It’s been a wet Monday and Hamish and I spent some time playing in the rain this morning. First, we took the pot plants out to get watered then we made a rain gauge to measure the rainfall and Hamish took the opportunity to dance in the rain and catch raindrops on his tongue. Later dressed in some rain gear, he went outside to sail a paper boat and play in a small puddle that had formed downstairs.
All in all, it was a great Monday
but
The rain is due to be here for a few days and if you are like me stuck in a small space needing to keep a little one busy, then I know you will love the round-up of rainy day activities I have listed below.
22 rainy day activities to keep the kids busy
1.Get creative
Bring out the paints scissors glue and clay and let the kids get their creative juices flowing by painting drawing molding characters or creating some fun arts and crafts.
Some of our favorites are :
PAINTING ON PIZZA BOXES
PAINTING ROCKS AND SHELLS TO HIDE
2. Boardgame boredom busters
Kids love board games and they are a great way to enjoy some screen-free fun family time. Small children also learn so many life lessons from playing board games. things like taking turns to being a good sport.
A few of the board games that are popular in our home right now are:
- Monopoly
- Uno
- Twister
- Cluedo
- Snakes and ladders
- Chess
- Ludo
3. Bake
Rainy days are the best times to put on those aprons, head to the kitchen, and bake. Kids love to help make their own cookies or decorate some cupcakes.
4. Dance party
Wiggle out those jiggles. Being stuck indoors is never fun, especially not for a little one who needs to run off some energy. The fastest way to cure this is to put on some music and turn your lounge into a dance party. Who knows the kids may just teach you a lesson or two. I know Hamish has his own set of moves like Jagger.
5. Camp out
Pitch a tent, build a fort or create a den .. bring the outdoors inside by letting your children camp out inside their rooms. You could give them some snacks and a movie to watch in their tents or roast marshmallows with them over a candle.
6. Puzzle time
I love puzzles and often on a rainy day I will leave a puzzle on the dining room table and everyone stops to build a little throughout the day. Hamish likes to sit and do his puzzles with a cd playing and we both find puzzle time really relaxing.
7. Scientific evidence
Young kids love magic and nothing is more magical than science experiments. if you have ever visited the science center you will know how a science experiment can keep your child engrossed …and it doubles as a learning experience too.
For some great websites to find science experiments visit :
- WWW.SCIENCEFUN.ORG
- WWW.BILLNYE.COM
- WWW.WOWSCIENCE.CO.UK
8. Scavenger hunt
A scavenger hunt is always fun and you can adjust these to your child’s abilities,age, and interests.
A few fun hunts are:
- Colour hunt
- Shape hunt
- Letter hunt
- Number hunt
- Gratitude hunt
- Toy hunt
- Photo hunt
9. Makeover moments
Take the time to give each other a makeover. You could make homemade face masks copy a hairstyle paint each other’s nails do make up or choose clothing for each other to wear. Don’t forget to follow your makeover with lots of Insta-worthy photos fancy glasses of sparkling juice and chocolates.
10. Read
A child is never too old to be read to. Grab a favorite book and snuggle up for some story time. If your child is reading you could have them read some of the stories to you.
11. Listen up
I work from home so there are times when I need to keep Hamish busy for a bit so that I can get my work done. Using stories read aloud online on cd are great for this purpose. You could also pre-record yourself reading or telling stories for your kids to listen to.
12. The storyteller
Many nights before bed Hamish and I play a game where we tell a story. One of us will start the story and the other will add on to it . We continue until the story is completed. This is fun engaging and allows him to expand his creativity and imagination.
13.Write a letter
Take the time to teach older children how to write an old-fashioned letter. They could write to grandparents or friends. Younger children could draw pictures. They could also design their own postcards and envelopes.
14. Put on a play
Give the kids a bag of props and dress-up items and let them put on a show for you. They could host a talent show a fashion show or put on a play. As a child, I have many happy memories of putting on concerts for my family.
15. Make your own pizza
Every Friday night while my children were little I would make a flour dough and I remember all 6 of them assembled in our kitchen, rolling out their dough to make their own pizza. We always made what I called a cheat version. We would first smear tomato paste onto the base then add cold meat and cheese before baking it.
16. Travel games
Some of our calmest moments are spent playing what I call travel games. The kind of game that you use in a car to keep kids occupied.
Games like:
- Eye spy
- Rock paper scissors
- Clapping games
- Action songs
- Charades
- Mad Libs
17. Fashionista
Give the kids some plain T-shirts and let them decorate them with markers fabric paint fabric crayons, paint felt material, or glitter glue. Then judge the best one. Don’t forget to have a fashion shoot and record the kid’s masterpieces.
18. Sensory bins
Even if you are relatively new to our blog, you will know how much I love sensory bins. They are easy to make and kids love to scoop through them and discover the “treasures” inside.
You could add a theme to your sensory bin for example -insects and add some sand rocks, leaves, twigs, and plastic insects to a large tray for your child to play with or you could just add some rice and a few spoons, scoops, and cups in a basin. The more creative the longer your child will engage.
Materials you can add to a sensory bin include:
- Sand
- Water
- Rice
- Beans
- Cooked noodles
- Water beads
- Dried leaves
- Rocks
- Beach sand
- Playdoh
- Slime
18. Movie marathon
While we always try to do as little screen time as possible, nothing is nicer when it is cold and raining than to put on a good movie and snuggle up with some hot chocolate and popcorn.
Movies we are currently loving :
- Fireheart
- Big red
- Sonic
19. Lego
In our home, Lego is an everyday activity and so it is natural to bring the Lego box out when it rains. Hamish spends a lot of time creating his own Lego creatures and inventions or building the instructions of an old Lego build. You could also buy up the Single Lego builds and stash them away for a rainy day. I recently bought out a Lego police car I had bought for Hamish and put it away. He couldn’t wait to build it.
20. Playdoh
Playdoh is another of our go-to activities and you can make your own dough or use a bought version. The kids will spend quite some time rolling, creating, and designing new things to play with from the dough.
21. Paper boats and planes
Do you remember folding paper boats and planes as a kid? Teach your kids to fold them too then try to sail your boats in the bathtub or a puddle outside. You can use paper planes to have races. See who can throw their plane the highest or the furthest.
22. Be bored
If you’ve spent days entertaining your child and they are still bored, let them be. Never underestimate the amazing resilience, imagination, creativity, and problem-solving skills that come from being bored. While it’s wonderful for us to play with our children and to provide them with an array of things to keep them from being bored they need times to be bored and figure out how to keep themselves busy.
So, enjoy the next few days of rain and let us know how you kept the kids entertained.
Hi Judy. Such a lovely list of practical go-to activities for the winter holiday. Thank you for sharing.
THANK YOU XX
Such a great post to save for later! Thank you.