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Weekend At-Home Activities for A Rainy Day

Looking for things to do inside on a rainy day? We have a few suggestions to spark your creativity and help you hit the reset button.

Weekend At-Home Activities for A Rainy Day

Fall days can still be tons of fun even when the weather interferes. If you find yourself stuck inside, whether alone or with others, use these ideas to create memories and make those rainy days fun.

Start a board game night

This timeless classic is a great way to engage a group of people from your neighborhood for an afternoon of rainy day fun. Classics like Trouble, Sorry, and Monopoly are always a big hit. But there are other great board games you may not know exist. Ticket to Ride has everyone assembling train routes across the United States and Europe. Codenames challenges players to engage in wordplay with an espionage story.

Deck the walls

Fall is an ideal time for a home refresh. Before the holiday rush, get a jump on prepping your home for hosting. Adding a fresh coat of paint, whether it's a new color or retouching, is one of the fastest ways to make a room feel new. Transform the whole mood of an entire room or create a vibrant splash with an accent wall. 

Play musical furniture

Want to make your space look freshly designed without spending a dime? Pick a room and rearrange the furniture to see how it looks with different configurations. Or switch rooms entirely. Convert a barely used dining room into a home office or library. Or play with seating arrangements to encourage more conversation.  

Do a puzzle and let your mind wander

Much like board games, jigsaw puzzles have come a long way. In the mood for a cozy cottage scene? Pick up a 500-piece Thomas Kinkade landscape. Have an obsession with mixed-breed dogs? Piles of puppies are a popular topic. If you're a pop-culture or fantasy fan, many puzzles feature official artwork from Harry Potter to Game of Thrones to Marvel superheroes. For a total escape, think of some dream destinations and order up a realistic puzzle featuring a favorite landmark.

Create your own baking show

Want to spice up a dull rainy day? Have a bakeoff! While The Great British Baking Show judges won't be there to critique your showstopper challenges, this activity is ideal for anyone who has dreamed of competing in a baking competition. Have someone else in the house give a theme or constraint and then go to town. Maybe the only thing you can decorate your cake with is vegetables. Or only use colors that start with the first letter of your name.

Build a blanket fort

If you have a lot of pillows and blankets available gather them all into the same room and make an epic blanket fort. This activity is fun for all ages and can be used as the center for imaginative play or a fantastic accommodation for a Netflix movie night or binge-a-thon.

Tear it up

Feeling a creative itch and not sure where to start? Recycle old magazines, mail, newspaper, and paint to create a collage or assemblage piece. Take a pair of scissors to them and some glue and let your creativity run wild. Don't be afraid to play with forms and shapes in this activity too, or create surrealist pieces that put together different elements that may not go together.

Sing your heart out

Always wanted to be a pop star? Hang up a sheet, add some sparkly decorations, and belt out some karaoke in the privacy of your own home. Put on your favorite jam, let loose, and be the star you are. 

Shake, baby, shake

Put on your favorite dance playlist or album and move! Make a themed playlist (the '80s, anyone?) or have everyone submit a favorite song. You could even ask people for random letters and see what comes up on YouTube or Spotify for a spontaneous surprise. This is also your exercise for the day!

Start a creative journal

The great thing about journaling is that there are no rules. Instead of recording your thoughts, you can start a journal outlining your bucket list, creating a space to organize long and short-term goals or list everything you're grateful for. You can create a dream travel destinations journal or an art journal. The only limit to this is your imagination and what you want to capture from your life. 

Have a celebrity tell you a story

Love audiobooks but can't read as much as you'd like? It's a great way to get to that book or podcast, and you can multitask at the same time. Many are narrated by celebrities and superb voice talent, so they're engaging to listen to while cleaning out your sock drawer, doing the dishes, or making a collage. 

Out with the old

Rainy fall weekends may be the best time to see which of your clothes spark joy. Take inventory of the clothes you have for cold weather and see where your wardrobe may be lacking. You can donate clothes to your local shelter or sell them to a thrift shop and reward yourself with new clothing that will make you feel like doing a little dance. 

Build a house of cards

Try this cool construction challenge on a rainy fall day and see how tall you can make your tower without it falling. It may take a few tries but with any luck, you'll be creating Instagram-worthy creations in no time. 

Make a Rube Goldberg Machine

Awaken your inner engineer with a machine so ridiculous you might get TikTok famous. Rube Goldberg machines work by using a variety of steps to achieve an end goal. The cause and effect of this machine is an exciting challenge in both design and physics and giving yourself some low stakes can make it fun and relaxing at the same time. 

Spread some joy with painted rocks

Think ahead and bring some smiles to your neighborhood with a bit of acrylic paint and some stones. There's been a growing trend of people painting rocks that they can hide and spread around their neighborhoods started by The Kindness Rocks Project. This simple activity can bring a lot of joy to your outdoor spaces. Just be sure to use non-toxic paint to be sure you don't accidentally release harmful chemicals into the environment. 

Teach your children a string game

Revisit an old favorite like Cat's Cradle with the help of some yarn or a shoelace.  This simple game could lead to hours of entertainment, and you may enjoy a bit of nostalgia, and it's a fun thing to teach children and then do together.  

Stock Up on Supplies for Your Rainy Day

Want to be prepared with rainy day activities for the next storm? Check out the next Save mailer for household items for your rainy days.