10 Rainy Day Activities You Can Do With Your Kids

You know how unpredictable the weather in Middle Tennessee can be. One minute it’s absolutely gorgeous outside, and the next it’s a torrential thunderstorm. Since school is over, the kids need something to do and keep them occupied! What do you do if they cannot go outside and you’re not a fan of letting them play video games or watch TV all day? The answer: one of these awesome rainy day activities!

1) Indoor Scavenger Hunt

This activity takes a bit of preparation to accomplish, but with just the right amount of effort you’ll have your children entertained for hours! Use prizes like:

• Stickers
• Candy
• Gold Coins
• Trinkets
• Movie Tickets
• Their Favorite Snack

Make sure the clues aren’t too tricky, and don’t hide the prizes in areas of the home that may be dangerous or out of reach for your children.

2) Board Games

Back in the day, far before video games, we survived rainy days with board games. Introduce your children to the wonders of classic board games such as:

• Candyland
• Shoots and Ladders
• Clue
• Pictionary
• The Game of Life
• Trouble

3) Make an Indoor Movie Theater

Most parents think that a rainy day is the perfect time to go to the movie theater. But why spend money on popcorn, movie tickets, drinks and more, when you can bring the theater to your home! You can even make cute little movie tickets for your kids, give them their own popcorn, and let them choose the movie.

4) Make Homemade Play Dough

You’ve got everything you need to make homemade play dough right in your kitchen! Use this recipe to get started.

Image and recipe from Musings from a Stay at Home Mom!

5) Get Active!

Your kids probably want to run around outside on a rainy day, so why not bring the activities inside? You can have a dance party, play indoor (but controlled) sports, hide and go seek, and other active games they enjoy.

6) Build A Fort

Who doesn’t love building forts on a rainy afternoon? Get creative and try to build the best fort ever with your children. You can use blankets, pillows, chairs, couches, end tables and whatever else you may have lying around as materials.

7) Create a Time Capsule

Spend the rainy afternoon making a time capsule from this year! They can include letters to their future selves, pictures of their favorite toys, music or activities, and whatever memory they want to preserve for the future. Just be sure to remember when and where you buried the time capsule when it’s time to remember the past!

8) Use Your Imagination

There’s nothing you can’t do without a little bit of imagination. You can fly to the moon, take part in a jungle safari, invent a robot — the options are endless! Let your child be whisked away into a magical world on a dreary, rainy day all through their imagination. Bonus parent point: get in on the fun and play along!

9) Bake Cookies or Their Favorite Dessert

Rainy days can sometimes be a sad experience for a child who was looking forward to playing outside in the summer sun. Cheer them up by baking cookies or their favorite type of dessert. Make sure they’re part of the process and make lifelong memories with them.

10) Find Time to Craft

From paper bag or sock puppets, to jewelry and clay, there’s always an opportunity to work on crafts when you’re stuck inside on a rainy day. Be sure to supervise your child when they are making crafts, as items such as beads, string, glitter and other materials can be harmful if accidentally ingested.

What rainy day activities do you like to do with your children?