Rainy Day Activities for Kids

Now that warmer weather is here, your kids are probably itching to go outside. Unfortunately, thunderstorms and rainy days tend to happen frequently during spring and early summer. On these days, your kids are stuck inside, which can lead to plenty of arguing and complaining. Instead of dooming yourself to the headache that comes with unhappy kids, plan some rainy day activities that will keep everyone happy.

 

Paint a Picture

Kids love to draw pictures, even if it’s just with crayons. Make any rainy day more fun by pulling out the paint and paintbrushes. Your kids will love being able to use paint to create fantastic scenes and pictures, and you’ll love how quiet they work.

Play Board Games

Another great rainy day activity for kids includes playing board games. The next time you see raindrops falling, grab your family’s favourite board game and set it up on the table. Everyone in the family will enjoy hours of play this way. If your kids are getting bored with one game, you can always switch to a different game to keep things interesting.

Get Crafting

Along with board games and painting, your kids will enjoy making a craft while stuck inside on a rainy day. This craft can be anything, from a tissue flower garden to a paper kite for the next windy day. If you’re not sure about easy crafts to do at home, you can always go online and look up ideas.

Bake Cookies

Heating up the kitchen is another great way to spend a rainy day. For this activity, you will need to help out, ensuring that your kids are safe. However, let your kids take control of a recipe, measuring out the ingredients and adding their favourite flavors to their cookies. If you want to take this rainy day activity a step further, you can also use frosting to decorate the cookies after they’re done cooling.

Design Word Searches

If you need your kids to sit and enjoy an indoor activity on the next rainy day, then grab some grid paper and a pencil. Show your kids how to design a word search by writing words onto a blank grid. They can record the words they use in a word bank and then fill in all of the other blanks spaces with random letters. Your kids can spend hours designing a word search, trading puzzles with a sibling, and then finding each others words.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Set each child up with a puzzle suited for their development or work together on one puzzle together.  This is such a calming activity, so save it for when your kids are going a bit bonkers. 

Build a Fort

Encourage your children to use their imaginations to build a fort with sheets, furniture and cushions.  Let them use their imaginations to act out make believe stories.  Playing with forts can provide hours of imagination, just think back to your own childhood!

Make it a Family Movie Day

Once you are tired out it may be time to pop in a family friendly movie and have everyone sit down together to watch.  Don’t forget to make some fun snacks together!

Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of items for your kids to find around the house.  Consider giving out prizes for the person who finds all the items first.  It doesn’t have to be toys or candy, it could be as simple as allowing your child to determine what you will make for dinner one night.  This can provide hours of fun if you incentive the game properly.

Get Musical

Have your kids make their own instruments and put together a musical performance!  Make Shakers out of bottles and rice or keep it simple with just the pots and pans. 

Book Making

Have your kids make their own books.  Start by stapling some pages together and let your kids go wild with crayons.  You may want to give them a little inspiration by providing a simple theme for them to write (or draw) about.

Play Hide and Seek

This is a classic game for a reason.  It’s fun!  If you need longer bouts of silence and more than two children, have them play Sardines instead.

Play Dress-Up

This is the part where you’ve been planning for such a day for awhile.  If not, throw together any clothes, accessories or shoes you no longer wear and create a dress-up trunk.  Have  your children dress up in crazy outfits and show them off on the “runway” at their very own fashion show!

Read

Have older children read a new book and read a story to younger children.  Everyone loves a good book and its a great way to slow down and relax together.

Don’t Let a Little Rain Stop The Fun!

If it’s not a thunderstorm and the rain isn’t falling too hard just bundle up your kids in their rain gear and send them outside to jump around in puddles.  I can almost guarantee they will not melt.

 

 

Although there’s nothing like a sunny day to go outside and play, that can’t happen every day. What are your best rainy day activities for your kids?