10 Things To Do on a Rainy Vacation Day with Kids

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Even the most carefully planned family vacation cannot avoid a rainy day. You can plan for many things, but you cannot control the weather. No worries! We had a rainy day on our most recent Hilton Head Island vacation and still had a blast. Here are 10 things to do on a rainy vacation day with kids.

Visit the Local Library

Some libraries in high tourist areas do allow vacationers to check out books. But even if you can’t take a book home, visiting the local library is a great use of your time on a rainy vacation day with kids.

The Hilton Head Island library that we visited does allow vacationers to check out books, but we didn’t need to. The kids explored the children’s section, chose some books, and sat to read them. There was also a library book sale going on, so we were able to support the library during our visit. Libraries may have programming that you could participate in during the week, so find the closest library and take a peek at their website.

Go to the Movies

Just like a rainy day at home, the movie theater is a great way to spend a few hours. A simple Google search can find your nearest theater to get you showtimes and the current playlist. Unfortunately, nothing was playing that the kids wanted to see on our rainy day, but it is an option to consider.

Visit the Local Children’s Museum

Children’s museums are always a fun place to visit, but something that you may not incorporate into a vacation, especially if it’s a beach vacation. A rainy day offers you the opportunity to check one out during your visit.

Be sure to check the children’s museum website in advance to see if they require reservations. During our Hilton Head Island vacation, we tried to visit the Sandbox Children’s Museum on a rainy day, but it required fully booked reservations.

Restock your Vacation Groceries

I am all about Instacart for family vacations, but we always end up thinking of things to add during the week. A rainy day is a great opportunity to run to the grocery store, and while you’re there, you can grab some new coloring books, crayons, or other art supplies.

Watch a Movie in the Room

Most people travel with an iPad nowadays, so hop on the Wi-Fi and download or rent a new movie from your favorite streaming service. You can snuggle up with blankets, grab some popcorn and movie snacks at the grocery store or via Instacart, and relax.

Build a Fort

All the credit goes to my kids on this one! I would not have thought of this, but they pulled out blankets, moved around some furniture, and made an impressive fort/cozy corner on our rainy day. Time was spent setting up the fort, and then hanging out in the fort together, making this a worthwhile activity. We left the fort in place for the remainder of the vacation and they used it through the very last day.

Play Outside

If there’s no thunder and lightning, the pools at your hotel, as well as the beach are likely open and available to play. You’re wearing a bathing suit and planning to get wet anyway, so what’s a little rain? Be careful of the ocean, as it can be unsafe during storms, but hunting for seashells on the beach is a fun rainy-day activity.

In Hilton Head, our pools were initially closed as in Baby J’s words the weather was “thunder, sort of like a tornado and dangerous!” But once the thunder and lightning had passed and it was rainy, we went out to enjoy the pools.

Family Game Day

We bring a few decks of cards (regular playing cards, and Uno cards) on vacation for plane rides, dinners out, etc. If you don’t have any games, you could check out the grocery store, or see if your hotel rents board games or cards. Family-friendly VRBO properties typically have games or puzzles available for your use as well.

Set Up an Art Space

If you stock a travel bag for the plane or car with art supplies, you may already have everything you need to make a little art studio in your room. We also grab the kids’ menus that have activities or puzzles on them, along with the crayons they give the kids when eating out at restaurants. Those items are going to be thrown away by the restaurant and may keep a child busy later in the week on a rainy day, or another restaurant that may not have those kid-friendly items available.

Check out your Resort’s Lobby or Activity Center

If you are at a large family resort, there is a good chance they offer family programming in their lobby or activity center, especially on a rainy day. We’ve taken advantage of these offerings while in Disney during a hurricane, as well as during our rainy day on Hilton Head Island. If you aren’t given a calendar of events for the resort on check-in, simply call the front desk and they should be able to help you out.