The UK gets approximately three days of sun a year. Fact. Okay, it’s not actually a fact but if you’re in the UK, it probably feels that way, which is why summer holidays abroad are popular.
In 2020 though, thanks to COVID, we had no choice but to stay in the UK on our annual leave. Indeed, not only did we have to stay in the UK, we also mostly had to stay in our houses. No jetting off to sunnier climes for us in 2020.
Not everyone wants to go abroad on their holidays though. Some of us like staying in the UK. And why not? The UK has stunning cities, countryside and beaches to make any holiday here worthwhile, whatever the weather. What’s not to like?
Static caravans
Along with holiday camps and hotels, a popular choice of holiday in the UK is a stay in a static caravan.
Static caravans have lots of benefits, not least them usually being cheaper than hotels, especially if they’re near the seafront.
They’re also self-catering, so there’s none of that awkward, uncomfortable small talk you feel obliged to make first thing in the morning with strangers in the breakfast room.
But back to the good old UK weather though. What do you do in your caravan if it’s raining?
If you’re on your own, you could just stay in and read a book. But if you’re with children, although staying in and reading a book might be your idea of heaven, your children might think differently and will demand to be kept entertained.
So, to prevent a chorus of ‘I’m bored’ every five minutes as you all stare through rain-speckled windows at the black clouds that don’t look like they’ll be going any time soon, here’s what you can do in a caravan in the rain.
Embrace the rain
Go on, embrace the rain. You knew it was likely to rain anyway so you probably came prepared for inclement weather.
Kids love splashing in puddles, as do dogs if you brought one, so dig out the waterproofs and wellies from the car, put the dog on a lead and get outdoors for some rainy fun.
If getting cold and wet doesn’t appeal to you, just think how good that hot drink will be when you get back and how well the kids will sleep later after all that fresh air and jumping about.
Play board games
Playing board games is a bit of an obvious one, but board games have been around for centuries with good reason – they keep people entertained for hours (or, in the case of Monopoly, what seems like forever).
Spend some quality time playing your board game of choice – whether it’s a noisy one like Pit that gets the kids excited or something more sedate and educational such as Scrabble.
An added bonus of playing board games is it gets the kids off their screens for a while.
Do some baking
Most static caravans come with fully-equipped kitchens, so make the most of them on a rainy day. Bake some cakes, cookies and brownies and, not only will you and your family have fun making them, you’ll have even more fun eating them when they’re ready.
Plan indoor activities
If you’d planned to spend your entire holiday on the beach and didn’t make any contingency plans for bad weather, oops.
Still, all is not lost as most towns and cities will have a Tourist Information Centre with friendly, knowledgeable staff who will be more than happy to let you know what the area has to offer.
If there’s no Tourist Information Centre where you are, good old Google will let you know of any museums or places of interest you can visit to get indoors and escape the rain.
As you can see, although the weather may be gloomy, that doesn’t mean your static caravan holiday has to be all doom and gloom. With a little pre-planning you can enjoy your time indoors just as much as outdoors.
