How to Keep Kids Entertained on Rainy Days

I don’t know about you but I am not a fan of rainy days. Never have been. I know it’s a necessity, but I just don’t like them. I never want to go out, run errands or do anything during a rainy day. And with kids, it adds another layer of not wanting to leave the house. 

Being a stay-at-home mom I get cabin fever and feel cooped up sometimes. There are days I like running errands just to get out of the house. There are days I take the kids for a neighborhood walk just for a change of pace. 

Now imagine how a rainy day can put a big damper on your mood if you were planning to get out of the house and then it starts raining. And imagine how cooped up you’d feel if the rain lasted multiple days. 

How do you keep your kids from feeling the same way as you? Not to mention all the energy they are now trying to burn inside because they can’t go outside. Based on my own childhood and having children myself — here are some things that I have discovered to help keep kids entertained during those (not so fun) rainy days.

Arts & Crafts

A favorite activity of mine growing up was arts and crafts. My mom did a great job of having us do different crafts so I developed a big love for it. I loved using construction paper and magazines to make my own posters. There are so many options of things to create within arts and crafts!

For young kids, coloring or painting are good options. With older kids, you could make something with beads or buttons. If you’re stumped on ideas of what to make find some ideas online. Pinterest is your best friend for arts and crafts DIYs! The good news is the options are endless on what you can make, you just have to use your imagination. So break out those art supplies and get to creating! 

Build Something

Build with blocks or legos. Or better yet go bigger and build a fort! What kid doesn’t love to make a fort out of blankets? I know I always loved doing this as a kid. Another favorite of mine was to use the kitchen table chairs to create a bus. I’d line them up in a row and pretend it was a bus or car or sometimes even a train. Your kids can bring dolls or other family members to ride along. You could also make a maze out of clothes, books or other items you have around the house. Just build something and let your kids use their imagination to bring it to life.

Bake Something

If your kids are old enough to help or it is enjoyable when they do–head to the kitchen and bake something. Maybe try your hand at cookies, muffins, or some bread. Let your kids help you mix and stir up the batter and make a tasty treat. 

Bring the Outdoors Inside

What is your child’s favorite outside activity? Can you recreate it inside? For my daughter, it is sidewalk chalk. She always wants to play with it. When we lived in a 3rd story apartment and I had a newborn I couldn’t take her outside to play with it often. So we came up with a way for her to play with it inside. I tried to find a big enough chalkboard (and couldn’t) so instead, I got creative and bought a big black sheet of poster board. She draws on the poster board with her chalk and still to this day uses it if it is rainy outside and she wants to play with her chalk. 

If your kids love to play in a kiddy pool why not fill the bathtub a little and let them swim/play around in there? If your kids love the sandbox why not try a more miniature version? Try filling a bucket or big Tupperware container with some sand and letting them have some hand only sensory play instead of full body play. Think outside the box and find a way to let your kids still have fun with their favorite outside activities while inside the house instead. 

Put on a Show

Another favorite of mine as a kid was putting on shows. I loved entertaining so much! My sisters, friends, and I would put on just about any show you could think of. We did fashion shows, dance shows, singing shows, and just general talent shows. We would do them for each other and for our families. This can be a great creative outlet for your kids while keeping them busy for hours preparing and rehearsing. For younger kids, you could put on a show for them like a puppet show or a flashlight shadow show. 

Sensory Play

Break out the playdoh and slime! Sensory play is huge right now! There are so many cool ideas and easy DIY sensory items you can make at home with everyday items. You can use playdoh, slime, sand, jello, just about anything you can think of. This is a fun tool for kids to experience a new feeling sensation and to try playing with something new. Need some sensory ideas? Just Google or Pinterest away! There are seriously SO many options!

Go to the Rain

If it’s not raining or storming too bad and you’re up for getting wet, you can always get outside and enjoy the rain. Dance or sing in the rain. Go for a little walk with umbrellas or stomp in some puddles. If your kids are anything like mine they probably love splashing around in the water! As long as you don’t mind the clean up afterward, why not just join in on the rains fun?

Next time you’re stumped on how to keep your kids entertained when it’s raining out, give one of these tips a try! Drop a comment to let me know what works best for you and your kids. And enjoy those rainy days!