Five Rainy Day Toys for Active Preschoolers

Even on rainy days preschoolers have a need to keep active. Parents of 3 to 4 year olds are very familiar with the phrase "bouncing off the walls," and kids don't stop, even for the weather! These five toys can bring some exercise to your playroom and save your furniture from certain destruction.

Dance Dance Revolution, Disney or Strawberry Shortcake: $20-$30 A simple plug and play version of the popular arcade game, the Disney or Strawberry Shortcake Dance Dance Revolution hooks up directly into your television set, no additional system required. Although a sacrifice is made in graphic and sound quality, kids love dancing along with their favorite characters and familiar songs. The dances themselves range in difficulty, and many children this young find following the arrows tough at first. However, with a Free Play option they can dance to an entire song despite their mistakes. A "socks only" rule is good to preserve the life of the dance mat, although I have found bare feet work best to avoid slipping. This toy also teaches children that you must practice to become good at an activity while giving them some movement based play.

Jump Smart Trampoline by Kid-Riffic Toys: $45-$55 While the learning aspect of the trampoline may be lost on most preschoolers, it does offer five jumping games based on counting, rhythm, memory, and various songs and silly sounds to keep the jumping fun interesting for a longer period of time. The best feature is a bar children can hold on to and maintain their stability while jumping, cutting down on injuries.

Hopscotch Mats: $10-$20 Available in a wide variety of characters and styles, these hopscotch mats have numbered squares that lock together like other foam play mats. A new way to play the popular playground game, you can move this indoors on a carpeted surface to get your children hopping, jumping and counting. Stay away from slick flooring, however, as the mats have a tendency to slip as kids are hopping. This toy can also double as a fun game at birthday parties, keeping large groups of party guests occupied for a long period of time.

Sit N' Spin: $10-$20 The Sit N' Spin of our childhood has undergone a makeover, with recent models adding flashing lights and music to the spinning fun. If the music gets to be too much for you, just pop out the batteries, because, as any child can tell you, it's the spinning until you're dizzy part that makes this toy such a classic. Make sure you have enough room for children to spin safely, and let them spin off that pent up energy.

Megaland Pop Up Playset: $60-$100 Although you may need to clear a room to set it up, the twist and collapse pop up method of this nylon play set makes it a cinch to store. Kids love crawling through the tunnels, hiding out in the 3 rooms and peeking out of the door flaps. The included basketball hoop and balls make this set even more engaging, and it can hold a preschoolers interest for an entire day. You can also take it outside for a quick and easy shady clubhouse. It is durable and can withstand some rough play, and best of all, children love it! When they're finished, simply tuck it back into a closet and wait for the next rainy day.

The next time you and your preschooler are kept indoors by the rain, bring out one of these five toys to turn a boring, gray day into an afternoon of fun and exercise.