What can you do on Mayne Island on a rainy day?

Curl up with a book, set out a board game or try a simple craft. Each month we pick one of each on this page. The Mayne Island Library, Books On Mayne and the island's galleries are good places to duck into too. Check hours before you go.

Can I suggest a book, game or craft?

Yes. Use the suggestion form on our Rainy Day page. Tell us what it is and why you love it.

Are there free rainy-day printables?

Yes. Our Rainy Day page has easy card game rules, step-by-step craft sheets, a Mayne Island word search and a crossword, and more are added over time. Find them on our Rainy Day page.

Rainy Day · Monthly Picks

Rainy Day on Mayne: Book, Game & Craft of the Month

Q: Where can I buy a board game on Mayne Island?

Try Dragonfly Gallery or the Mayne Island Building Centre.

My Mayne Island October 27, 2026 • 4 min read

Grey, windy morning on the water off Mayne Island, with a ferry passing — A blustery grey morning on the water, with a ferry passing.

Quick answer: When it's pouring on Mayne Island, curl up with a book, set out a board game or try a simple craft. Each month we pick one of each, and anyone can suggest their own favourite.

What do you do on Mayne when it's pouring? This is our answer: a standing Rainy Day corner of the site, with a book, a game and a craft picked each month to get you through the next grey weekend. Got a favourite? Tell us and we might feature it.

It isn't limited to books, games and crafts. Baking, music, card games and anything else that fills a rainy afternoon are all fair game as the series grows.

How it works

Each month we feature one book, one game and one craft. Picks come from islanders where we can, and from us until the suggestions start rolling in.
Anyone can suggest a recommendation through the form on our Rainy Day page.
Printable downloads, like colouring sheets, simple game rules and activity sheets, are added over time for anyone without a library or game shelf handy.

A book, a game and a craft: everything you need for the next grey weekend.

This month's picks

Our first picks to get the series started. Reader suggestions take over as they come in.

📖 Book of the month

Stranger on a Strange Island: From Main Street to Mayne Island by Grant Buday (New Star Books). A Vancouver writer moves to Mayne and learns island life one odd job and one neighbour at a time, with plenty of island history along the way. Half the fun on a rainy day here is recognizing the places. Ask for it at Books On Mayne or the Mayne Island Library.

🎲 Game of the month

Cascadia (Flatout Games). A tile-laying game where you build your own Pacific Northwest landscape and fill it with bears, elk, salmon, hawks and foxes. It plays 1 to 4 people aged 8 and up in about 30 to 45 minutes, and it won Germany's Spiel des Jahres game of the year award in 2022. For board games on-island, check Dragonfly Gallery or the Mayne Island Building Centre.

🎨 Craft of the month

Leaf-rubbing cards and bookmarks. Pick up a few fallen leaves on your next walk, lay them vein-side up under plain paper, and rub over them with the side of a peeled crayon. Fold them into cards or cut them into bookmarks. Fall is the perfect time for it, and the printable instructions are in the downloads below.

Printables

Download for rainy days

Printables for anyone without a game shelf handy. More are added over time.

Three rainy-day card games: Go Fish, Crazy Eights and War, with easy rules for all ages.
Leaf-rubbing cards and bookmarks: this month's craft, step by step.
Mayne Island word search: a printable puzzle for all ages, answer key included.
Mayne Island crossword: test what you know about Mayne, answer key included.

Find every download on our Rainy Day page.

Got a recommendation?

We'd love to feature your pick: a favourite rainy-day book, game or craft, and a line on why it's worth trying.

Suggest a rainy-day pick →