It's Raining, It's Pouring and the Kids Are Roaring: Rainy Day Activities

When the weather turns nice, all kids want to do is play outside, which is why rainy days make it that much harder to be cooped up inside. But rainy days don't have to be boring, monotonous or rely on the television.

Get Out of the House.
Put on boots and raincoats and head outdoors if the rain is not too heavy. Splash in puddles or take a rain walk and look at how different the leaves look when wet. After a short time, you and the kids will feel rejuvenated and ready to dry off back inside.

Hop in the Car and Go.
The obvious fun spots of the aquarium, children's museum, library or even mall play lot are easy diversions but don't overlook other options like the hardware store or grocery store. Though you have to keep a close watch on children, the hardware store is a great place to look around at lawn tractors, plants, tools for Bob the Builder, and other nifty gadgets. The grocery store presents an opportunity to get an errand done and entertain the kids if you turn it into a scavenger hunt (who can find something orange in this aisle first) or trip to pick up provisions for the afternoon bake-fest. No matter what you do, it's worth the effort to get everyone bundled up and have a change of scenery.

Channel Your Inner Artist.
Gather crayons, markers, paint, paper, scissors, glue sticks, old magazines, play doh, or any other items that strike your fancy and set out to make a collage, picture, or work of abstract art. The more art supplies you have readily available, the more opportunities your child will have to use her imagination. If you want to set out progressive projects, or hold back a favorite item for later, go ahead and dole out the supplies throughout the day. Once you've exhausted the visual arts, have a dance contest or singing performance a la American Idol. Or demonstrate your culinary mastery by baking cupcakes or cookies together.

Revisit Old Favorites.
Sometimes forgotten puzzles, books, toys, and games are the rainy-day lifesavers. Tell your children stories about how they first played with each, or what they liked best of about the toy. Open up photo albums and look at how your family has grown; your children will love hearing about when they were born or when they visited the zoo for the first time.

Bring in Reinforcements.
Whether it's a friend for you or playmates for them, the addition of another person or two (or three or four) will liven up the day. And though it sounds crazy, multiple three-year-olds are actually much easier to watch than one because they entertain one another instead of just whine for your attention. And new faces equate to great distraction.

A rainy day doesn't have to be dreary. With a little creativity and effort, families with kids of all ages can have a fun-filled day.