How to Keep Kids Busy on a Stormy Day

No matter what time of the year it is, you are bound to be stuck inside of your house due to bad weather at some point. This probably isn't sounding so bad for you. Actually, it probably sounds kind of nice and relaxing. No work, time to catch up on a few things around the house, make a few phone calls to people you've been meaning to catch up with, and simply enjoy yourself. But wait, there is just one itsy bitsy problem: Your kids have the day off too and are bound to get very bored very fast. I was one of those kids. I would hope and pray for a day off from school, and then when my wish came true, I realized the day was going to pass very slowly. Therefore, I have compiled a list of my personal top ten ways to keep kids busy on a stormy day, so do not fear the next time Mother Nature sends us another one of her delightful treats!

1. If you are feeling adventurous, take your children outside. If it is raining, let them dance in the rain, jump in the puddles, and just have fun with nature. Trust me, you will have quite a mess on your hands when all is done, but it's nothing a little soap and water can't fix. The younger your child, the more likely they will enjoy such an activity. If it's snowing, help them build a big snowman or even take it to the next level and make a different type of snow creature. Let them run around in the snow, have snowball fights, and make snow angels. Hey, if you have enough snow, you could even help them make a snow fort! I did this once as a kid, and my siblings and I had fun with it for over a week. (If it stays cold enough of course!)

2. Set up a treasure hunt around the house. Create written clues and place them all in different hiding spots around the house. Kids love these kind of mystery games where they need to figure out. Each clue, except for the last one, should have another clue leading to the next and the last clue of all should contain a prize. You can never go wring with stickers or candy, so if you have some of these kid-friendly prizes lying around, go for it!

3. Go through old photographs and keepsakes. Some of the best times had between family members often comes during time spent looking at pictures from years past. I have done this multiple times with my family throughout my life, and these were some of the most sentimental times I have ever had with my family.

4. Play a game. Whip out a classic such as Monopoly or Scrabble or let your children pick out a favorite of their own. Younger children seem to enjoy the game of Memory. Games will vary by age group.

5. Cook! There is nothing cozier and more family oriented than cooking/baking together. Get out all of your recipe books and allow your children go through and select something they'd like to make for dinner and dessert. If you have checked the weather forecast in advance and know it's going to rain, go to the grocery store and get a bunch of ingredients. Then give your kids options for the recipes you know you have the appropriate ingredients for. They will love the feeling of responsibility and success they will achieve from taking care of the family.

6. Do arts and crafts with them. Let your children explore their creativity and imagination through art. Simply set out random supplies and tools on the table for them to experiment with. Then proudly display their work on the refrigerator or on the designated "art wall." If it happens to be winter you may want to instruct the children to make traditional snowflakes and then hang them on their windows or from the ceiling.

7. Do a puzzle. Older kids might enjoy a more challenging puzzle such as a 500 or even a 1000 piece puzzle. It may keep them busy for days, even weeks.

8. Break out the wooden blocks, Legos, or model cars. My sister and I spent hours upon hours downstairs in our basement building neighborhoods, houses, roadways, etc. out of wooden blocks and the large Legos. And hey, if you are one of those people who has a bunch a old model airplanes and cars laying around collecting dust, then why not allow your child to play with them.

9. Watch a movie. Watch an old film that you loved as a child to teach them a little about some classics. You also always have the option of letting your child select something from your home selection, or you can simply rent a movie.

10. Read to your children or let them read to you. But make sure they are always following the story. This will help develop fluency and comprehension skills and they will enjoy reading good stories, learning and discovering new things, and most importantly, spending good quality time bonding with you.

The next time your kids are off from school, consider these ten activities. Although there are a few that require your supervision and assistance, most are activities that either you can do along with your child or that they can do by themselves. Personally, I reccommend taking advantage of this time to bond with your children while you are all inside the house with each other and have no other obligations.