35 Fun Rainy Day Camping Activities To Keep You entertained!

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Camping in the rain can be just as much fun as camping in the sun! If you’re prepared with the right activities, you’ll be able to keep yourself entertained all day long. We’ve put together some great ideas for rainy day activities for campers. These rainy day camping activities for rainy days include ideas for all ages, no matter who your camp companions are!

3 kids in a blue tent checking if it is raining.

Rainy Day Camping Ideas To Ensure You Still Have Fun

When the weather doesn’t want to play nice, it might feel like your perfect camping trip is ruined. But that’s not the case!

Sometimes the rainy weather is unexpected even when the forecast is fine, so having a few things planned to account for all types of weather will ensure your whole family has an amazing trip in the great outdoors no matter what!

This guide is here to help you plan ahead for all weather types and give you some great things to do while camping on a rainy day!

These tips are also perfect for an RV trip or road trip where you were expecting to be outdoors.

Grab our free camping meal planner here:

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Preparing For Rainy Weather On Your Camping Trip:

If you know the weather forecasts for your camping trip aren’t looking great, you can be a lot more prepared than when unexpected wet weather strikes.

Always check the forecasts in the lead up to your camping trip.

Especially as you’re loading up your gear, in case you need to switch out any for wet-weather alternatives or pack extras to suit the situation.

If you have the option of changing campsites before you go, consider changing to one at an RV Park or caravan park that has a games room or undercover camp kitchen areas.

Even an undercover picnic table can make a big difference as far as camping in the rain hacks and preparation goes!

rain falling on a red and grey tent in the forest.

First, make sure you have a tent that can hold up in the rain. If you don’t have an all-weather tent, consider renting one or borrowing one from a friend.

There’s nothing worse than cutting your trip short because your bed is saturated!

Next, invest in some good quality rain gear. If you’re determined to stick to your schedule of hiking, exploring and outdoor adventures, you need to be dressed for the bad weather to avoid getting sick.

Make sure you have plenty of gear to keep you and your family dry and sheltered, like gazebos, tarps, ropes and umbrellas.

Even if the forecast isn’t predicting rain, adding a few wet weather supplies to your camping gear is always a good idea – a couple of extra tarps and rope, compact ponchos, gumboots.

Just like with winter camping, camping on a rainy day does require a little extra preparation!

Tip: On the first day you arrive at your campground, put some dry firewood beneath your vehicle so it stays dry if the rain starts. This will save you the stress of having no dry firewood for the campfire later in your trip.

Fun Things To Do In The Rain While Camping:

child in red gum boots splashing in puddles.

Now that you’re all prepared for a rainy camping trip, it’s time to have some fun!

There are plenty of things to do while camping in the rain.

Some of these activities have you embracing the wet weather and making the most of your time outdoors regardless of the rain.

Others are perfect for when you want to stay dry and undercover but still need some fun activities to keep you entertained!

Here are some of the best ways rainy day activities for campers of all ages:

Water Activities

If you are camping in the warmer months and had plenty of water activities planned, a little rain won’t ruin them! So long as it’s safe to be outdoors, with no actual rain storm at the time, a rainy day is perfect for water fun.

Put on your swimsuits and head to the nearest swimming area. Take the kayaks or stand up paddleboards out on the water.

Even fishing isn’t easily ruined by rain since the fish don’t care what’s happening above the water!

So pull on your raincoat and cast your line and see if you can catch yourself some fresh fish to cook once the weather improves.

Or make paper boats out of a sheet of paper and float them on the water or in puddles until they get too wet. This is a fun idea for keeping younger kids entertained!

Go On A Hike

mother and daughter in raincoats hiking in the rain.

If you don’t mind getting a bit soggy and the rain isn’t too heavy, taking short hikes on a rainy day can be a really fun experience for adults and older kids, if you have the appropriate rain gear.

Everything is a little different in the rain and you might spot things you never noticed before. This is a great learning opportunity for kids especially.

Just make sure you have enough dry clothes once you get back to camp that you can easily warm up.

Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of things to find and send everyone on a mission to be the first back to the tent.

A rainy day scavenger hunt might include items you can’t collect, such as a puddle, a shoe print in the mud, an insect and some typical items you might have on a camping scavenger hunt.

Get our free scavenger hunt printables:

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Tent Picnic

This is the perfect rainy day camping activity when you just want to stay close to your tent. Set up a little picnic inside your dry and cozy tent with some snacks and lunch foods.

Make sure you push all your bedding to the side if there is room, so you don’t end up with crumbs in your sleeping bag!

Nerf Gun Battle

If you’ve got a few Nerf guns with you, a rainy day around the campsite can be an awesome time for a Nerf battle.

A little extra camouflage in the dreary weather and loads of fun rolling through the mud and diving behind tents if you don’t mind a little mess at the end.

Read A Book

woman in one person tent reading a book.

Make sure you always pack a book for every member of the family. Bad weather is a great opportunity to curl up in your sleeping bag with a good book and read the day away.

While it may not be the adventure you were planning, there’s nothing quite so relaxing as escaping to a new place and experiencing a new adventure in a book while snuggled up in a cozy spot.

Visit Local Attractions

If you are able to easily jump in the car and head elsewhere on your rainy day, this is your chance to explore some of the local indoor attractions instead.

A lot of smaller towns have their own local museums. See what indoor activities you can find nearby to fill a rainy afternoon.

And if it’s only light rain, you might be able to see some of the local outdoor attractions too!

Great Games To Play While Camping In The Rain

There are some great camping game ideas that you can play undercover, including plenty of camping games that don’t require any equipment.

  • Truth or date
  • 20 Questions
  • I Spy
  • The Band Game
  • The Animal Game
  • Fortunately, Unfortunately
  • Charades

Check out our list of camping game ideas for instructions on how to play each one. Play them inside your tent or undercover instead of around the campfire.

With a few minimal accessories, such as a blank piece of paper and pens, you could challenge each other to the following pen and paper games:

  • Hangman
  • Tic tac toe (noughts and crosses)
  • Dots and boxes
  • Finish the doodle (someone draws some shapes & lines and the next person adds to it)
  • Finish the story

Board Games

If you’re not in the mood for getting drenched, playing board games is a perfect way to spend your time. Bring along some of your favourites or the ones you’ve been meaning to play for a while.

A wet weather day at the campground is a perfect opportunity for one of those longer game matches, like Monopoly, that needs a few solid hours to finish.

Take breaks in between to stretch your legs in between rounds, until the rain stops.

These travel-themed board games are a lot of fun and also teach kids about the world too.

Some other favourite board games for camping include:

Card Games

Another great game option for when you want to stay dry is card games.

The best thing about card games for camping is that they don’t take up a lot of room, so always pack some sort of card game for every trip.

Even when the sun is shining, you still need some relaxing downtime and a game of cards is a great way to pass some quality time together.

With a simple deck of cards, you can play anything from snap to go fish to solitaire. Or get a specialty card game for some fun new ideas.

Here are some great card games to invest in for your next rainy day camp games session:

Essential Rainy Day Camping Activities For Kids

child making mud pies outdoors in the rain.

If you’re camping with kids, there are some essential rainy day activities that they’ll love.

Younger kids might be happy to hang out in the tent and play with toys for a while, but it’s a great idea to have a few fun ideas up your sleeve just in case the weather doesn’t improve.

  • Arts and crafts
  • Rock painting
  • Make mud pies
  • Colouring books
  • Building blocks
  • Hide and seek
  • Nature art such as leaf rubbings
  • Tent dance party
  • Storytelling
  • Singing songs
  • Drawing
  • Paper boats

For more camping activities and toys for kids, check out our extensive guide.

Although camping in the rain might not be as fun as camping in the sun, there are still plenty of rainy day activities for campers to keep you entertained. From playing games inside your tent to exploring the area around your campsite, there is something for everyone to enjoy on a rainy day.

We hope these fun camping activities for rainy days help you plan a memorable adventure, no matter the weather!

What time of year is your favourite to go camping? Tell us in the comments!

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Fun Camping Activities For Rainy Days.