How to Make the Most of Your Soggy Summer Holiday in Rainy North Devon

OK folks, enough complaining about the weather!  It's wet.  Very wet  but there's nothing much we can do about it so let's try and make the

most of all that water. After all, in much the same way that we'd make our children eat up all their food, we should think of all those people in drought stricken lands who would give anything for a drop of rain.

If you're a grownup you can go to a cosy pub and look out at the

weather but if you have little ones to amuse this rain may just be

getting you down.

This far into the school holidays our purses may be feeling somewhat

empty so trips to theme parks, zoos, activity centres and the cinema

are out.  So what did they do in the olden days (when I was a youngster) when the sun didn't

shine?

You may remember the summers of your youth as full of eternal sunshine

but think hard, there were rainy days and we made the most of them.

My favourite rainy day activity was making paper boats.  I would don my wellies (only available in black in those days) and my lovely PVC raincoat and sou'wester and head for the gutters of my suburban street.  Making a paper boat is easy.  Here's a quick tutorial on Youtube.  You can use craft paper, newspaper or even tin foil.  Once the boat is made you can decorate and name it.  Then head out and find a stream or or just a channel of water which is quite likely to be running through your garden now.  Try boat races or just see whose boat survives the longest.

A visit to the seaside shouldn't be foregone just because it's raining.  You're going to get wet anyway so why worry if the sun is hiding?  The sea in North Devon is quite warm at the moment and there's nothing better for a back to nature feel than a swim in the sea with the pitter patter of raindrops all around you.  Rockpooling is also a good wet weather activity as the little critters aren't afraid of drying up in the sunshine.  Grandpa will tell you that this is the perfect weather for fishing too!

Sticking with the natural history, rainy days are perfect for snail racing!  The snails come out to make the most of the slippery when wet conditions so are easy to pick and then set against eachother in the snail-lympics!

If you can't bear to touch little slimy creatures then how about

the raindrop Olympics.  Sitting in front of the window (from indoors)

racing raindrops can keep the little 'uns busy for a while.

If you have young scientists at home, make the weather into an experiment.  Take bets on how much rain will fall in an hour and set out jam jars and monitor the rainfall. 

Or you could simply go for a walk.  As long as you are waterproofed - there's no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing - the scenes and smells of a rain drenched summer can be delightful!

Just make sure that when all the activity is over you have somewhere warm and dry to return to for a hot chocolate and a rub down with a dry towel.  Or a trip to the pub to stare out at those less fortunate than yourselves - sorry campers I think you had better just pack up and go home!