Rainy Day Activities for Kids

Rain, Rain, Go Away! Rainy days with children can be quite challenging but with a little ingenuity and creativity, parents can create exciting indoor adventures for their kids. Here are three ideas for making rainy days fun for children and less stressful for parents.

The first idea is to have a movie party. Dust off on old DVD or VCR tape that the kiddoes haven't seen in awhile and watch a great movie. You can choose the movie or maybe let the kids have a choice. It works best when everyone is unanimous about what will be viewed, but sometimes I resort to the "flipping of the coin" technique. Rent a movie at a local video store if you want a more current release. Better yet, have the kids throw on their raincoats and go to your local library and check out a movie. This "kills two birds with one stone". Everyone gets out of the house and kids get excited about what movie treasure they'll find at the library. Pop the movie in the DVD or VCR player and let kids enjoy. Turn down the lights. Pop some popcorn. . I like to put popcorn in small paper bags for my kids-easy to hold and cleanup is a breeze.

Another idea for a rainy day is to have a pretend slumber party. Clear the floor of the family room. Kids grab their favorite blankets and pillows and hang out together. For girls, paint their nails and let them put on makeup. Style their hair. For boys, let them play their favorite video games or board games. Order a pizza for delivery. Read everyone's favorite bedtime story. Allow children to call their friends or grandparents for a quick chat. This is also a great activity on a Friday night.

What do kids love more than a campout? A campout in the house!! My children love their popup tents. Set those tents up in the house and a camping you will go. Don't have tents? As a child we always created our own tents out of sheets hung over two pieces of furniture or the dining room table. Let kids use their imaginations. Sit in a circle around a pretend campfire. Tell ghost stories and sing old camp songs. A fun addition to these activities would be to have food to compliment your theme. Children would enjoy hot dogs and s'mores as part of their campout adventure.

Rainy days don't have to be a time of dread. Parents and kids alike can use their imaginations to create a fun and memorable day.