Local Activity Guide
Rainy Day Activities With Kids in Traverse City 🌧️
Rain in the forecast? Northern Michigan has a special talent for changing the plan approximately five minutes after you've made it. 😂
Luckily, a rainy day doesn't have to mean everyone slowly losing their minds at home. Whether your kids need to MOVE, make something, play a game or you simply need to get everybody out of the house, here are plenty of rainy day activities with kids in Traverse City and around Northern Michigan.
Save this one. You'll need it. 🌧️
🏃 They Need to MOVE
Altitude Trampoline Park
For the days when the energy level inside your house is simply not sustainable. 😂 Altitude gives kids plenty of room to jump, play and burn some serious energy indoors.
ELEV8 Climbing
Never climbed before? That's totally fine. ELEV8 welcomes beginners, offers rental gear and lets visitors drop in without a reservation. It's a great rainy day option when the kids want to actually DO something.
Incredible Mo's
Just outside Traverse City in Grawn, Incredible Mo's packs bowling, arcade games, laser tag and more into one indoor stop. It's a solid choice when you need an activity that can keep everyone occupied for more than 20 minutes. 😂
The War Zone
Battle Tag is basically the answer for kids who hear "rainy day" and absolutely do not mean "quiet day." 😂 It's active, competitive and especially fun when you've got kids ready to run around and battle it out. Book ahead if you can, since space is limited.
🎨 They Want to CREATE
Surfaces Art Supplies
Head to the open paint bar and make something. Walk-ins are welcome, and there are plenty of creative projects to choose from, making this an easy rainy day activity without committing your entire afternoon.
Handz On Art
Pick a piece of pottery, choose your colors and start painting. It's one of those activities that keeps the kids busy while Mom gets to sit down for a minute, which feels like a win for everyone. 😂
Laughing Fish Art Café
Choose from more than 30 wooden projects and paint your own creation at the Art Café. Walk-ins are available during designated hours, and while it's open to all ages, they recommend it for ages 7+.
Evil Queen
Make your own candle right in downtown Traverse City. The candle-making experience is available for ages 6+, and you get to choose your own scent and jar before creating something to take home.
🐝 Great for Little Kids
Bee Well Leelanau
Located in Cedar, Bee Well is a cozy option when younger kids need somewhere to play, create, explore and use their imaginations while the weather does its thing outside.
Curiosity Place
Curiosity Place, powered by the Great Lakes Children's Museum, is full of hands-on play and opportunities to explore. It's especially great for younger kids, and reservations are recommended on rainy days because walk-in admission depends on capacity.
🔬 Explore + Discover
Dennos Museum Center
Art, exhibitions and hands-on discovery give families plenty to explore at the Dennos Museum Center. It's a nice choice when you want an indoor activity that's a little quieter without asking everyone to sit still the entire time.
COGNiTiON Science & Discovery Center
Worth the drive to Beulah, especially when you need more than a quick activity. Families typically spend around two to three hours exploring hands-on science, live animals, exhibits and the planetarium.
🎮 Play + Get Competitive
Right Brain Brewery
Yes, we're putting a brewery on the kids' rainy day list. 😂 Right Brain has more than 40 vintage pinball and arcade games, making it a fun option when you've got older kids — or parents who are about to get way too competitive over pinball.
The Coin Slot
Classic arcade games, pinball and a rainy afternoon downtown? The Coin Slot is an easy option when everybody wants to play without turning the day into a huge excursion.
Timewind Escape Rooms
For families with older kids who like puzzles, clues and working together, Timewind gives you an hour to solve the room and beat the clock. Definitely more interesting than another afternoon staring at the rain through the window.
🎬 Slow It Down
State Theatre
Check what's playing downtown and catch a movie when there's something family-friendly on the schedule. Popcorn + a movie while it pours outside is a classic for a reason.
AMC Cherry Blossom 14
Sometimes you don't need an elaborate plan. You need movie snacks and approximately two hours during which nobody asks what you're doing next. 😂
Horizon Books
Head downtown, wander the shelves at Horizon Books and let everybody find something new to read. It's simple, cozy and perfect when you want to get out of the house without planning an entire production.
💸 Cheap, Free + "We Just Need OUT"
Traverse Area District Library
Never underestimate the library on a rainy day. Browse the children's section, grab a pile of books and check the calendar to see if a storytime, activity or other family program happens to be going on.
Do a Thrift Store Challenge
Give everyone a tiny budget and a ridiculous mission: find the weirdest mug, best book, funniest shirt or strangest thing you can find for $5. Suddenly "going to the thrift store" becomes an event. 😂
Try a Downtown Traverse City Scavenger Hunt
Grab the umbrellas and turn downtown into the activity. Look for a mural, something shaped like a cherry, a funny store window, a yellow door, something older than Mom — you get the idea.
Psst... we're working on downloadable A Mom Exchange versions of our Thrift Store Challenge and Downtown Traverse City Scavenger Hunt. 👀
Go Get a Treat
Donuts. Cookies. Hot chocolate. Ice cream even though it's raining. Sometimes getting everyone out for one little treat is enough to completely change the afternoon.
See What's Happening Today
Rain doesn't necessarily cancel the day's plans. Check A Mom Exchange Events for family-friendly events happening around Traverse City and Northern Michigan — you might find something you didn't even know was going on.
🏠 We're Not Leaving This House
Sometimes the correct rainy day activity is... staying home. 😂 If nobody is putting on real pants today, try:
- Build an unnecessarily elaborate blanket fort.
- Create an indoor scavenger hunt.
- Bake something together.
- Turn the living room into a movie theater — tickets and popcorn included.
- Make a painter's-tape obstacle course.
- Have a picnic on the living room floor.
- Pull out the toys everyone forgot existed.
- Cover the kitchen table and make something messy.
🌧️ Rainy Days Don't Have to Be a Wash
Living in Northern Michigan means learning pretty quickly that the weather doesn't care about your plans. Luckily, there are plenty of indoor things to do with kids in Traverse City, Leelanau County, Benzie County and beyond when rain shows up instead.
Whether you're looking for indoor play, creative activities, arcade games, museums, rainy day activities for toddlers or something to do with older kids and teens, there's almost always another option besides staying home and listening to "I'm bored" for the 47th time. 😂
Because hours, availability and activities can change, always check directly with the business before heading out.
Still looking for something to do? Browse family-friendly events happening around Northern Michigan on A Mom Exchange and find your next plan.