What to do when it rains on your beach vacation?
You may have planned the perfect Nosara vacation. Then that storm takes an unexpected turn and there’s bad weather on the forecast. What can you do when there’s rain on a beach vacation? Read on for some fresh new ideas on riding the storm out.
Rain on Your Beach Vacation? 11 Fun Things to Do
1. Turn Your Rainy Day into a Spa Day
Sure, you can treat the whole family to a day at the spa. It’s a great, relaxing way to spend the day when a little rain keeps you off the beach. But it can also take a big bite out of your vacation budget (especially when you have a big family!).
Instead, we always bring along an “emergency spa kit,” which includes a tub of coconut oil, a fresh lemon, a cucumber and a variety of fingernail polish colors, all packed in a tub large enough for you to soak your feet in. Usually the kids “ran the spa” while my husband and I was customers; they would rub lemon into our rough elbows, put cucumber slices on our eyes, and so on. After a foot massage and fresh coat of polish (my husband passed on that), we’d all head to the kitchen for that ultimate spa treat – strawberry smoothies! (Bonus: if our vacation was a week of sunny days, we could still use the cucumber and lemon for our salad!)
2. Cook Up Some Fun to Battle Rain on a Beach Vacation
The first time you hear a raindrop, start gathering supplies for a family cook-off. Head everyone into the kitchen and hold your own Top Chef competition, challenging the kids to create their own delicious meals. Our favorite was the pizza challenge. Each person was given a ready-made crust (or roll out some crescent rolls). Then they had to create their own pizza using whatever they could find in our Top Chef pantry (the cabinets and fridge in our rental home). My husband and I got to be the judges – and we had to put aside our preferences for New York thin or Chicago deep dish to judge pizzas topped with fresh fruit, peanut butter and jelly, and Fruity Pebbles (a personal favorite).
If you’re not into pizza, bake cupcakes or brownies or create new sandwiches. Just get the creative juices flowing, and you’ll forget all about the rainy season.
3. Board Games, Card Games, and Puzzles – Oh My!
Sure, they’re the standard go-to when a last-minute downpour cancels your surf lesson. But we have to admit some of our best memories are of the times the entire family gathered around the dining room table in our rental home and played Apples to Apples while listening to the downpour. Our answers got outrageous, our choices comical, and our laughter deafening. What more could you ask for on a vacation?
With board games, you can choose the game that’s appropriate to the age of your kids. (I was so happy when we finally could put away that Hi Ho Cherry-O because the whole clan was old enough for Headbands.) A rainy day is perfect for a Monopoly marathon, or to gather around that thousand-piece puzzle. And if you’re stuck in a hotel room without a dining room table, remember that card games take up very little space. Little kids like Go Fish or Slap Jack, while teens and adults can bond over Pinochle or Poker (betting with corn chips, of course).
4. Souvenirs and Scrapbooks
Sure, you’re still on your vacation. But if a little rain is causing some downtime, why not get a head start on your souvenirs and scrapbooks for this trip? Send the pics you took so far to a 1-hour processer, pick them up and start scrapping! Or string the shells the kids gathered so far into necklaces, gather them in display jars (use the empty Ragu jar from your pizza challenge), or paste them on cardboard to make picture frames.
5. Book It
A rainy day at the beach is perfect for snuggling up under a blanket (or sitting on a covered porch) and catching up on your reading. And if your kids are like mine, that summer reading list has been left untouched. Now is a great time to put a dent in it!
If you didn’t pack a paperback with you, take a trip out to a local bookseller for the latest best seller. Or, better yet, visit the local library. You can spend the full day there perusing the magazines, reading a paperback, or even catching a special event.
6. Movies, Inside and Out
I guess most people think of heading to the movie theater when it starts to rain on a beach vacation. And with so many fun summer movies to choose from, it’s a natural choice. (Even better – those nice plushy seats many movie theaters offer these days!)
If you don’t want to drop a lot at the box office – or if the weather is keeping you totally inside – you can still have a movie day right inside your hotel room or rental. Thanks to the magic of Netflix, HBO, and DVDs, you can always find a family favorite ready to roll.
8. What’s Going On Locally
Nosara is known as a popular spot for surfers and yogis, but there’s so much more to do! From exploring its rich biodiversity and culture to a wild day of adventure, here’s our recommendations of the best 10 things you have to do to make the most out of your visit to Nosara.
9. Give In and Get Wet When It Rains on A Beach Vacation
Okay, here’s the disclaimer – only suggest this idea when you’re absolutely sure it’s safe to do so. Meaning, when it’s just a passing sun shower, not the next storm to hit. Because your kids are going to love this idea. If it’s raining, why not go to the beach anyway? Sure, the lifeguards may ban your boogie boards and you may not be allowed to go in past your ankles. But since you’re going to get wet anyway, why not play some games on the wet sand?
We’ve made soggy sandcastles, ran slippery races by the water, and even had pool noodle fights as the tide came in. Do you know what they say about dancing in the rain? Well, building sandcastles in the rain can be just as much fun.
There’s no reason to let a chance of rain ruin your vacation plans. Instead, choose an alternate way to enjoy the rain on your beach vacation – and remember, the sun should be shining the next day!