When it comes to boating, there are a lot of different activities to partake in when the weather permits. But what can you do inside of your boat (and for many your home) when the waves are crashing and the rain is pouring? Having young children who aren’t old enough to participate in water sports such as wake boarding, swimming, knee-boarding, water skiing or tubing can also make a boating experience less exciting. So what can you do inside your yacht that won’t take the fun out of sailing? Check out these awesome activities that will make your rainy days brighter and will keep your kids busy.
Origami
Origami is a great way to stay creative indoors. Plus, the movement and rocking of a boat won’t leave you with pieces or toys everywhere. Investing in fun and interesting colored paper can be a great way to spice up the learning process. You and your kiddos can enjoy a relaxing day of learning a new hobby and having fun doing it.
Playdough
Bringing playdough along on your voyage is a great way to keep your kiddos distracted and you stress free. Again, playdough mostly stays in your hands, so the chance it goes flying when a wave comes crashing is small. Playdough can be used in many ways and is a sure fire way to keep anyone using it distracted for long periods of time!
Movies
Stating the obvious, movies are a great way to pass time. My favorite types of moves are comedies. But regardless of genre, one movie can help you escape to a new place for a few hours. You can even spice up a movie night by investing in a projector. Throw in some fort building and comfy pj’s for the ultimate movie night!
Making fun snacks
Why not spend the day in the kitchen? Finding a great recipe or fun snack to dive into can be rewarding and fun. For easy and kid friendly snacks, maybe try a new trail mix or popcorn concoction. Depending on your taste and preferences, there is a snack out there for everyone!
Cleaning
Cleaning might not sound like the most exciting way to spend your day on a boat. But hey, if there’s nothing else to do, why not do what needs to get done? If you’ve been putting off chores and a mess that continues to pile up, why not get it out of the way when the weather is bad! This will save you unneeded stress in the long run and I promise you’ll feel better after you’re done.
Catching Fish
If the weather is too terrible, there may be a chance you can head outside for a bit and catch some fresh fish! If your kiddos have a pole, they can also join in on the fun. Fishing can build patience and is an easy way to pass time. You can even catch dinner for the night!
Learning to make sushi
If you decided to take up fishing, you can use your catch to learn something new! Find a sushi recipe online and use your fresh fish to make it. This activity can be engaging and kid friendly. What better way to spend quality time over cooking home made sushi together?
Audio Books
Stories help! They entertain and they keep minds active, alert and engaged. And while schools may be closed, you can always “open” an audio book. Do you or your little ones get sea sick trying to read a book in rough seas? Audio books are the perfect solution to that problem! And they can be downloaded if you plan on going offshore, so be sure to stock up!
Learn to tie knots
Learning to tie knots is both a point of pride and key for safety on board a boat. Maybe you can tie a square knot but you haven’t yet mastered the sheet bend. Why not learn now? Or perhaps now is the time to teach the kids how to tie a bowline. Grab a couple of lines and a knot tying book and take advantage of the opportunity to learn!
Meditation
Meditation helps to lower stress levels and improves your focus. So why not get comfortable, sit still, and focus on your breath for a few minutes. It’s no mystery that conscious breathing can be a bore for children, so try incorporating songs or yoga into the practice to make it more exciting for children. Take a little “quiet time” each day and soon enough it will become part of your daily routine.
Typing
Why not learn to type faster and with less errors. If you are in need of an activity to kill sometime, this is one that both you and/or your kids can benefit from. It’s obvious that learning to type faster can save you time, but it is also said that typing skills support the development in writing, spelling and even grammar.
Make a time capsule
A time capsule is a container that holds present day items, such as photos, letters and things the are sentimental, and then hidden away for your future self to open sometime in the future. Why not make a day project out of putting one of these together and then hiding somewhere on the boat to find a few years later. If there is someone on board not participating, have them hide the capsule so you are not tempted to open it too soon!
Write letters
Or poetry for that matter. In the days of social media, sometimes we may forget the value of receive a good old fashion letter in the mail. You might not be able to send it right away , but once you’ve reach shore you can ship it off. Or why not put the message in a bottle and send it off to sea (side note: this is a joke, and we do not condone sea pollution).
Start a journal
Time can fly by as you write down your thoughts so go ahead and get it all out on paper. Inspire yourself and the kids while provoking deep thoughts.
Make a face mask
For a quick pick me up, brighten your skin and enjoy the nourishment of a face mask. Make your own with ingredients you have lying around on the boat. Use turmeric and lemon juice for a face brightening mask. Or mix some aloe vera with essentials oils and place some cucumbers over your eyes. You could even make a coffee scrub to exfoliate and energize your skin.
Make a treasure hunt
While ye are on the high seas, what better way to feel like a real pirate than to go on a treasure hunt? Make a set of clues with each one leading to the next one, and finally to the treasure!
Indoor camping
Drape some sheets over the settee, pull out the sleeping bags and have an indoor picnic. Be sure you make use of a flashlight too and tell all your best ghost stories!
Take a nap
Why not state the obvious? A nap is an excellent way to pass the time and the peace and quite doesn’t hurt either. But how you convince your kids to take a nap is up to you.
Create a vision board
Get out those old magazines, old charts, pictures, whatever you can find, and start envisioning where you want to go. What do the little ones want to be when they grow up? What are their goals for the next year? Put is on the vision board and find inspiration.
There’s plenty of new things to learn in your free time, you just have to look for them! Being on the water during bad weather can be dull, but with these activities you an your kids are sure to make sunshine out of rain!
