The weather in Ballymena hasn’t been great this week so here in the Ballymena Today office we have been looking for things to keep us entertained indoors. If you are running out of inspiration then have a look at some of our tips below;
1/ Get wet
If it is raining outside then why not just get wet anyway – although we don’t mean getting soaked in the rain. Head to the Seven Towers Leisure centre and dive into the pool. An hour in the pool can cost less than £3, it is great exercise and will hopefully tire everyone out until your next activity! The carpark at the leisure centre is free so headign to the pool gets the family out of the house without costing lots of cash.
Photo Credit: peasap; Creative Commons
2/ Refresh your entertainment options
Gather up all the bits and pieces that you no longer needs and head to a charity shop or somewhere like CeX in the Tower Centre. Once you are there have a rummage around for some retro games, cheap DVD’s or old computer games. A change is as good as a rest and if you are stuck in the house the novelty of a new game, book or toy might keep younger kids occupied for the afternoon.
Photo Credit: cyclonebill; Creative Commons
3/ Run a film club
Turn your living room into a cinema by drawing your curtains, turning the telly up loud and by adding lots of popcorn. Check through your DVD’s (there is normally one in there that you haven’t watched yet) or do an DVD swap with someone else in teh family. That way you get to watch a new film in the comfort of your own home without having to pay for too much. Popcorn can be picked up at the supermarket and is relatively cheap.
4/ Enjoy a free family event.
Lots of places in town offer free entertainment options for children. But when it is too wet for a trip to the People’s Park, or a walk around the Ecos Centre you may have to look at little bit closer. The Fairhill Shopping centre is having a Biscuit Decorating session the Saturday with Freddie and Harriet – the Fairhill Bears.
5/ Bake up something sweet
Grab some ingredients and bake up some treats. An afternoon can easily be spent making some rice crispy treats or baking a cake. Head to YouTube and watch some clips of the British Bake off for inspiration. Once your treats are complete you can invites friends over of share them with your neighbours.
Photo Credit: JFXie; Creative Commons
6/ Take advantage of all the internet has to offer.
There are lots of activities which can be easily learned by watching videos or reading guides on the internet.Most books, tv shows and movies have websites which often offer free extras which can be good fun, and lots of online resources are available which should help your household stay occupied.
Want to learn how to draw disney characters? Check out this blog post from our Ballymena Today youth team.
Are your family obsessed with Minions ? then click here to discover lots of ‘Behind the Goggles’ information and fun.
Open up a whole world of fun with this homemade playdough.
Grad a few blankets and build an amazing in door den.
Whatever you are doing while it is raining we hope that you are having a good time. Send us a picture, or let us know of any of your tips on how to stay entertained on a rainy day.
