Rain, rain, go away! Are you stuck inside on a rainy day? Try some of these fun things to do on a rainy day to make your rainy day into a fun day!
You wake up in the morning, eager to take the kids to the park, only to hear it’s raining outside. Then, as your head starts pounding and your stress level rises, you wonder how you’ll contain your kid’s pent-up energy until dinner. They’re all colored out, all doll-housed out, and play-doughed out. You don’t want to plop them down in front of the T.V. all day, but you can think about it.
Every mother knows that sinking feeling: rain buckets down outside, and the kids are restless. You need a way to entertain these children before they start climbing the walls. Of course, you could plop them in front of the television or computer game, but better alternatives exist.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Think of a rainy day as a chance to do things you wouldn’t ordinarily do. Here are some things you can do with your kids indoors on a rainy day. Enjoy these creative ways to spend a dreary, cloudy day.
15 Things To Do on a Rainy Day
Break Out the Board Games
It’s time to break out your board games! If you do not have board games when the rain stops, scour yard sales and second-hand shops to pick some up for the next rainy day. Although children accustomed to the slickness of computer games may take a little convincing to start, they will have a ball with these games once they begin.
Cultivate Their Creative Streak
A quick internet search will get you craft ideas to suit children of all ages, or simply a pack of colored pencils or some paints and lots of blank paper can keep them happy for hours. Teach them to knit, crochet, or sew.
Stir Up Their Scientific Curiosity
Your local library is sure to have books of fun science experiments suitable for your children’s ages. Grab a few and pick some good, simple experiments to try.
Keep Them Busy in the Kitchen
Most kids, including boys, love to cook. There are loads of simple things they can make, and they also enjoy the pleasure of eating their creations.
Build Your Own Bowling Alley
The kids can make their own bowling alley if you have a covered area with a smooth floor and plenty of room. Use large plastic pop bottles filled with water for the pins (be sure the lids are on tightly) and a medium-sized, firm ball such as a basketball.
Put on a Puppet Play
Unless they already have puppets, they will first need to make some, which will occupy some of their time. Pick a fairy story, and have them act it out with the puppets they have made. They may even want to make a stage and scenery.
Re-Write Nursery Rhymes
Start with the first line or two of a traditional nursery rhyme, and see who can create the funniest ending.
Start an Endless Story
The first person begins telling a story. Then, after two or three sentences, the second person takes over, then the third, and so on, back to the first. It can keep going for as long as you want and generally gets sillier the longer it goes.
Become a Band
Even if the kids don’t have any real musical instruments, there are fun ones they can make. For example, elastic bands over a small cardboard box with a hole in the top become a guitar. Glass bottles with water to different levels produce chimes. And, of course, just about anything that can make noise can be a drum.
Camp Out on the Carpet
Throw an old sheet over a table to make a tent. Pack a picnic lunch and eat it on the floor. Use a piece of string with a magnet on the end to catch paper fish with a paper clip attached. Make a “bonfire” out of cardboard and red cellophane, darken the room and tell ghost stories.
Build a Tent in the Living Room
Carry in some flashlights and tell stories. Kids love to build forts. Take out some blankets and chairs and make a little tent house. Grab your flashlights and hang out in the house for a while, telling stories and eating melted marshmallows. Depending on your children’s age, they may even want to make up some scary stories.
Use the Rain as a Teaching Lesson
Count the seconds between the streaks of lightning and claps of thunder. Capture some of the rain in a bucket. If you have a little chemistry set, let the kids see what makes rainwater. Look at it under the microscope. See how long it takes to fill up one inch of rain in a measuring cup. There’s probably a math lesson in there somewhere, too!
Pull Out a Favorite Movie
Pull out a favorite movie, make up a tub of popcorn, and watch it together as a family. This idea works best if your kids hardly watch any TV. After the movie is over, do something creative connected to that movie.
For example: After watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you could make some homemade candy. Or, after watching The Wizard of Oz, you could make a story up about what would have happened if Dorothy landed in Narnia instead of Oz
Have a Treasure Hunt
You might want to set this up ahead of time. Write down clues on a slip of paper and scatter them throughout the house. Each clue will lead them to the next clue’s location. For example: Hidden behind the couch might be a clue that says, “You always want to eat me, you’re always begging for more, so go ahead and find me” or “I’m behind a cold door”. Then you’d wrap the next clue around a cookie in the refrigerator. The final clue could lead to a favorite treat or maybe a new toy or game you haven’t shown yet.
Read Books
We love books and reading is such a great activity. Spice it up by having each kid pick a book with a specific theme and take turns reading out loud. If you have older kids, you can all cuddle up on the couch with a cup of tea or hot cocoa and read all day! What a perfect rainy day activity!
With a bit of imagination and creativity, rainy days can be fun for the kids without either driving Mom up the wall or resorting to the television or computer games.
Rainy days may spoil some previously made plans, but they also bring some adventures you might not have had otherwise. Enjoy!
