Rainy Days While RVing- How to Make the Best of It

Rainy days while RVing can put a real damper on plans!

Whether it’s your first camping trip ever or one of a hundred trips, heading out on a camping adventure is always exciting. The idea of hiking through the woods, swimming in the lake, and spending evenings under the stars around a campfire is simply magical, and most of us get pretty stuck on these ideas when planning our camping trips.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate with these plans. Sometimes she decides to send rain, and some people would let this rain ruin the amazing trip they had planned.

Don’t let this be you. Instead, take life’s lemons and make lemonade by creating a different kind of camping trip and making memories to last a lifetime.

Wondering how to make the most of these rainy camping trips? Well, the way we see it, you have two options:

1. Get cozy indoors.

2. Embrace the rainy outdoors.

Our recommendation is to do a little of both and have a blast doing it.

Part 1: Getting Cozy Indoors

First, let’s discuss the option of getting cozy indoors. This option might seem less than appealing if you’re in a small RV or a tent, but there are ways to make it work and even make it fun if you go in with a good attitude.

Here are our favorite suggestions for passing the time in a small space and having a blast doing it.

Play Board or Card Games

One of the most obvious and most fun options if to pull out the games. Board games are awesome, but if you’re working with tight spaces, card games might be more feasible. Either way, you’ll probably be surprised at just how much fun your family can have playing games together.

Related Read: Easy to Store Games Every RVer Should Own

Some of our favorite camping games include:

• Set

• Sushi Go

• Boggle To Go

• Farkle

We like these games because they are small and portable without including tons of tiny pieces. None require batteries, and all are super duper fun!

Watch Movies

If you aren’t opposed to the idea of plugging in on a camping trip, you might enjoy a family movie night while you wait out the rain. Pop some popcorn in your RV microwave or over a camping stove, then snuggle up to watch one of the following camping-themed movies:

• The Great Outdoors

• RV

• The Parent Trap

• Heavyweights

• The Long, Long Trailer

Related Read: The Best RV Movies

Have a Shadow Puppet Show

Shadow puppets are tons of fun. Have a blast creating puppets of your own while telling silly stories. This works both in a tent and an RV and is the perfect activity to fill time after the sun goes down and before it’s time to sleep.

Make an Indoor Campfire

Missing your usual campfire? Why not create one indoors? Set up some flashlights on the floor and sit in a circle around them. “Roast” marshmallows or hot dogs in the microwave or over a camp stove, and tell stories and sing songs just as you would around any other campfire.

Have an Indoor Picnic

Another outdoor camping activity that is easily bought indoors is a picnic. Make some sandwiches, slice up a watermelon, and lay a blanket out on the floor of your RV or tent. Sitting on the floor while eating your lunch is actually quite novel and can be even more fun for kids if you include stuffed animals in the excitement.

Part 2: Embrace the Rainy Outdoors

Ready to get in some outdoor time? Well, don your boots and raincoat, then get ready to get a little bit wet while having a lot of fun. In fact, you might even find that you have more fun than usual playing outside in the rain.

Try one of the suggestions below to get started, but don’t be surprised if you get so wrapped up in one activity that you never make it through the list.

Have a Puddle Splashing War

If you can’t beat the rain, you might as well go out there and get wet! A puddle splashing war is the perfect way to just that. Jumping in puddles, trying to splash your family and friends is a surprisingly fun bonding activity that is certain to end in plenty of laughter from all.

Go on a Rainy Nature Walk

Rain doesn’t have to take away your camping nature walks. In fact, nature walks are often even more fun in light rain. This is because there are many interesting bugs and animals that come out in the rain. Besides, the rain is great for cooling things down on a hot summer day.

So go ahead and take that walk, and keep an eye out for snails and worms while you’re at it!

Make Mud Pies

If you’re camping with small children, a rainy day is the ideal opportunity to teach them mud pie-making skills. Grab a few dishes from the camper—or car, if you’ve got any in there— and go to town making the ultimate mud treats, complete with leaves and sticks for garnish. This activity can keep little ones occupied for a long time.

Float Paper Boats

Nobody is ever too old to create and float paper boats, and rainy day puddles (especially puddles with a current formed from drainage) are ideal for this.

Making these boats is especially fun when you decorate them and add special touches such as sails, so be sure to bring some art supplies along in case of a rainy day during your camping trip.

Create Rain Art

Finally, there is the option of creating rainy day art. This is tons of fun and yet another reason to bring art supplies along on every trip.

One way to do this is by breaking out the sidewalk chalk and decorating the sidewalks. Drawing on wet sidewalks is oddly satisfying, and it’s always fun to see what the raindrops will do to your creations.

Another way is to create rain paintings. To do this, have everyone draw on a paper plate using washable markers. Place the plates out in a light rain or drizzle for a few minutes before bringing them back in to see how the rain has transformed the artwork.

These are just a few of the fabulous ways you can have a great time on a rainy camping trip. Because it’s possible to have so much fun even when it’s raining, we never recommend cancelling a trip due to rain. Instead, we find it much better to keep the trip and find ways to have fun in spite of—and even because of!—the wet weather.