Getting outside to enjoy some fresh air can be a saving grace while stuck at home during COVID-19 social distancing. While springtime brings extended daylight and warmer weather, it’s also known for gray and rainy days. To combat feelings of restlessness, here are 20 rainy day activities that are sure to keep your kids entertained while staying indoors.
Design an indoor scavenger hunt.
Create a list of items for your kids to find around the house that culminates in a prize or special treat! Design the clues so that one leads to the next, and let your kids work together to navigate through the hunt. Many free templates are available online – or if you’re feeling creative, concoct the clues and riddles yourself!
Get crafty with DIY projects.
When it comes to creating DIY crafts and projects, the opportunities are endless! DIY rainy day activities are easier than you think, with most supplies being items you already have around the house. Projects range in difficulty depending on age and skill level, so you can always find something for everyone!
Make indoor s’mores.
Who says that s’mores are only for the campfire? Use your fireplace or stove to roast marshmallows, or preassemble the s’mores and pop them in the oven for a few minutes. This delicious activity is sure to be a crowd-pleaser among your family!
Create a time capsule.
Ask your kids to compose a letter to their future selves with information about their age, daily routine, best friends, hobbies, favorite things, and more! Consider including mementos, pictures, or anything that would be interesting to look back on during this unusual time. Be sure to seal everything in an airtight, waterproof container and wait for a sunny day to bury it in the backyard. Remember to take note of where it is and when you want to open it!
Take a drawing tutorial.
If you have a young artist in the house, try looking up different drawing tutorials to spark some inspiration and creativity! Search for topics that may interest them like their favorite characters, race cars, animals, flowers, etc. You can even find several series of free online drawing lessons for kids, facilitated by various children’s artists and illustrators.
Play charades.
Charades is an interactive game that the whole family can enjoy! Each player or team takes a turn acting out different words or phrases, while other players try to guess what it is. You can come up with your own charades cards or download an app on your smartphone like Charades! or Heads Up!
Bake and decorate treats.
Most kids love to bake, especially when they know a sweet treat is guaranteed at the end! Baking is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen and introduce them to the math and science behind it. You can look up easy recipes online or purchase pre-made mixes from the store. Making desserts you can decorate will only enhance the fun!
Set up a pretend grocery store.
Setting up a “grocery store” in your house can be an enjoyable and educational activity for your kids while playing indoors. Collect any food playsets you can find or use real grocery products that are not easily opened or broken, like canned foods, tissue boxes, empty cereal or snack boxes, etc. Line up all the products in a grocery store-like fashion and find some reusable bags for your “shoppers.” You can incorporate math elements by adding price tags to the groceries and finding play money for your shoppers to pay for their goods.
Make homemade playdough.
Even if you already have some in the house, mix things up a bit by making your own playdough! All you need is flour, water, vegetable oil, food coloring, and a few other household cooking ingredients (get the exact recipe here). It only takes a few minutes to make and will keep your kids entertained for the entire afternoon!
Have a dance party.
What better way to get some exercise on a rainy day than to have a dance party? Create a playlist with your kids, letting each child choose a few songs so there are no disagreements on music choices. For added excitement, play dance games throughout the party like musical chairs, freeze dance, and the limbo – or take this opportunity to teach your kids your favorite line dance! Slide back the furniture, hang any lights or decorations you can find around the house, and get the party started!
Create a photo collage.
Collaging is a joyful activity to get your kids’ creative juices flowing using old magazines, photos, glue, and scissors! Help your kids brainstorm themes for their collage – whether it’s a collection of their favorite things, a memorable vacation, their favorite color, or pictures of family and friends. They can create their collages on paper, cardboard, notebook covers, folders, or any sturdy base.
Bring out the board games.
Brush off the dust and gather up any classic board games you can find laying around the house, such as Monopoly, Candyland, Twister, or Apples to Apples. Board games are an excellent way for you and your kids to bond with some screen-free, competitive fun!
Video chat with family and friends.
Social distancing from extended family and friends has been a challenging adjustment for everyone. Luckily, with the technology we have today, there are many video chat apps we can use to keep in touch with our loved ones – such as Apple Facetime, Skype, Zoom, and WhatsApp – along with many others! Next time your kids are missing someone special, set them up on one of the video chat services that works best for you!
Perform a puppet show.
DIY puppets can be as simple or complicated as you want them to be – all you need is a healthy imagination! See what supplies you can find around the house, whether its socks, paper bags, or painted hands to help create the stars of the show. A stage can be as easy as decorating a cardboard box or using a table. Help your kids brainstorm ideas for characters, settings, and storylines and take it a step further by creating show tickets. After they’ve had enough time to practice and prepare, you can sit back and enjoy the show!
Make edible slime.
Edible slime might not sound so appealing to parents, but it’s sure to be a hit with your kids! There are many variations for making edible slime using popular treats like gummy bears, peeps, chocolate, and more. Try out a few of these easy recipes with your kids and find out which ones you like the best!
Play card games.
Card games are a fun pastime that you and your kids can enjoy together. Break out the deck of cards and teach them how to play some of the classics like Go Fish, Rummy, Spit, or Slapjack, to name a few. If you have any older kids in the house, you can even teach them how to play different versions of poker using candy or coins as poker chips.
Host an indoor picnic.
An indoor picnic is a unique idea to change up the daily routine and add some excitement to a rainy day! Spread out a picnic blanket and set up plates with snacks, along with drinks and napkins. Stuffed animals can make fantastic guests or make it a memorable meal with the entire family!
Create a movie bucket list.
What better time than now to make a bucket list of all the movies you want to see? Especially with the early releases of new movies, this is a great time to catch up on family movie nights. Once you’ve made a list with your kids, grab a blanket and some popcorn, and start checking them off one-by-one!
Build an indoor obstacle course.
Constructing an indoor obstacle course is a terrific way for kids to expend some energy while stuck inside. Choose an area in your house that’s big enough to safely build a course. For something simpler, tell your kids the floor is lava and they must find creative ways to cross the room without touching the floor. Alternatively, you can gather tape, hula-hoops, blankets, cushions, and whatever other materials that will make the course engaging.
Dress up and have a fashion show.
Bring out all the play clothes and old Halloween costumes, along with some of mom and dad’s everyday attire for a fashion show! Let your kids create the craziest outfits they can imagine and have them strut their stuff down the runway. Get the music pumping and give out points for the best runway walk and most creative outfits.
Show your kids that being stuck inside isn’t necessarily a bad thing – it can be an opportunity to try something new! We hope these rainy day activities help you and your family build lasting memories, even when it’s gray and cloudy outside.
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