Bad weather at the beach is like sand in your swimsuit.  You can't do much to keep it from happening.

So when it does, or threatens to, have a good list of things to do on hand.  There are gems just a short drive away no matter where you are, and not all of them will appear on your hotel's 'things to do' guide.

They don't have to include the three M's of beach-cabin-fever-bingo either (Movie, Mall, Mini-golf).

Find the lighthouse - and climb it.  Count the stairs.  Cape May Lighthouse = 199 steps.  Yes, we totally got the t-shirt that says 'I [check one: made it to the top, almost made it to the top, was carried to the top,] of the Cape May lighthouse!"  She is pretty darn proud of it too.

Check out nearby nature centers & zoos.  We didn't make it to the Cape May Zoo this time (she fell asleep in the car), but I have it on very good authority that it is wonderful, free, and has both a kookaburra and a capybara.

Visit the local historic sites.  It may be a drive, but it will likely be charming, and less hellish than the mall or the outlets.  We found Cold Spring Village just over the bridge from Cape May - kind of a smaller, much less commercial Colonial Williamsburg.  It was a blast - from watching basket weaving, spinning, bookmaking, tin-arts, and tossing everyone in the stockade, to talking with the historic society members who kept those buildings standing in order to provide education to visitors and historians alike.  She had a great time trying to keep the wooden hoop rolling (come on, any 3 year old given the green light to hit something with a stick will have a great time), and dressing up in 19th century clothing.