Ever wonder what to do on a rainy day? Has it ever ruined your outdoor plans? Well don’t fret because I have some rainy day activities for you and your family to do both indoors and outdoors that’ll surely brighten your day!
Indoor Activities
There is lots of fun to be had inside while it rains or pours! Here are just a few of the many activities you can do:
- Science Experiments: This is the perfect opportunity to explain the water cycle and why it rains! Grab a clear container, like a cup or jar, add water then cover the top with some shaving cream. Lastly add a few drops of colored water or food coloring to the top of the shaving cream and watch as they slowly make their way through shaving cream “cloud” to the water. This demonstrates that when the clouds get too heavy, the water drops from the cloud back down to the ground or body of water. Other fun at-home science experiments can include baking soda and vinegar explosions, making oobleck with cornstarch and water, making pretend cookie dough with flour and cooking oil, etc. There are endless possibilities of fun to be had at home while it rains!
- Game Night (or Day): Grab out those board games or even card games you might not have played in a while and have a family game night! This is a great way to get your kids involved while improving their teamwork and critical thinking skills. It can also help with their concentration while working on their language skills. This is also a perfect opportunity to teach how to be a good winner and a good loser.
- Baking: What a great time to bake some yummy cookies or even a cake! Whether it’s homemade or from a box, baking with your kiddos is sure to be a hit! Baking and cooking with your kids is super helpful for their fine and gross motor skills and can also be a great sensory experience. Have your children use all of their senses while helping you in the kitchen i.e. have them take a small taste of each ingredient, describe what they look like, listen to how they sound when being poured or mixed, smell the various ingredients you’re working with and feel the different textures! Remember it’s okay to get messy!
- Crafting: Pull out those markers, crayons, glue sticks and more and allow your kids to create a masterpiece! This is a fantastic way to get those creative juices flowing, boost their self-esteem and work on those fine motor skills. There are endless possibilities when it comes to crafting, so feel free to let your child’s imagination decide what to make or you can look up a craft to do together! Either way, I’m sure your kiddos will enjoy the time together while being creative!
- Movie Night: What better way to spend a rainy day (or evening) snuggled up on the couch, watching your favorite movie! Pop some popcorn or grab your favorite snacks and enjoy a movie as a family. What a wonderful way to bond and spend time together that might not be possible during the week!
Outdoor Adventures
Don’t let the rain stop you from having some fun outside! Here are some ideas that will make a rainy day a new favorite:
- Water Play: What better way to enjoy the rain than just going outside and playing in it! Whether your kids want to run outside fully clothed or put on their bathing suits, they’re sure to have a fun time jumping in the puddles and enjoying the rain right in their backyard!
- Play in the Mud: What happens when rain and dirt mix? You get MUD! Let your kids have fun getting messy with some mud play! Get a few plastic containers from inside and let them make mud pies or simply let them splash away in the muddy puddles. They’re sure to have a “muddy” good time! If it’s still raining once they are done, they might get rinsed off from the rain too!
- Animal Search: Did you know that certain animals like to come out either when it is raining or shortly after? These can include snails, slugs, worms, frogs and many others. Have your little ones go on an animal search for these rainy day animals and see if they can spot any! You might be surprised as to what they might find!
- Rain Science: Have some fun doing experiments outdoors in the rain. Grab a few different sized containers and ask your kids which one will fill up first with water! Set them out and let the rain do the rest! This is a great way to introduce volume and how different containers hold different amounts of materials. Just because a container looks bigger doesn’t necessarily mean it holds more. You can also grab some metal or tin items from your kitchen and make rain music! Listen to how the rain hits each item and the sound it makes! Is it loud? Is it quiet? Try out all kinds of items and let them have fun dancing in the rain!
- Building a Boat: Take advantage of the rain water flowing down your driveway and have your kids build their very own boats. Whether they make it out of paper or aluminum foil, allow your kids to get creative and then test their boats down the driveway. Does their boat go fast or slow? Is the rain water moving quickly or leisurely? You can also make a waterway for their boat to travel on if the rain on the driveway isn’t working so well. This can be made out of tin foil or any other materials you can find. They can also use a bin filled with rain water to test how their boat floats on the water. There are quite a few avenues of activities to choose from when building a boat in the rain!
Whether you like to enjoy the rain inside or out, you have endless possibilities on how to have fun on a rainy day!