Teen's Guide to Rainy Days

Shanghai’s notorious season of rain is around the corner, but fear not! Here is a list of exciting indoor activities around the city so you can stay entertained on a gloomy (or on a scorching) day.

 

 

Escape Rooms

 

 

This activity is not for the faint-hearted. Immersive storylines, mind-crunching puzzles, and intricate mechanisms will have you completely engrossed in trying to break out of the horror-themed rooms. Make sure to book in advance on Meituan or Dianping to secure your spot, especially if you’re aiming for the highly coveted weekend slots, and keep in mind that you will need some degree of Mandarin proficiency to understand what’s happening.

 

Mr X

xiānshēng mìshì (huángpǔ diàn)

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: Bridge 8, Building 1, 550 Jumen Road near Quxi Road, Huangpu District

Tel: 21 3304 1239

 

UMEPLAY

zhǔtí yóuxì guǎn (miáo jiāng lù diàn)

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 139 Miaojiang Road, Huangpu District

Tel: 21 6323 3213 / 172 6976 2139

 

Second World

wū yǒu dǎo chénjìn yóuxì tǐyàn guǎn (xújiāhuì qí háng diàn)

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: Room 208, 2669 Xietu Road, Xuhui District

Tel: 21 6431 1315 / 139 1608 4396

 

 

Get Hands-On With Crafts

 

 

There are a ton of DIY workshops in the city. One of them is called 和猫咪一起玩皮 (hé māomī yīqǐ wán pí), which is a leather workshop where you can make wallets, keychains, and bags. For woodworking enthusiasts, explore 鹿王兮 DIY Handcrafts, where you can make miniature wooden figures or even a custom ukulele! If those don’t suit you, Peter Pan DIY Handcrafts uses plaster to make little hand-painted trinkets, and it’s an intricate process that requires a lot of patience. So unleash your inner creative beast at one of these cool spots.

 

和猫咪一起玩皮 · 手工皮具团建

hé māomī yīqǐ wán pí· shǒugōng píjù tuán jiàn

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: Room 1406, 14F, 1310 Dingxi Road

Tel: 156 1837 7998 / 182 0182 8343

 

鹿王兮 · DIY手作 · 团建 DIY Handcrafts

lù wáng xī· DIY shǒu zuò· tuán jiàn

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 1F, Block B West Zone, Chamtime Plaza, 2889 Jinke Road 

Tel: 159 0185 3186 / 188 1758 2054

 

Peter Pan DIY Handcrafts

bǐdé pān shǒu zuò· shǒugōng DIY gōngzuò shì

 

 

Address: Room 102, Building 33, 955 Middle Yanan Road

Tel: 181 2145 9208

 

 

Bowling

 

 

Bowling’s always a great time with friends and family. After all, the funny shoes are iconic, and who doesn’t love a competition of who can throw the most gutter balls? If you’re looking for dedicated bowling alleys, then Hao’s Bowling and Huangpu District Gymnasium & Bowling Alley are right up your alley - pun intended. PARTY KING, on the other hand, offers other activities alongside bowling, such as archery and pool. They even have Just Dance!

 

Hao’s Bowling

hào zhì bǎolíngqiú guǎn

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 128 Zhaojiabang Road, Huangpu District (within Luwan Sports Centre)

Tel: 21 6466 6577

 

Huangpu District Gymnasium & Bowling Alley

huángpǔ qū gōngrén tǐyùguǎn bǎolíngqiú guǎn

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 2F Bowling Alley, 1288 Waima Road, Huangpu District (near Nanpu Bridge)

Tel: 21 6331 1030

 

PARTY KING

yùndòng jiēqū (pǔdōng diàn)

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 2F, Rucker Park SSR, 393 Yinxiao Road, Pudong

Tel: 21 5090 8677 / 150 0039 9865

 

 

Self-Care Day

 

Treat yourself to a nice, relaxing day at a spa! You could go for a fancier location like Banyan Tree Shanghai (go with your mum so she can pay for it), or more cost-friendly places such as Subconscious Day Spa or Helen Nail Spa with your friends! Book whichever facial treatments, massages, mani-pedis, or bath soaks that suit you best, and pamper yourself because you deserve it.

 

Subconscious Day Spa

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 183 Fumin Road, near Julu Road (also available at other locations)

Tel: 21 6415 0636

 

Banyan Tree Shanghai

 

 

Address: Banyan Tree Spa Shanghai On The Bund, 19 Gongping Road, Hongkou District

Tel: 21 2509 1188

 

HELEN NAIL SPA

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 70 Shimenyi Road (also available at other locations)

Tel: 21 6333 7535

 

 

Chill at Cafés

 

 

Here are some lovely cafés to chill at as you watch the rain patter against the windowpane. If you’re looking for a calm study space with drinks and sweets to replenish your brain fuel, then I would recommend Cafe on Air and LB Coffee. For a more ambient and cosier location to spend your afternoon, I would suggest 1984 Bookstore & Café.

 

LB Coffee

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: Jinyan Road 235-237

Tel: 21 6110 6330

 

1984 Bookstore & Café

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 11 Hunan Lu, Xuhui District

Tel: 21 3428 0911

 

Cafe on Air

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 30-1 Sinan Road

Tel: 185 1632 9872

 

 

Indoor Rock-Climbing

 

 

For those who want to shed some sweat, this one’s for you. Whether you’re aiming for a serious workout or looking for a new hobby, indoor rock climbing might pique your interest. Pick whichever venue’s most convenient for you and give it a shot!

 

 

Rock Dance Space Rock-climbing Centre (Pudong)

岩舞空间攀岩（梅赛德斯奔驰旗航店）

yán wǔ kōngjiān pānyán (méi sài dé sī bēnchí qí háng diàn)

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: B1, Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Cultural Centre, 1200 Shibo Avenue

Tel: 21 5635 7337

 

Roaring Climbing Gym

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 1F, Block A No.1 Block, Debi Sports Loft International Sports Industrial Park, 129 Huayuan Road

Tel: 21 3636 8028

 

Magic Rock-climbing Gym

魔岩攀登（南京东路店）

mó yán pāndēng (nánjīng dōng lù diàn)

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 340 Hankou Road (near Middle Shandong Road)

Tel: 400 675 7599

 

 

Cooking Lessons

 

 

Cooking is an essential life skill and an overall fun activity, so why not take this chance to expand your culinary repertoire? If you’re looking to go with a few friends, Home Classroom offers group classes on making Western and Eastern dishes that are suitable for everyday meals. Food Theory teaches fancy Western cuisine and also offers mixology classes - you can learn how to cook Beef Wellington like a pro and whip up a cocktail pairing while you’re at it. If you’re on a roll and want to have consistent lessons, then ABC Cooking is the place for you: become a member and purchase a package of a certain amount of classes for cooking or baking, or both. They offer different monthly recipes which you have to book in advance - whether you want to learn how to bake a fancy cake or cook up a Japanese-styled lunch, this is the place for you.

 

ABC Cooking

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: No. 241-243, LG2 IAPM Mall, 999 Middle Huaihai Road, Xuhui District

Tel: 400 030 3096

 

Home Classroom

zhǔfù xuéyuàn

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: No. 30, 384 West Jianguo Road

Tel: 131 6717 2805 / 138 1649 8059

 

Food Theory

shí yǐn zhǔ yì DIY gōngzuò shì

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: Room 121, 2F, Building 1, 570 Yongjia Road

Tel: 131 6232 1608

 

 

Hang Out with Friends

 

 

Hanging out with friends is always a blast. Try your hand in batting cages or a few rounds of pool at Cages, roll around in skates under neon lights at RINK, or just chill with a drink after smashing a computer to pieces at the Demon&angel Rage Room.

 

Cages

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: 3/F, 428 Jiangning Road, Jingan District

Tel: 21 5299 5273

 

RINK

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: Room 102, Building 18, 358 Kangding Road

Tel: 138 1777 0662

 

Demon&angel Rage Room

 

Photo courtesy: Dianping

 

Address: Block C, No.5 Block, Debi Sports Loft International Sports Industrial Park,

Tel: 157 2152 5524