Kids cooped up in the house can get bored and irritable. After all, there are only so many hours a person can sit and focus on Legos or Littlest Pet Shop characters. When little ones get bored on a rainy day, try some of these ideas to help both the kids and the parents or caregivers keep their sanity.
Active, Physical Indoor Games for Children
If getting kids a little exercise and a chance to “get the wiggles out” is the goal, these physically active rainy day activities can help children burn off some steam.
Indoor Obstacle Course. Put the couch cushions on the floor for the kids to bounce on. Set the blow up mattress against the wall for them to fall against. Create a three-step jumping board into a pile of comforters and blankets. A bedsheet over the dining room table makes a great tent or hideaway (make a couple smaller ones for cozy spots). This can spark at least 15 minutes of active play, and when the kids get done running around, they can play quietly in the tents, or the caregiver can lead a game of hide and seek.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt. Prepare a list of ten items kids need to search for inside the house. If the children are working together as a team, the parent can choose one-of-a-kind items (such as dad’s golf shoes). For head to head challenges or multiple teams, try to make sure there are multiple examples fo the item on the list, so both teams can be successful (such as a golf ball). To practice skills for younger children, focus the list on colors, shapes, or purposes (i.e. find something red, find something square, find something you can use to eat with). Older kids can practice problem-solving skills if the list is full of riddles (i.e. find something that rhymes with tart, find something you can use to open something).
Creative Activities for Children
Quieter indoor activities include crafts and board games. For a more creative twist, use some of the following ideas:
Record silly “commercials.” Use the computer microphone or an old tapedeck to let kids record their own commercials for local grocery stores, restaurants, theme parks and more. Kids can script the commercials or practice their improvisation skills. For groups of four or more, have a commercial contest (in teams of two). Encourage the participants to use sound effects, dramatization, rhyme, poetry, and any other creative devices at their disposal.
Fear Factor. With supervision for older kids, take the creativity a step further with a handheld video camera. Kids can recreate shows like Fear Factor (safely, of course) and act out personas (such as the daredevil, the shy one, the bored competitor, etc.). Kids can act any any shows they like, including mysteries, dramas, comedies, and reality TV. Fear factor “stunts” may include eating a combination of foods that don’t really go together (i.e. a pickle covered in peanut butter), mimicking mom’s yoga poses (the hard ones), or catching 10 pieces of popcorn in their mouths. Not only do these kill time on a rainy day, but they make for lasting memories and lots of laughs.
Bake something. Pull out the cookie cutters that never get used and let kids enjoy making sugar cookies in different shapes and decorating them. Cupcakes are more fun when food coloring and sprinkles are involved. For older kids (and more adventurous caregivers), let the children come up with the recipe. As long as there is enough flour, a rising agent and a sweetener, the concoction may be surprisingly good. If not, see the “Fear Factor” activity above.
If all else fails, keeping a “rainy day” toy bin can be a great ace-in-the-hole for the little ones. If the house is usually overrun with toys, fill a large plastic container with some of them and store it in a closet, attic, basement or garage. Even though the toys aren’t new, they will be very exciting to young children who haven’t seen them for months, and can offer hours of entertainment.
Rainy days may seem dreary, but they do offer an excellent opportunity for kids and parents to use their creativity and imaginations to while away the time and create fun memories. The above activities can be excellent alternatives to TV and video games. In fact, caregivers as well as kids may find themselves looking forward to the next rainy day.
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