By Nikki Bayley
So far, British summer 2012 is shaping up to be an absolute wash-out: floods, gale-force winds and no sign of it stopping. If you can't face another day miserably stomping around in the drizzle, here are a few of our favourite indoor fun days out to take the edge off the gloom.
Copyright Nikki Bayley
Discover dry boating in Cornwall
There are few things more infuriating than arriving at the beach when it's bucketing down. Fortunately if that happens when you're near Falmouth then you can visit the National Maritime Museum for a day of messing around with boats but staying completely dry. Over five floors, the museum celebrates sea-faring ways and has plenty of hands-on interactive things for everyone to play with. The new Search & Rescue exhibition challenges you to complete a sea-rescue. You can try a spot of sailing by remote-controlling the sails of boats in a float-pool and, of course, because it's 2012, there's a Sail For Gold exhhibition, which celebrates out British Olympic and Paralympic sailing heritage. Best of all? Pay once and you get free entry for a whole year.
Find out more
Go underground in the Brecon Beacons
If it's raining outside, then get as far away from it as possible - by escaping underground. OK, it's still going to be a bit damp, but the Dan-yr-Ogof Showcaves are worth keeping your coat on for. There are eleven miles of caves to explore in this National Nature Reserve, from the Bone Cave with its award-winning exhibits, to the jaw-clangingly beautiful Cathedral Cave with stalactites and stalgmites a-plenty. If it does slow down to a mild drizzle, then you have a host of other attractions to visit - all included in the ticket price - from an Iron Age settlement and dinosaur park to a farm and playbarn.
Find out more
Head to the Scottish rainforest
The Scots know what to do with miserable weather: build a giant indoor rainforest and turn up the heating. In the heart of Strathclyde's country park in Motherwell, Amazonia is a toasty 27 degrees. Butterflies and birds flutter and flap around freely and you'll see exotic creatures like monkeys, caiman crocodiles and tarantulas. You'll learn all about what life is like in the tropical forest and can even experience some of the animals up close in ranger-supervised handling sessions.
Find out more
[Related feature: More rainy days out]
Discover how the world works in the Midlands
Few things are more fun for kids than a hands-on museum where you can turn wheels, push levers and play with water. The Enginuity Museum at Ironbridge Gorge gives kids the chance to play and learn in a fun and colourful environment packed with games and challenges. There's a giant robotic arm to manipulate, you can learn how to build earthquake-proof towers and there are regular fresh exhibits, workshops and special collections. It's amazing how fascinating everyday things are, once you see how they work. There is also an Olympic exhibition until early September, showing the science behind modern sport.
Find out more
Get lost in the vortex in Edinburgh
Entertaining people since the 1800s, Edinburgh's fantastic Camera Obscura and World of Illusions museum, based at the top of the Royal Mile, has five storeys of illusions, interactive exhibits and the brilliantly tripping swirling vortex. The Camera Obscura shows a unique view of Edinburgh through a giant periscope. Visitors can pick people up in their hands, squish them with a finger and make cars travel over paper bridges.All that and now you can pop out for lunch - or race out if there's a rare break in the clouds - and still come back later as your ticket gives you all-day access.
Find out more
Blast off into space in Leicester
Go boldly into some serious fun at the National Space Centre and learn about space exploration and science. From the UK's largest planetarium to a 42m-high rocket tower, space suits, satellites and meteorites, there's plenty to explore here - and lots of hands-on fun too. Entry gives you access to a planetarium show, with cutting-edge sound and visuals in a full 360º fulldome cinema. There's even a play area for wannabe astronauts under five.
Find out more
Go to a jelly-disco in Brighton
The world's oldest operating aquarium got a make-over this year and has now opened with a whole host of fun new attractions. Take a behind-the-scenes tour - which really lets you explore the labyrinth of winding corridors usually closed to visitors - to learn about the complex life-support systems that keep the resident creatures happy and healthy. There's a great seahorse breeding programme - you won't believe how tiny the babies are - and you get a full tour of the research facilities and food prep area too. Best of all is the Jellyfish Disco-very area, which shows the wobbly watery ones in a totally new light.
Find out more
Also on Yahoo! Travel:
- Follow Yahoo! Travel on Twitter
