It’s a pretty miserable day today, and it suddenly occurred to me that, although I have tonnes of exciting summer resources for kids, summer play ideas, and fun summer trips out, I haven’t written much about rainy day activities. Indoor play ideas are a great way to keep children entertained when it’s wet and windy outside, and let’s face it, when you live in the UK, it’s pretty much wet and windy 80% of the time! So today, I’m going to be sharing a roundup of easy, mess-free activities to entertain kids indoors. Don’t worry, they’re not complicated to execute; with only a little time to set up, these indoor play ideas are great for pre-schoolers and school-aged children. Let’s get started! 1 Story Time…With a Twist This isn’t any ordinary story time activity, this one has a twist. Instead of reading/telling a story in the usual way, work together with your child to create an alternative ending or scene. Does the prince really slay the dragon to save the princess? Or does he become best friends with the dragon and ride off on his back, leaving the princess in her tower? Rainy day activities like this encourage imaginative play, taking an otherwise ordinary and predictable plot, and turning it into something exciting. After you’ve created some exciting new endings or scenes for your favourite stories, how about dressing up as the characters and acting them out? Take it to the next step: If you wanted to take it a step further, you could even write an entirely new story together with your child! You could encourage them to write/illustrate the story, help read back what’s been written so far, and collaborate to learn about adjectives to describe the characters. 2 Become Crazy Scientists Okay, maybe not ‘crazy’ scientists, but fun, mess-free science experiments make great rainy day activities. There are lots of simple, yet mind-blowingly cool science experiments that you can do with children. Not only are they obviously really fun, but these indoor play activities are also educational and help children to understand more about the world around them. Our favourite at-home science experiments for kids include: Take it a step further: If your children really enjoy science experiments at home, I highly recommend grabbing yourself a copy of The Dad Lab*, and/or 365 Science Activities*. These books are fantastic resources to have on hand, whether you’re playing some indoor play ideas or you’re little ones are keen on learning more about science. 3 Indoor Scavenger Hunt I’ve created loads of printable scavenger hunts for the different seasons, but when it comes to rainy days, sometimes it’s just not possible to get outside. In this situation, an indoor scavenger hunt can be the ideal way to keep the kids entertained. Instead of creating a scavenger hunt that requires you to find a specific item, make it more challenging by using vague clues. This will encourage your kids to use their imaginations, senses, and understanding of the world around them to help them complete the hunt. For example, instead of writing your clue as “toothpaste”, try listing it as “squeezy, minty and goes on a brush”. Kids love trying to figure out these clues, and it’s a very easy way to entertain your children on rainy days. Free Summer Scavenger Hunt Printable Free February Half Term Scavenger Hunt Printable Summer Garden Minibeast Hunt + Free Printable Take it up a notch: Loads of fun scavenger hunts can be done indoors. I also love Rainbow Scavenger Hunts. This scavenger hunt entails children finding items that correspond to each colour of the rainbow. You can also do this with numbers – set your children out to find items that come in pairs, groups of three, groups of four, and so on. 4 Cook Up A Storm Baking and cooking together is a brilliant way to entertain children on rainy days. Not only this, but cooking with your child also boasts developmental benefits for children of all ages. Toddlers and pre-schoolers will enjoy squishing up ingredients and mixing them together; school-aged children will learn to accurately measure and pour ingredients, whilst teenagers will learn essential culinary skills that will aid them in like, such as how to safely use a knife. Some simple cooking recipes to make with your children include: 5 Get Moving When it comes to indoor play ideas, not many activities involve moving your body much. One problem with some rainy day activities is that small kids will still have energy to burn, which can make them restless and frustrated. To get those wiggles out, we need to get some exercise in! The key here is to make sure it’s not boring – or sold to them as ‘exercise’. One rainy day activity that is VERY fun and uses up a lot of energy is…dancing! Having a dance party in your own home is such a fun way to let loose and burn off some excess energy. Not only is this beneficial for kids, but studies have shown that adults who take 5 minutes to boogie also benefit from boosted mood, reduced stress, and improved overall well-being. Dancing releases endorphins, which lift mood and decrease cortisol levels, leading to better mental health. That’s what we call a win-win! 6 Get The Board Games Out Board games are a staple in every parent’s house – and for a very good reason. Not only do board games help with your children’s development (fine motor skills, counting, following instructions etc), they can also be educational and great fun. We have a huge collection of board games in our house – our favourites are: There are also versions of classic board games that have been designed specifically for younger players. Traditional board games, such as Scrabble, may be a bit tricky for younger players, however, the children’s version of this game offers a simplified scoreboard and rule set, as well as a simplified game board. This ensures that no matter your children’s ages, everyone can still take part and enjoy some quality family time together. 7 Make Something For Someone You Love All the rainy day ideas I’ve listed so far have been primarily focused on the direct family unit. This indoor play activity is a little different as it encourages children to think about the people in their life who aren’t immediately accessible to them. Making something for someone else often brings children pride and happiness, and obviously, the recipient also gets a great gift made with love! Whether it’s a card for a grandparent, a drawing for an aunty, or a junk model for their best friend, making something for someone else is a great way to entertain kids on rainy days, as well as offering them the opportunity to think about someone else’s interests and passions, and learn about gift giving. 8 Have A Virtual Party There is a good chance that if you are stuck indoors because of the rain, so are your friends and family. With everyone stuck indoors, why not host a virtual party and invite your loved ones to join in with the fun? Whether you jump on a video call or set up a Teams/Zoom meeting, having a virtual get-together is a great way for families to catch up with their loved ones. You can play games, host quizzes, sing karaoke, or even just have a good old natter. 9 Have A Movie Day No indoor play day is complete without a movie or two. Whether you rent the latest film, watch old favourites, or explore a new film collection, nothing beats snuggling up as a family with some snacks and something good on the telly. 10 Learn Some New Skills When it comes to rainy day activities, I can’t recommend learning something new enough! Whether your children use the time to learn how to play a new musical instrument, perfect their drawing or crafting, or learn some simple DIY tips, this time will not be wasted! You Can Still Have Lots Of Fun, Even On Rainy Days Although it may seem like most of the fun family memories are made during sunny spells, there are still plenty of opportunities to come together and make memories on rainy days, too! These indoor play ideas make for great rainy day activities that promote the opportunity for kids to explore new things, learn new skills, and make everlasting memories. What’s your favourite go-to indoor play idea? I’d love to know, so please leave me a comment down below! Like It? Pin It!
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