Ideas For Those Rainy Days in Flint & Genesee

With warm weather comes the need to find things to do for the kids in our lives. But that gets complicated when the rain comes. With that in mind, it’s always a good idea to have a plan in place for what to do when inclement weather does hit so that you aren’t stuck in the house.

While it’s easy to pack up the kids and head to the movie theater, that doesn’t compare to the many options we have in Flint & Genesee.

First, you can head out to the Flint Children’s Museum where everyone can let off some steam by playing and learning at the same time. Depending on everyone’s age and abilities there are plenty of opportunities to stretch the mind and body. From playing dress-up to putting on a puppet show, exploring how sounds create music to learning how things work. Kids can play pretend at a replica post office or play in the animal hospital. There is even an opportunity to run a pizza shop and serve your customers. Outside there is an area called Sproutside for those better weather days where kids can play outside and learn about gardening. There is more than a day’s worth of fun to have but you’ll need to keep moving.

First, some lunch. To keep it close there are a ton of restaurants around so whatever your taste there is something for you. If it’s a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday the best option may be the Flint Farmer’s Market where there are many eateries in one place.

Next, you’ll head to the Sloan Museum of Discovery which offers visitors the opportunity to learn about our region and the world. Sloan features a history gallery with a focus on the Flint & Genesee area, the Durant Gallery which features vintage and rare cars with ties to Flint, Hagerman Street for early childhood learning and play, the Fun Gallery which features traveling exhibits, and finally the Discovery Hall where science and play meet. There is enough here for an entire day but if you want to keep moving there are more opportunities nearby.

From the Sloan Museum of Discovery, you can head over to the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library, which has recently undergone a full re-design and renovation and offers updated and modern technology and a more user-friendly experience. There is a large children’s section so the kids can find the perfect books for later and it’s a quick and painless process to get library cards for the whole family. If you are just visiting the area, you can even get an E-Card, which gives access to the library’s digital resources. Before you leave make sure to look at the art on display. There are often events for kids going on throughout the week so you may want to take a look at their calendar of events to see if there’s something that appeals to you. By the time you are through it will be time to head out to get dinner and settle in for the evening.

There are plenty of other options in the Flint Cultural Center Campus, depending on the day of the week, from a visit to the Longway Planetarium, an evening show at FIM Whiting Auditorium, enjoying music at a Flint Institute of Music showcase, or some theatre at the Flint Repertory Theatre, you’d be hard pressed to run out of things to do, rain or shine. Flint & Genesee is full of fun and educational experiences for those rainy warm weather days and if it’s a movie, a trip to the store, a stop at a library, a visit to one of the many museums, or even just gearing up and taking a walk in the rain, the options are limited only to your imagination.