The fall weather in Arkansas will inevitably bring rain, and weekend boredom sets in quickly among the kids and grandkids when outdoor playtime isn’t an option. What to do? If you don’t feel like keeping the family cooped up indoors when it’s wet out, there’re lots of places around Arkansas where you can have a good time while the sky is dripping down!
10. Go To A Museum
There's always a teachable moment, even on a rainy day. Arkansas has a wealth of opportunities for all ages to learn at a museum - whether it's learning about culture at the Delta Cultural Center in Helena or having a hands-on scientific experience at the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock or Mid-America Museum, you have a great opportunity to learn something on a rainy day!
9. Visit An Art Gallery
Get all the culture you can handle on a rainy day! Little Rock and Hot Springs are artistic hotbeds, but there're numerous art galleries and craft shops around Arkansas where you can go and browse the work of local talent.
8. Go Skating
Physical fitness can be fun! Many Arkansas kids know and love the thrill of the skating rink, whether it's roller skating or ice skating. The Arkansas Skatium in Little Rock provides people of all ages a venue to hone their skills on blades or wheels. Other awesome skating rinks around the Natural State include Skateland in Hot Springs and Jack's Fort Smith Skateland.
7. Go To The Library
The library's not just for books anymore! Beat the rainy day blues by heading out to your local library and enjoying exhibits and presentations, many of them educating visitors on Arkansas culture and history. If you're more of the old-school type, pick up a book and spend a rainy afternoon reading. If you're a techie type, you can still pass the time at the library's computer lab.
6. Go See A Play
The Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre in Little Rock is well-known for putting on excellent performances that keep families entertained throughout the year. Popular children's stories such as "The Velveteen Rabbit" have come to life on stage thanks to the awesome local actors and actresses showing off their talent.
5. Go Shopping (Or Browsing) At The Mall
What's best about going to the mall on a rainy day? You don't even have to spend any money, you can window shop or power walk! Whether it's Central Mall, the Northwest Arkansas Mall, McCain Mall, Park Plaza, or wherever you like to shop, taking a trip to the mall is a nice alternative to sitting around the house waiting for the skies to clear!
4. Go See A Movie (At An Actual Theater)
If you're tired of binging on Netflix and staring at a personal computer or laptop screen, go check out a movie at a theater like people did in the old days! Little Rock has the Chenal 9 IMAX Theater, a good location for getting immersed in the (really) big screen and forgetting about the dreary, rainy day outside.
3. Climb The Walls
There are so many ways to keep your mind and body challenged even when you can't face the outdoor elements! Arkansas has indoor climbing centers that are geared towards everyone from novice climbers to those with plenty of experience. Go bouldering at the Ozark Climbing Gym in Springdale or test your upper body strength at the Little Rock Climbing Center.
2. Go Bowling
When you have too much pent up energy and you're wandering the house restless on a rainy day, why not take a ride to the bowling lanes and strike up a little fun? Arkansas has a great number of places to take the family out for a fun afternoon (or evening) of bowling! Millenium Bowling Center, one of central Arkansas's newest lanes, even features a full service bar as well as a snack bar.
1. Go To A Trampoline Park
Sure, you can go to the gym yourself, but you can also take the family to a trampoline park! Locations such as Altitude Trampoline Park in Little Rock, Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Maumelle, and Elevate Trampoline Park in Fort Smith allows everyone of all ages to get fit and have a good time indoors!
Don’t hole yourself up inside if you don’t have to! You don’t have to use the rain as an excuse to not do anything and let everyone around you be bored all day – get out and see what’s going on inside some of Arkansas’s more interesting places!
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