Visiting teen and torrential rain - help me please.

[WaterloggedWelly]

I have my niece staying this weekend and all the great ideas I had for stuff we could do are looking decidedly less great now the weather is meant to be torrential downpours all weekend.

So I'm asking in desperation for those of you with teens what suggestions do you have to fill some of the weekend?

I'm ideally looking for stuff that I can also drag a couple of primary aged kids along too which won't lead them to all complaining solidly for 48 hours and ideally not cost me a small fortune.

I fear this brief might be an unobtainable pipe dream but desperate times call for desperate measure so any help would be graciously received.

Depends on the teen but mine is 13 and we are taking advantage of the heritage open days this weekend. Various museums, national trust places are open. If too cool for that then bowling tend to go down well.

Are there any castles, museums, National Trust places within reach?

Ice skating

Pottery cafe

My teens still like National Trust places.

There are so many great ideas on here. I shall be stealing some of them for the coming months.

I’d forgotten about pottery cafes - absolutely loved them as a teen! Now off to look for ones close by as need to book myself kids in for a session

I've looked at National trust stuff but there doesn't seem to be much on even with the heritage weekend helpfully mentioned above. We have lots of lovely gardens near here but again the weather means they are probably a no go.

I love the pottery idea I wonder if any nearby do firing the same day though as I'd hate for her to paint something and it be ages before she could get it.

Have you had a look at the theatre, if cinema doesn't work for you?

I don't know Birmingham, but is there something like a Cat Cafe? Might be fun/a bit different if she likes cats. Or a board game cafe? I know my friend takes her two teens to one near us.

Hire a badminton court at the sports centre.

Indoor ski slope (no idea if there is one!).

Go out for afternoon tea. I know there are themed ones, such as Alice In Wonderland or Paddington, which might be fun for younger ones.

Visit to Build A Bear Workshop.

Swimming - is there anywhere with slides etc near you?
Ice staking rink near you?

I seem to recall there’s a pretty good science museum in Birmingham (or there used to be!), that could fill a morning and get the teen to help the younger cousins in the discovery bit.

West Midlands safari park? You will be in car so won’t get wet!

climbing might work for all of them, clip n climb have franchises all over the uk, hopefully there’s one in Birmingham.

Depending on where in the midlands you are you could go to the Wave in Coventry or Waterworld in Stoke on Trent, if they're not booked up already.
Bit spendy but could keep all happy for a good couple of hours.

They won't fire it same day but most places can post.

Escape rooms are great for early teens and late primary age.

@WaterloggedWelly
You can buy your own pottery painting kit and do it at home.
Totally second escape rooms and if you're near, the Wave Waterpark in Coventry.
Hopefully the forecast will change a bit and won't be as dire as you fear.

My teen likes flip out/air hop type trampoline parks. There’s a place in Liverpool called Gravity Max with loads of interactive games like darts and VR headsets, go Karts, arcade etc. anything like that near you?

Does she like crafts? How about a trip to Hobbycraft or The Range to pick up some projects, followed by lunch or a cuppa and a cake, then back home to get stuck into painting/slime making/jewel art for the afternoon?