When the weather is bad, we often end up staying home and not doing anything and feeling a bit sluggish about it! Rainy days are not always bad. You can use them to your advantage and do something fun or productive.

Sometimes it is hard to find things to do that are both fun and don’t cost a lot. Here you will find some ideas for free entertainment when the weather is bad.

Make an indoor garden

This is a good way to get in touch with nature and lower stress levels. And it gives you something beautiful and calming to look at. Most of us have empty plant pots hanging around, why not get planning or learn how to propagate the plants you already have to bring more green into your home.

Fix something that’s broken

I’m sure there’s lots of DIY around the house that needs doing, or even repairing some clothes or replacing the battery on an old watch – it’s time to get the watch opening tool out and fix it while you have the time.

Binge watch your favourite show

If you have Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video, this can be an easy activity that can last for days! Or you could try a new TV show instead. We all have a watch list of items we never have time to watch, now is the time!

Create a playlist

Have some fun with the music! Listen to songs from your childhood or create a new playlist for this rainy day.

My childhood song list would be full of Steps, Spice Girls and NSync. What would be on yours?

Play online games

Get online and play some classic games like Solitaire. This website has lots of variations of the famous card game that will keep you occupied for hours!

Here’s another game on the site that I enjoyed playing. I’ve never played this game before but Lightening was a lot of fun. You have to play against the computer to get rid of your cards by going higher or lower first.

Clean out your closet

Cleaning out your closet is a great use of time. There’s nothing better than getting rid of your old clothes and making sure everything is neatly put away. I always managed to find a few things I forgot about, it is just like going shopping!

Take care of your home.

If you’ve got some DYI that you’ve been putting off or you need to do some cleaning – get it done! You will feel so much better after and it frees up time when the weather is better.

Learn a new skill

I’ve been learning the piano for the past few years. I’m so glad I started learning to play! It really is the perfect thing to do on a rainy day. You can learn any instrument (obviously you’ve got to buy the instrument, but if you’ve got a guitar laying around or something then get learning!)

You could also learn other skills like drawing or card tricks. The possibilities are endless.

Spend time with friends or family members

Relax with a cup of tea and have a catch up with friends and family! You don’t even have to leave the house to do this, get them on Facetime for a bit of quality time together.

Read a book or magazine

Read a book or magazine that you haven’t had time to read in a while – or just find one you’ve never read at all. We all have books and magazines in our home that we’ve managed to read yet.

Organise your home office space

Have a tidy and declutter of your office space if you work from home. A tidy space to work does wonders for your productivity.

For bonus points, you can get ready for the week ahead by planning out what you want to accomplish for the day, week, month, and year ahead

Try a new recipe

Have a look at what food you’ve got in and make a new meal or sweet treat out of items in the back of your cupboard. It’s always a fun experiment and use the items you have that may otherwise go to waste.

What do you do on rainy days?