Rainy Day Camping Activities

16 Interesting Activities for Rainy Camping Trips

Camping when wet weather strikes may feel like terrible luck. However, the truth of the matter is that the rain can make a good trip into nature even better. Here are 16 ways you can use the rainy weather to make your camping trip an utter success.

Contents

1. Play a Board Game

Hanging out inside the tent or RV and playing a board game or two is the perfect way to pass a wet-weather day.

board game
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2. Make Hot Cocoa

While building a campfire is not exactly feasible when the rain is falling, a small propane stove will provide the heat you need to make some delicious hot cocoa.

diy hot chocolate
Image Source: https://www.outwardbound.org/blog/winter-camping-recipes-and-cooking-tips/

3. Make and Sail Paper Boats

Everyone loves a good paper boat race. Use pouring rain to your advantage by making some little boats and seeing who can create the fastest version.

paper boat
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4. Go on a Wet-Weather Hike

Hiking in dry weather is fun, but when the weather is wet, it can become a completely different experience. Don your rain boots, grab an umbrella, and see what kinds of interesting creatures the rain brings out.

hiking in the rain
Image Source: https://www.trespass.com/advice/hiking-in-the-rain/

5. Have a Puddle Splashing Contest

Splashing in puddles is fun no matter how old you are. Make it even more fun by competing with the others in your group to see who can splash the highest.

Image Source: http://www.momjunction.com/articles/rainy-day-activities-will-keep-your-kid-happy-for-hours_00370161/

6. Make a Water Slide

If you have an extra tarp and a hill handy, a fun water slide can be made by placing the tarp on the hill during a rainstorm. Add some baby oil for an extra slippery experience.

slip n slide rainy hill
Image Source: http://www.digitalmisery.com/2010/07/best-slip-n-slide-ever-from-wiredgeekdad/

7. Read Aloud or Tell Stories

While sitting around in your cozy tent or RV, be sure to tell plenty of stories. This can be done in a “pass the story” style where each participant adds a bit to the story, or everyone could pull out their very best ghost stories.

raining hippie tent den
Image Source: http://www.sheswanderful.com/2013/07/29/fourwords/

8. Sing Camp Songs

Of course, no camping experience is complete without some good campfire songs. Sing all of your favorites while staying warm and dry in your RV, van, or tent.

van camping guitar
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11. Paint the Walk

Sidewalk chalk becomes even more fun in the rain, as it acts like paint. If you have a concrete site, try pulling out the chalk and some large paintbrushes and go to town decorating the pad.

sidewalk chalk art rain
Image Source: https://busyandthebeans.blogspot.com/2013/08/rainy-day-fun-with-chalk.html

12. Measure the Rain

Measuring the rain can make for a fun and interesting science lesson. Bring along a rain gauge or make one of your own using a bottle marked with measurements.

diy rain gauge
Image Source: https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/DIY-rain-gauge/

13. Save the Worms

Rain brings out worms. Unfortunately, many of the worms don’t make it back into the ground before the sun comes out. Help the worms out during the rain storm by capturing them and placing them in the mud.

save the worms
Image Source: http://erinsbitsandbobs.blogspot.com/2012/06/worm-hunt.html

14. Make Mud Pies

Lots of rain means lots of mud. This situation is perfect for mud pie constructing. Gather some pretty stones and leaves, then make and decorate mud pies to your heart’s content.

mud pie
Image Source: https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/nature-school-project-mud-pies-and-mudball-critters

15. Have a Rain Race

Believe it or not, fun can be had by simply watching raindrops on a window or other flat surface. Have a rain race with a friend by each choosing one drop of rain, on the outside of a tent or umbrella, and seeing whose drop reaches the finish line first.

rainfly water droplets
Image Source: https://www.relaxinghammock.com/

16. Create an Obstacle Course

Use the rain to make a challenging wet-weather obstacle course for the whole family to run through.

obstacle course rain boots
Image Source: http://www.littleecofootprints.com/eco-play/

As you can see, there are plenty of fantastic things to do while camping in the rain! Try some of these ideas the next time rain threatens to ruin your trip and turn a bad situation into a special opportunity.

Last Updated on May 10, 2019

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