Just because the rain is coming down outside doesn’t mean you can’t still have heaps of fun, whether you are at home or on holidays. Here are some great ways to make the most out of a rainy day.

Pamper yourself

There’s nothing quite like soaking in a warm bubble bath while the rain patters away outside, or gather up your beauty supplies and paint your nails or give each other makeovers with a new make-up style.

Indoor scavenger hunt

This is a great way to keep the little ones entertained. Plan out a scavenger hunt. Hide numbered clues around the house (or cabin if you’re on holidays) for players to uncover. Whoever manages to find all the clues first gets to keep the ‘treasure’ at the end, which could be anything from chocolate coins to getting to choose what movie to watch next.

Go on a rainy adventure

Pull on your gumboots and raincoat, grab an umbrella and head out for a rainy adventure. Take a stroll around the block, jump in puddles or keep a look out for frogs and other creatures.

Movie marathon

Make some popcorn, grab some pillows and set up camp in front of the TV for some serious movie watching. Dig out your favourite DVD’s or check out Netflix for some marathon watching of the latest series or movies.

Make homemade play dough

Get the kids to help you whip up a batch of homemade play dough with this easy recipe. Once it is ready, see how many different things you can make. Don’t forget to take photos of your extra special creations before you pack up the play dough.

Have a games day

Get the family together for a games day. Grab a deck of cards and play some old fashioned card games, like Go Fish or Spoons. Or bust out the board games, Monopoly and Cluedo are always family favourites or check out our board game round-up for some awesome options.

Bake some sweet treats

Nothing brightens up a day like the smell of baking cookies and cakes. Try out a new recipe or teach your family some of your favourite recipes. Chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake are always favourites in our books.

Build a blanket or pillow fort

Gather up the spare sheets, blankets and pillows and use the furniture to make a fort. Once you have your shelter constructed you can use your hideout to play games or grab a book for story time.

Word games

Word games are a fun way to pass the time and best of all don’t require any equipment. Challenge each other with Eye Spy, 20 Questions or Bad Movie Trailers. Check out our car games blog for some great games that can also be played at home.

Jigsaw puzzles

A rainy day is the perfect time to dig out that jigsaw puzzle you’ve never got around to do. Get the whole family to help, a nice relaxed way to spend a rainy day indoors.

Have a lounge room dance party

Crank up your favourite music and bust out your best dance moves with a lounge room dance party. For added fun, dress up in your favourite outfit or craziest coloured clothes.

Paint your faces

Brighten up a rainy day with some face painting. You can find face paint at most department and craft shops and even a lot of supermarkets. Paint the kid’s faces as their favourite animal or superhero, if you’re brave let the kids have a go at painting the adult’s faces.

Bring out the balloons

Balloons aren’t just for parties, they are fun any time of the year (and less likely to break things than playing with regular balls indoors). Play volleyball with the couch or a row of chairs as the ‘net’ or work together to bat the balloon up into the air and see how long you can keep it off the ground.

Hide and seek

This is an oldie but a goodie and can be played with the whole family. Take turns being ‘up’ and counting to 20 while everyone else hides, then try to find them as quickly as possible. If you only have a small space to play in, try blindfolded hide and seek, where the person who is up must wear a blind fold and try to find and tag the other players by listening carefully.