You’ve checked the forecast on www.accuweather.com and have found that your day home with the kids isn’t the bright, sunshiny day you had hoped for. It’s chilly, rainy, windy, or anything else that doesn’t make spending the day outside sound like a good idea anymore. What are some rainy day activities that you can do? You and your family have been cooped up in the house for months and you’re bored of the same thing. We’ve got 10 great ideas to keep your day fun and creative!
1. Good ol’ classic Board games.
Fight boredom with a game-board! You can pick strategy games to add more of a mental workout, or get up and active with a game like Twister. Stick with the game idea, and lose the board with a guessing game of Charades. Write ideas down on paper and draw from a bucket, or just come up with ideas on a whim. Get as creative or as simple that works for you and your space available.
2. Make a living room fort.
Grab some sheets, seat/couch cushions, and pillows. Add some broom sticks or other posts to support the sheets overhead and give it some structure. Make it a camping trip and throw in some sleeping bags. Use your imagination on what kind of fort it is and role play, get into character. Just some things to do on a rainy day.
3. Have a Puppet show.
Hang up a sheet and use a flashlight. Or use stuffed animals as your characters. If the kids are having trouble with ideas, start a story and then let them take it from there. Where do they want the “fuzzy bunny” to go next?
4. Have a fashion show.
Let the kids raid your closet. Or, if you’re a little nervous about letting them have free reign, pull out some fun items- shoes, hats, bags, shirts, dresses, jewelry (that wouldn’t be an issue if it broke), hair accessories…. You get the idea. Then find an area in your home that they can strut their stuff and pose. Take videos or photos of the “runway”.
5. Dance party!!
Put on some upbeat music and let loose. Who’s got the best moves? Take turns taking the center stage. Who wouldn’t love these rainy day activities with kids?
6. Have a scavenger hunt.
You can make a list of things for the kids to collect from around the house in a basket. Examples may be: something green, 3 round objects, something you write with, something made of wood, etc. Or, if you have time in advance, make clues on what to look for so that they have to figure out the puzzle, find the item and that gives them another clue to try to figure out what to look for next and so forth.
7. Indoor badminton.
Use some paper plates (or just your hands) and a balloon. Have an imaginary divider or net and bat the balloon back and forth. Make sure you’ve got some space around you and be aware of any fragile items that are in the “at risk” area.
8. Create an obstacle course.
Use pillows to step over, cushions to step on, step stool to step up/down, cones or similar items to weave around. Use your imagination and the space you’ve got. You can even time each other and see who can do it the fastest while still staying upright.
9. Get crafty!
Look up some sites online with various craft ideas, such as www.happinessishomemade.net Use the items you have around the house. Then take some time to show off your new creations! Or get crafty in the kitchen and do some fun baking. You can even make s’mores in the oven as instructed on www.goodcheapeats.com/smores-indoors
10. Yoga and stretching.
Find ways to get more active with the kids and do a yoga video found online and encourage stretching. Youtube.com has some great kid activity videos when you search for HIIT kids that get them moving and burning some of that high energy.
These are just a few of the things to do on a rainy day with kids. Rainy day activities will keep you active and moving on even gloomy day indoors. You can also check out www.autismsupportnetwork.com for some other sensory friendly ideas to keep things fun at home!
