Rain has an impressive ability to arrive just as everybody has put their shoes on.

One minute you've planned a lovely Peterborough day out.

The next, you're looking through the window thinking, Well, that's not happening.

Fortunately, a wet day doesn't have to mean abandoning the plan  or sitting in the car while five people suggest five completely different alternatives.

Here are five Peterborough rainy-day options, depending on whether you need to entertain children, adults, friends or that particularly difficult category known as everybody at once.

For children with energy to burn: Inflata Nation

If the problem isn't simply the rain but children who have been indoors for approximately 14 minutes and are already climbing the furniture, Inflata Nation Peterborough is worth a look.

It's an indoor inflatable activity centre, so the basic idea is pleasingly straightforward: bouncing, climbing, sliding and generally using up considerably more energy than the adults accompanying them.

This is a better choice when you want the activity itself to be the main event rather than somewhere to wander around for an hour.

Check current session times, age requirements and prices before travelling, particularly at weekends and during school holidays.

Best for: energetic children and parents hoping for a quieter journey home.

For several activities under one roof: Angle Entertainment

If nobody can agree what they actually want to do, Angle Entertainment has an advantage.

It's an indoor entertainment venue at the former Queensgate cinema complex, with options including cinema and bowling alongside food and other activities.

That flexibility is useful on a rainy day.

One person wants a film. Somebody else wants to do something. Another person's main contribution to the discussion is that they're hungry.

Rather than negotiating a peace treaty in the car park, you can potentially build several things into the same trip.

Check what's currently available and book popular activities in advance.

Best for: families, mixed-age groups and people who can never agree on one activity.

For something a little different: Peterborough Arts Cinema

If you're after a film but don't necessarily fancy the latest blockbuster, Peterborough Arts Cinema is a more unusual option.

It screens a programme of selected films in Cathedral Square, making it a good choice for adults who want a relatively inexpensive evening or afternoon without turning it into a major expedition.

The important bit is to check the programme first.

This isn't the sort of cinema where you necessarily wander in and choose from ten films starting in the next hour.

Screenings are scheduled, so find something you fancy and plan around it.

Pair it with food or drinks in the city centre and you've got a rainy-day plan that looks suspiciously like you intended it all along.

Best for: couples, adults and anyone who'd rather watch something slightly less predictable.

For competitive shelter: Hollywood Bowl

Some rainy days require culture.

Others require knocking ten pins over with a heavy ball.

Hollywood Bowl Peterborough, on Sturrock Way in Bretton, is a dependable option for families, friends and couples.

Bowling also has the useful quality of giving everybody something to do.

There's no wandering around asking, “So... what now?”

You're bowling.

And possibly discovering that a normally mild-mannered member of your family takes losing extremely badly.

Prices, deals and availability can change, particularly during school holidays, so check and book before leaving home.

Best for: groups, competitive couples and families needing a proper activity.

For the ‘we'll decide when we get there’ day: Queensgate

Sometimes you don't need a carefully constructed itinerary.

You need a large roof.

Queensgate Shopping Centre gives you shops, places to eat and indoor entertainment in one central location.

That makes it particularly useful when the weather is unpredictable or your group has wildly different ideas about what constitutes a fun afternoon.

Browse for a while. Get something to eat. Add an activity nearby. Change the plan if necessary.

Is wandering around the shops the most adventurous day out Peterborough has ever produced?

No.

Can it rescue a wet Saturday when nobody planned anything else?

Absolutely.

Just remember that individual shops, restaurants and leisure businesses can have different opening hours.

Best for: spontaneous trips and groups incapable of making a unanimous decision before leaving home.

Don't let the forecast make the decision for you

The best rainy-day option depends on who's going.

For energetic children, look at Inflata Nation.

For several activities in one place, try Angle Entertainment.

For a different sort of film night, check Peterborough Arts Cinema.

For something active and competitive, there's Hollywood Bowl.

And when nobody has made a plan at all, Queensgate remains a perfectly respectable Plan B.

One final rule: check the venue before putting your coat on.

Sessions sell out, opening times change and school holidays can affect prices and availability.

Because getting everyone into the car, driving across Peterborough in pouring rain and discovering the next session is full?

That's the sort of family memory nobody needs.

What's your Peterborough rainy-day lifesaver?

Where do you go when the weather ruins the original plan?

We're particularly interested in less obvious Peterborough suggestions, independent venues, cheap activities, places suitable for older people and things that work when you've got children of different ages.

Tell us your recommendation and why it works.

The best suggestions could make our next Peterborough rainy-day list.