will be enjoyable for everyone.
If your RV has an outdoor entertainment system, then the fun doesn’t have to stay inside. If the rain is light enough, open your awning, grab some blankets, pop some popcorn and watch your movie outside in the rain.
Visit Local Museums/Experiential Businesses
Rainy days are a great excuse to head into town to tour some of the local museums or check out some experiential activity places. Many RV trips are so focused on being outside that sometimes we forget about the interesting places that can be found in town. So many small towns across the country have unique places to visit that can be interesting and educational. Of course, you could eat a meal at a local restaurant, swing by the hometown brewery and/or enjoy a wine tasting or two!
Hopefully, you will have ideal weather for your next RV trip. But if you do happen to experience rain, you can now turn the rain frowns upside down with these family fun activities!
