Rainy Day Ideas

Don't curse wet weather; see Rainy days as an opportunity for fun and exploration with our Rainy Day Ideas. With a little preparation and imagination, your children will almost be wishing that every day was a rainy day.

Click here for a printable copy of our Rainy Day Ideas

Make a book; Kids of all ages can work on making a book. Young children may want to make picture books while older children can write out a full story. You can bind your books using either a stapler or string. Don’t forget a cover!

ABC scavenger hunt; Give each child a piece of paper that has the ABCs written on it. Children must go around the house looking for things that start with each letter. The first one to find an object for each letter wins.

Play board games; Board games are great for rainy days and getting children to play together. You should always have a couple of different choices on hand. You may want to periodically swap games with another family. This way, you can make sure that your kids never get bored with the games you have on hand. 

Baking; Rainy days are also a great time to bake some cookies. Kids love to help out with cooking and this will give them something to do. If you make sugar cookies, they can also decorate them after they’ve been baked.

Rainy Day Craft Box; Make a special “rainy day craft box”. Inside, put in various craft supplies such as paints, markers, glue, glitter, and clay. If you only allow your children to use these craft tools on rainy days, they will be excited when a rainy day comes around.Every once in awhile, get a new craft for the box so that they will be surprised.

Paper Mosaic Murals; these look so cool!!

• Colored paper: construction paper, magazines, glossy mail, etc.
• Glue
• Pencil
• Scissors

1.  1. Cut or tear colored paper into little squares.
2. 2. Lightly draw or sketch what picture you’d like to design on the poster board.
3. 3. Working in small sections, add coat of glue and apply colored squares to create picture.

Add additional material to make a really decorative piece of art; coat finished piece with acrylic spray for a glossy water proof finish. 

Look at Me! Have your child observe you for a minute. Leave the room .Return to the room, having changed a small detail in your appearance. Remove an earring, put on some lipstick or change your hair. Can they guess? 

Build a Fort Cubby House; a tradition all kids participate in while growing up is making forts out of furniture, blankets and cushions. Help the kids construct their own super fort and they'll stay busy all day long with fun, quiet activities to play inside their new imaginary castle.

Indoor Fun; check out alittlebird.com.au’s indoor calendar to find something that’s on in your area.

Puzzles; This is a great time to bring out a 1000 pieces puzzle and have everyone in the family work together to complete it. If you have a child that is too young to do this, you can find a piece and tell them where to put it.

The Idea Box; Begin your new "Boredom Cure" with a tissue or shoe box; which of course, has been decorated by your little one. When you come across an idea that strikes your fancy, write it on a slip of paper and place it in the box. Send them running to the idea box when they say they are bored.

Reverse Writing; Challenge your older child, with a pencil and paper!  Can they write a sentence backwards, without looking in the mirror. Sounds easy enough for  the letters O, A, and M, but what about J, F, and R ? Can they write you a secret message? 

Fun in the rain; Put on your gumboots, grab your umbrella and take a walk around your neighbourhood in the rain; don't forget to jump in every puddle along the way.

Mudpies; If your sandpit has transformed into a mudpit, why not make mudpies. Decorate them with leaves, sticks and flowers or let the kids make “drip castles” just like at the beach

Fashion Parade; Let your kids dress up in costumes or your clothes and let them strut their stuff on the “runway”

Hairdressers; another imaginative play game; grab the gel, some clips and hair ties and see how creative they can get on each other and maybe even mum; if she’s game.

Educational Fun; Make a rain gauge by removing the lid and cutting the top off a plastic soft drink bottle. Invert the top and sit it atop the container's body to make a funnel. Find a spot in the garden for your new gauge

Get Crafty; Make your own wrapping paper with the kids by painting on butchers paper - the grandparents will love it!

Indoor Playcentre; find an Indoor Playcentre near you on alittlebird.com.au

Start a jigsaw; fun for the whole family

Indoors Picnic; make some cookies using cookie cutter; great for kids to learn about measuring and pouring and then held an indoors picnic with the kids

Colouring in; grab the texters and colouring pencils and print off the alittlebird.com.au colouring in competition

Play; encourage the kids play good ole fashioned; hide and seek or eye spy

Library; visit your local library; they have great kids activities, story and rhyme time along with loads of great books

Reward; create a reward chart with the kids

Family movie night; What's better than cuddling up with your kids, a blanket, and a bowl of snacks for a family movie night? On the next rainy evening, turn the family room into your own personal theater. Find a movie the whole family will enjoy, settle in, and enjoy the show!

Rain Sticks; Kids can create this fun craft that mimics the rainy day outside. Gather up a paper towel tube, crayons, tinfoil, masking tape, dry rice, and a long pipe cleaner. Have your child color and decorate the paper towel tube. Next, fasten tinfoil to one end with masking tape. Coil the pipe cleaner and fit it into the tube, along with the rice. Secure the other end of the tube with tinfoil and tape. Your child's rain stick is now ready to make soothing rain sounds!

Snowglobes at Home; Heaps of fun and super easy to make!!

• Clean baby food jars with label removed
• Waterproof toy or trinket
• Confetti (water safe)
• Waterproof epoxy/strong bonding adhesive
• Water

1. 1. Take toy/trinket and glue to the inside of the baby food jar lid; follow directions for accurate drying time.
2. 2. Put confetti in the jar and add water.
3. 3. Make sure the lip of the jar is dry; add a layer of adhesive around the lip of the jar.
4. 4. Place the cap on the jar and allow to dry per directions.

Shake up and watch the fun of your own personalized snowglobe.

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