8 Fun Things To Do on a Rainy Beach Day
A rainy beach day can damper the beach mood, right? When it rains, it pours. That doesn’t mean you need to be stuck in a little hotel room wishing for Mother Nature to stop ruining your beach vacation. We’re here to help turn those rainy beach days into fun memories that last a lifetime! We know you’re here to soak up the sun and beach vibes. Coastal rainy days have a certain charm about them, too.
Check Out Our Top Recommendations for How to Spend a Rainy Beach Day
There are a plethora of travel tips for what to do on the perfect sunny day. What about the wet rainy days? Here are a few ideas to have you smiling, from cozy coffee shops to game nights and more!
1. Family Game Nights
There are many ways to enjoy a family game night. When the weather doesn’t want to cooperate with your beach plans, it’s the perfect time for a little friendly competition! Board games are a great way to bring the family together in your Bluewater Vacation Home for quality bonding time and to stay dry! You could even pick up fun prizes from a dollar store for your game night. While you are at it, you could also take some of those fun items and turn them into a scavenger hunt. This will keep the littles busy for hours, depending on how creative you get with the hiding spots. Be sure to take a family photo celebrating who won the silliest prizes!
2. Food Fun
There is no need to order room service or takeout on a lousy weather day. Try a top chef challenge and see who can make the best pizza or any simple baking recipe. It’s easy to obtain fresh local ingredients from Shenk Family Farms and premade pizza dough at any of our local markets! Want to make it a little easier for the little ones to get in on the fun? Try a cupcake decorating party and see how creative they can be!
NOTE- Shenk Family Farms deliveries to our vacationing guests ends Labor Day. Please consider this service when the seasonal option opens again, Memorial Day, 2024.
If cooking is not on the itinerary for your beach vacation, don’t worry. We have a multitude of exciting and unique restaurants sprinkled all along our coast from Emerald Isle to Atlantic Beach, NC, and all the lovely coastal towns between and beyond! Some are even beachfront such as Surf’s Up of Emerald Isle, located by the Bogue Inlet Pier. It has a full viewing wall to sit at and enjoy the calm relaxing patter of rain along the beach while enjoying a cozy concoction and a delicious meal.
3. Arcades and Entertainment Centers On A Rainy Beach Day
Ready to take the competition out in town and need a dry place for you and the kids to enjoy the rainy beach day? Mac Daddy’s Entertainment Center, located just across the Emerald Isle Bridge on the mainland, is your one-stop shop for fantastic fun for everyone! We’re talking bowling, great food, places to sit and watch the game, and did I mention the largest arcade on The Crystal Coast? Plus many more outside activities for when the rain clears, such as mini-golf and a sky trail!
4. NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
The perfect time to explore an oasis of marine wildlife from the mountains to the sea without getting wet is a rainy day. We’re speaking of visiting the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, of course! Here, you will get out of the rain and into adventure with over 3000 species of North Carolina wildlife to explore. Boasting the largest artificial ocean habitat in North Carolina at 306,000 gallons of saltwater and a 60-foot viewing window, you are in for a treat with The “Living Shipwreck” exhibit. We’re sure you will be learning and loving your time at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores!
5. Cozy Coffee Shops
There’s nothing better than a cozy coffee shop on a rainy day to turn it right around. With its delightful blend of comfort, charm, and inviting tranquility, the warmth of freshly brewed coffee in your hand, and a good conversation or book, it’s the perfect way to spend a better part of your day waiting for the showers to pass. Many of our local coffee shops serve baked goods to pair with your beverage of choice, so you will be fueled for whatever else your day might hold.
6. Souvenir Shopping On The Crystal Coast
We suggest antiquing or souvenir shopping on a rainy day so you can save those sunny summer days for all your beach activities and adventures! There are so many businesses around our lovely coastal towns that would love to get you out of the weather and dry, from big beach-themed stores to small trinket shops, and of course, we have many of the big box stores you know and love close by on the mainland no matter where you are on the island!
7. Movie Marathons
While it’s raining, why not take some time to catch up on the newest shows and movies you’ve been meaning to watch or that all your co-workers always talk about? Looking for more fun activities? How about having everyone write down one favorite movie and one movie they haven’t but want to see and put it in a hat or bowl, and then draw movies to watch? Then you can try to guess who picked each movie! This can even be a vacation long way to pick a movie on those nights quickly.
8. Self-Care Spa Day
On a stormy day, it’s great to slow down and take time to relax and unwind. Staying in one of our Bluewater Vacation Rentals can be just what you need to escape everyday life and work. You may have meant to start a book, have more family time, or even have a relaxing self-care spa day. This is the perfect chance to turn a less-than-ideal day into possibly your best day on vacation!
Taking a Self-Care Day doesn’t need to be a solo experience. Why not take time to teach your family and kids how to slow down and relax? Share some skincare fun with a simple hydrating face mask. Craft a charcuterie board of finger foods that make meals easy. Make or bring bath bombs, and let the kids play in the tub while you have a relaxing foot soak.
The Perfect Rainy Beach Day
This is an indoor day about relaxing and enjoying family. It’s about slowing down and listening to what you need to reset and destress. Rainy days are the perfect atmosphere to cozy up and read. Listen to a calming short story. Practice mindfulness and gratitude for loved ones. You get to spend not only an unforgettable vacation with them but an unforgettable life with them. The next time you travel, and there is a rainy beach day, try some of the day activities or make it a memorable evening during your vacation.
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
While a rainy day may seem like a good time to surf, you should be mindful of storms and safety precautions. Winds may pose a danger to surfers. We do recommend surfing on the east coast along our NC beaches.
Generally speaking, NC beaches remain open on rainy days. Closing a beach is a decision made by town officials and may occur during storms, or even flooding where harm or illness is a threat to visitors.
If you are swimming in the ocean where a lifeguard is traditionally on duty, the lifeguard has the option to leave the lifeguard station should the weather pose a danger. You should practice responsible swimming, with or without a lifeguard on duty. Also, pay attention to flags and signs that may warn beachgoers about posing threats.
