What to do when it's raining

Wondering what to do when it's raining? I don’t know about you, but we live in the UK, a country which sees more rain than I could have ever imagined. More often than not, we had to postpone some activities, BBQ or garden tea parties because of the weather. I am one of those silly people who really love the rain, but after so many years of constant gloom, it started to get to me. Of course we’ve been daydreaming about another sunny country such as Portugal or Italy, but in reality, we do like Bristol a lot and this is our home. So we got creative and found great ways to beat the gloom and have lots of fun, even when the weather is all grey and wet. Wondering how? Here is what to do when it's raining.

Bake a cake

I can’t imagine anyone in Britain who doesn’t like to bake. I think I got into making bread and baking sophisticated cakes due to the famed Great British Bake Off. Just by watching it, you want to start making all sorts of baking goodies. It became a phenomenon to such extent, that even companies encourage their employees to bake in their spare time and bring their bakes to work, where the rest of the colleagues judge and give scores. I worked for two companies who did this! I reckon baking should be a British national sport.

Craft an epic meal

If you don’t like baking (who are you?!), you can perhaps try to cook something instead. You don’t have to make a cake or bake a loaf of bread, but nothing stops you from bringing an amazing recipe to life. I love cooking and I take advantage of the rainy days to perfect my cooking skills.

Have a Harry Potter marathon

Don’t fancy baking or cooking? Just laze on the sofa and have a movie marathon. Sometimes it’s nice to just switch off and allow yourself to relax with your favourite film. My weapon of choice is always Harry Potter. Love it.

Go out for a walk in the countryside

This one is for the adventurous souls. We really love the outdoors and nothing quite compares to long walks in nature. Since it’s pretty much always raining here in the UK, we realised we will never walk or hike if we are to wait for the weather to improve. As such, we bought some good quality wellies, nice North Face waterproofs and jumbo scarves to keep us warm. Despite the cold, wind or rain, we often go out and walk in the country and we’re loving it!

Have a bubble bath

Use the rainy days to pamper yourself and relax in a bubble bath. I find it quite glorious to just be in the warm water and enjoy the sound of rain. It’s an incredibly zen experience and I can’t recommend it enough. If you don’t have a window in your bathroom, put some soft music on and just unwind.

Head over to the local pub

Going to the local pub on a rainy day is yet another one of those national British sports. Chances are, all your friends and neighbours will already be in the pub, chatting away and drinking a beer. Pubs are a great way to get over the gloomy weather and have some fun time whilst meeting new people.

Have a tea party

Another brilliant way to spend time indoors whilst is pouring with rain outside, is to invite lots of friends over for a nice tea party. Have some scones and lots of tea ready and let the fun begin. For a tea party with a twist, make homemade sushi and serve with green tea. I usually prefer this approach to the old traditional British way.

Read your favourite book

For some special time why not pick up your favourite book and read something epic. A couple of days ago I discovered this great book called What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe. I can’t recommend this enough, such great read. I like to grab a blanket, a nice cup of tea and start reading.

Visit a museum

Museums are great places to visit during rainy days. You are still out of the house and doing something interesting, whilst being totally covered. Whether you do this alone, with a friend or a partner, is a nice way to spend an afternoon strolling through interesting artefacts.

Go to a coffee shop

Grab a book or your laptop and go to your favourite coffee shop. Treat yourself with your favourite beverage and start reading or writing. It’s cool to do this as I like people watching. Sometimes it’s nice to just relax and look at the rain dripping down the windows. Other times, I like to listen to music and just write on the blog.

See a theatre play

If it happens to rain after work and feel too tired to go out for a walk in the country, you still have some fun alternatives. One of my favourite things to do is to watch a play. I am very fond of the Theatre Royal Bath and usually drive there in the evening to see something special. I had times when I drove to Cardiff, a great place for theatres too.

Go shopping

This is a rather expensive habit so I don’t recommend it all the time. Sometimes it’s fun to just do a bit of shop hopping and find great sales. I mean who doesn’t like taking advantage of a rainy day, by finding a great pair of boots?

Go out and photograph

The great thing about rainy days is that most people will avoid being out and about. This also includes famed attractions, epic destinations and nice landscapes. I found gloomy days to be brilliant for photographic opportunities. Firstly, because it’s quiet and there are fewer people around. Secondly, because I don’t need any extra filters for my camera lens, as the clouds do the job for me. Rainy days equals the best type of photos.

Visit an aquarium

You might not like getting wet but there are several sea creatures which love it. Marvel at fish, sharks and aquatic plants by visiting the local aquarium. I recommend doing this during the week to avoid peak and busy times.

Play a board game

When we get bored we sometimes play board games. It’s a great way to pass the time and have lots of fun in the meanwhile. If you invite several friends over, play Monopoly or Cluedo. If it’s just the two of you and loves logic games, then play Chess or Go. For solo entertainment, try Civilization on your computer.

Work on a personal project

Ever wanted to start something and never got the time to do it? Well, this is your chance! It’s raining, you don’t want to go out and finally have some spare time on your hands. Grab a piece of paper and get started. Whether is a business idea, a blog or a new invention, there is never too late to start.

Clean and organise

Let’s face it, nobody likes to waste a sunny day cleaning the house. So no better time to clean and organise your clothes, items and office space, than when it rains. I know you might be dreading it, but living and working in a clean and organised environment comes with a lot of advantages.

Craft

About two years ago I created our first adventure book which essentially consisted of a lot of cutouts, pictures, cute little buttons, ribbons and all sort of crafts. Ever since I’ve been adding to these books every time we had a trip somewhere cool. I now also keep photo albums too. It’s a great way to create real memories. I especially like to work on these things when it’s raining. The rain makes me creative.

Learn a new skill set

Want to become a designer or always fancied learning how to code? Want to be a better photographer or want to become a great writer? Rainy days remind me of school days because we used to start on the 15th of September, which was almost always wet. That’s why I have this urge to study when it started pouring down.

Get social

Rainy days can sometimes make us a bit melancholic. It’s hard to miss your friends and family, but with all the technologies available to us, we can easily talk to anyone and everyone on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Skype. You can just grab the laptop, have a cup of tea and get social with all the people you care for.

These are my favourite 20 things to do when it’s raining. What do you like doing on a gloomy day? Share your stories with me in the comments section below.