Last time you were here, we talked about fun activities for you and or your kids to do outside but what if the weather is less than perfect? Summer in Florida may mean sunshine and rainbows to the rest of the country, but true residents know that summer is our rainy season. The weather can range from sunny, to cloudy, to storming and back to sunny all in the matter of a few minutes. With weather as unpredictable as ours, you’ll need a stock of backup ideas local to the Gainesville area for those rainy days. As always, we’ve got your back with ideas:

Splitz Bowling
1301 NW 76th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606
Three styles of bowling lanes, laser tag, The Thirsty Gator and an arcade. Splitz bowling has something the entire family can enjoy. They are currently running a summer special, pay $50 and six people can bowl, this price includes shoe rental too! They also run different promotions and specialized events every day of the week: Trivia, Ladies Night, Senior Bowling, League Bowling and much more!

Florida Museum of Natural History
3215 Hull Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611
Located on the University of Florida’s campus, the Florida Museum of Natural History has exhibits on fossils in florida, indigenous Floridians, energy, butterflies, and has one section designated to rotating out different exhibits. The museum is perfect for indoor dates, an easy way to spend a few hours learning something new, or just generally fun and interactive for children.

O2BKids! Supercenter
6680 W Newberry Rd Gainesville, FL 32605
This one is for parents of young children, before they hit the tween stage. O2BKids! offers a lot of great services and the Supercenter on Newberry has an amazing play area with a climbing wall! You can even do art projects or mini science experiments. This play area is open for general admission but your child can learn and play while getting the full suite of child care services and entertainment provided by the O2BKids! Facility.

Crafts at Home
If you’re trying to save a quick buck you can open up your pinterest dashboard and create something new right in your own home. If you’re not on pinterest, a quick google of “DIY Crafts” will show you articles with hundreds of ideas. You can make a bird feeder, lamp shades, paint, make jewelry, whatever you like! Crafting will occupy your mind until the rain has stopped.

Ceramic Painting
There are two locations in town that provide paint and ceramic trinkets or canvasses to paint on. Corks and Colors at 3415 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32607 and Painting with a Twist at 618 NW 60th St, Gainesville, FL 32607. Any time they’re open you can just walk in, pick something to paint and you’re good to go! Supporting these businesses has the added benefit of avoiding the clean up and possible permanent stains on your carpets and walls. Corks and Colors offers a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, bottomless mimosas and sometimes even make crepes! Painting with a Twist lets you BYOB and food, but provides cups, napkins and the like!

Get Air
6250 NW 23rd St, Gainesville, FL 32653
This one has created the biggest buzz amongst the millennials of Gainesville. Only a few months ago, our city got its very own trampoline park. Vertical trampolines, basketball courts, dodgeball area, and for those who need a bit more space individual trampolines. You can review your sick flips in the monitors placed around the facility. But first, you have to head over to their website and fill out an online waiver, safety first everyone!

Bouncin’ Big
824 NW 250 Terrace, Newberry, FL 32669
Keeping with the bouncing theme Bouncin’ Big offers all the fun of a bounce house or bounce obstacle course but inside! This one also requires a waiver you can print right from their website. Any time they’re open you can take advantage of the open play area which holds some of your basic bounce houses. For any day that you don’t want to leave home, weather permitting, you can event rent a inflatable that can be brought to you!

Skate Station Funworks
1311 NW 76 Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606
Skating rink, trampolines, rock climbing wall, arcade games, bounce houses and other play areas are all available inside. When the weather clears up, you can take advantage of the go-karts as well. It seems like Skate Station has it all. It’s a one stop shop of non-stop fun. If your kids have been exhibiting a lot of extra energy lately, this is the place to go.

The Movies
Gainesville has two, soon to be three, movie theaters. One in Butler Plaza, one on Newberry road in the same plaza as Bento and Gator’s Dockside and the third one is being built in Celebration Pointe west of I-75 on Archer Road. For two or three hours, lose yourself in an action story or a Rom-Com, if that’s your thing. If you have a Regal Crown Club card then you can start receiving perks for being a frequent movie-watcher. Every 10 movies or so, you’ll earn a free movie ticket and between that you can get a small popcorn and other little gifts. If you really love movies and are beyond ready for all the hot summer flicks about to hit the box office then look into movie subscription programs. Moviepass is a popular one amongst Gainesvillians. With a $30 initial signup fee and $30 a month from then on you can watch one movie every 24 hours. Do the math, the deal is amazing!
The theaters in town are:
Regal Gainesville Cinema Stadium 14 at 3101 SW 35th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608
Regal Royal Park Stadium 16 at 3702 W Newberry Rd, Gainesville, FL 32607
Regal Celebration Pointe 10 & RPX 3528 SW 45 St, Gainesville, FL 32607

Play in the Rain!
Now hear me out. It’s just water! Puddles are fun! Enjoy the reprieve from the heat! And it’s free! Definitely check for lightning warnings ahead of time, just a quick Google search, and enjoy Mother Nature at her finest. This could even be a fun teaching moment for you and your kids: how is the rain made?

Contact a Gainesville Realtor Today
To find the best homes for sale in the Gainesville area, contact Rabell Realty Group, LLC. Rabell Realty is a leading real estate agency located on the cutest corner of Haile Village, serving the greater Gainesville and North Central Florida region. Contact our Realtors and let us help you find your dream home in Gainesville. If you are considering selling your Haile home, our Realtors can assist you getting the most out of your asking price. Here at Rabell Realty Group, our agents are ready to help you take that next step!