Fun Rainy Day Activities for Kids (Guide)

Pouring rain storms are one of the best days for kids. They are their own little world, much like a day at home when you can play in the rain without any need to hurry and get inside right away. So, what do you do with this beautifully gloomy day? Here are just some of the Rainy Day Activities for Kids that we suggest:

Rainy Day Activities for Kids: Mud

This one is a no-brainer. Get the kids, put them in new, clean t-shirts (no stains or holes), and let them go crazy! All you need is plastic containers and sponges to squirt when they get clean but if you like the game to last a little longer, get some layers of newspaper. Playing in mud is one of the fun rainy day activities for kids that even adults would enjoy.

How to play safely in the mud

If you are considering this as a rainy day activity for preschoolers, you will have to consider their safety. First, put your child’s favorite shoes on and spray them with a waterproof coating. Or buy some water-proof shoes if you have the budget for it or they regularly play in the mud. If your child does not have shoes, just get some plastic containers to use as a shoe. Make sure it’s free from holes and leaks so the water will not seep through.

Second, if possible, ask another parent to watch over your kid while you go out of the area because little kids are very powerful when they are running around and playing in mud! Having another responsible adult there can be of great help.

WATER BALLOONS

Get out all the water balloons you have in the house and make a very fun indoor activity for kids. If you don’t have an idea about how to fill up water balloons, just use a medicine syringe (the one doctors use) or buy a giant-sized one if you have it around the house. The key is to add water very slowly so when the balloon pops it won’t hurt your kid playing with it.

The rules for water balloons:

1. Before filling up the balloons, remember to put a layer of newspaper on the places where they are going to be used. This is very important because you don’t want them ripping your nice, new sofa!

2. Tie each balloon individually so it won’t pop if it accidentally hits your child or pet. That said, if you have a big garden and it is specially made for pets, feel free to just let the balloon fly! It should not pop unless there is something to make it pop like hitting an uneven part of your lawn or an animal playing with it (yes, this happened).

3. Every time a child pops a balloon, they have to pick it up and throw it far away from their play area. You don’t want them to step on it while running around and accidentally pop or get hurt.

4. Before letting your kids play with water balloons, make sure your house is free from any sharp objects; like pointed corners of tables and floors made of tile. This can happen when the balloon pops in an uneven part of the floor or ground, so pay attention to make sure no sharp objects are inside before you let your kid play with them.

5. Lastly, attach a child’s life jacket so they can swim to safety if they fall into the water.

COLORING

We all know that drawing is not everyone’s favorite activity but when it’s rainy, there really is no better solution than this – it is one of the easiest and fun things to do with kids on a rainy day. And what do you do with those pictures? Tape them on the wall! That way, your kids will have a new mural on the house and as an added bonus, it will make their room cozier and more fun. If you have any old coloring books from your childhood, give them to your child or just borrow them from home or the library for some ultimate rainy day fun!

GAMES

There are many indoor games you can play with your children to make the rainy day more fun: cards, board games, Uno, Jenga, Sorry!, etc. The great thing about these indoor games is that they can be played anytime of the year and never get old. Some fun indoor games for kids include:

Putt-Putt

Putt-putt is a very old game that you can play without a board as long as you have a cup or any other container to use as the hole. The goal of this game is to put a little something inside the cup, then you have to take it out using the “putter” and make sure it doesn’t fall on the floor. If it does, then the person who has to pick it up loses a point. To win, you have to be the one who gains all the points or has no more putters left when there are no more points left.

Chutes and Ladders

This is another very old and easy game that was designed for children of all ages. The goal of this game is to get to the ladder that is at the top of the building. You have to climb up and go down past all the other ladders until you get to it.

Memory Game 

This is a game developed for children who are still mastering their motor skills and can remember things. This game is very simple: you put all your toys inside a bag and this bag gets passed around from one child to another as each one tries to put all his/her toys inside. The goal is for everyone to have an equal amount of toys in their bag when it’s passed back around. Another fun version would be for them to just pass out their favorite stuffed animal.

Cheer Up

This is a very easy and fun rainy day game for kids that can be played with two people. The first person uses a piece of paper and writes down something sad, like “I’m sick” or “I had to move to another school,” or anything that makes them feel down. Then the second person has to cheer up their friend by drawing a picture of something nice on the paper (like a rainbow or pretty flower) and hand it back to them.

Musical Chairs

This is a classic game where you have to sit on a chair when the music stops. It is usually played with about six chairs but you can play it with as many as you want. Each person has to stand behind a chair and when the music starts, whoever is left without a chair has to leave the game. The winner of the game is the one who gets to be seated on a chair when there are no more chairs left for them.

Mystery Bag:

 Have your child put any of their toys inside a bag or box and close it up. Then, pass it to the other players and have them try to identify what’s inside by only touching the outside of the bag. Once they guess what’s inside, they can open it up and see if they were right.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey 

This is a fun game that will be played throughout the year. It doesn’t need any special materials; just a picture of a donkey and some sort of tape or string for the tail. The goal of this game is to pin the tail on the donkey. To play, you have to make sure everyone has a blindfold on before they start playing to avoid cheating. Then, let them stand in front of the picture and give them only three chances to put a piece of tape on where they think it should go. This makes a fun and educational rainy day activity for toddlers and preschoolers

Blind Folded Bobby Pin Race: 

This game requires bobby pins, blindfolds and an elastic band (or two). Each player puts one bobby pin in their hair. The goal is to get as many pins in your hair, without putting them through your scalp, before the other players. You can have two players compete at the same time or you can have one player and a group (people usually play it with 3-4 people). The winner of this game gets to play again until they lose.

Twister: 

This is an old classic but is still very fun and brings out the competitive spirit in kids. There are various versions of this game but all of them use a plastic board that has pictures of different positions on it which makes it easier for kids to figure out what to do next and don’t need proper directions. The goal is to get each player off the board.

Daisies: 

This is another classic game that you can play with your kids any time of the year, but it’s even more fun when it rains outside. The game consists of a box with a bunch of daisies in it. You have to pick one flower and hand it to another player. That player must then give you another flower that doesn’t match anything you already have and then they can keep any of the flowers they want for themselves.

CHEESY TEXTURE

We all know what yogurt is for — it’s very good for your health but you can also use it to make an interesting texture painting for kids as part of the rainy day activities for kids. This is a very simple, two-step process:

Step 1: Make your own yogurt. You can do it at home or take it to the store and buy it there. Just add a few drops of food coloring (the more the better, the more fun your kids will have) to each cup of yogurt and let them sit for 5–10 minutes until they are creamy.

Step 2: After the yogurt has had time to set, let your kids come in and spread their thick yogurt on their bodies as you take photos! It’s really good for kids who love getting messy whenever they get paint on their faces.

PAINTING

It’s very rare that kids (and adults) will have a lot of free time to do art. With the rain, you will probably be stuck indoors for an entire day or just go out every so often where it is drizzling. If this is the case, paint books, crayons, markers and/or colored pencils on paper and let your kids see what they can create with their hands.

Paint Ideas

a) Finger Painting: If your kids get really into making art, you can make them finger paints too. The recipe is simple: all you have to do is mix some water and flour and add a bit of food coloring. It’s the perfect way to spend the day with your kids during the rain.

b) Watercolors in a Jar: If you want something simple, have your kids use watercolors in a jar as they paint on paper or any type of surface that they want (like their arms, shirts and faces).

c) Airbrush paint: You can color your own polymer clay with an airbrush gun using different colors or just choose one color for all of them.

d) Weathered Paper: This is a fun idea that can be done on paper or canvas. Just go to your local craft store and find some sort of thin paper (like rice paper). Then, paint it with acrylic paints and let it dry. Once dry, tear it into pieces and use them as a background for your child’s artwork.

e) Straw Art: Your kids can make straw flower pots by using straws as the stems of their flowers. Then just add water on their hands to create the color they want for their flowers’ leaves.

f) Colored Clay: If you are looking for something more complex, you should try silicone-colored clay (available at craft stores).

READING

Don’t forget about making a fun, interactive environment to read with your kids! We have compiled a list of different books to make reading more fun (and not just in the rain) as an excellent indoor activity for toddlers and older kids:

a) The Scarecrow and the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: This was a very popular story for children back in the day. The “Tin Man” represented people who were scared of change and there is nothing more “scary-some” than having to move to another place with new people and new surroundings. This book was very helpful for children who had trouble adjusting and finding an environment that fit them perfectly.

b) The Five Chinese Brothers: In this book, a family of five brothers has the ability to make parts of their body disappear. If one has a hand on fire, then they can disappear. If another is stuck in the mud, they can make their feet disappear! This is a very fun and interesting book that parents can use to teach more about other countries and cultures.

c) The Little Prince: This was a very influential story that was written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The main character in the book travels from asteroid to asteroid and meets new people along the way who help him discover himself and his purpose in life.

d) Oink!: In this book, Mr. Pig travels to a different farm and is greeted by all kinds of animals from chickens and sheep to cows and squirrels. He discovers that life on a farm is not always the perfect environment for him and he decides to move back near his house once he understands what happiness is really about.

e) The Bear Who Wasn’t There: This book teaches children that a good friendship can be as strong and resilient as concrete. The narrator attempts to explain how easy it is for us humans to notice when other people are absent from our lives, but we struggle to recognize when they’re actually there.

COOKING

Another way to keep your children occupied is by letting them cook! It is very easy and a fun activity that they can do with you. You can also use this time to teach them about healthy food and eating habits, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Some light foods that you can prepare in the rain include: sandwiches, salads, soups, spaghetti, etc. This will be a memorable time for your children as they learn more about what food consists of and how it is prepared.

Easy cooking ideas

a) Sushi: This is a great alternative for children who don’t want to eat dessert. It can be very easy to prepare because you just need super fresh vegetables and fruits (like carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes). You can make sushi with rice too.

b) Asparagus Bake: This is an easy recipe to prepare that your kids will definitely love. It’s a nice way of serving asparagus as a side dish to any main dish. Just chop some asparagus and add it to the food processor and blend it along with the brown rice. Then, pour the mixture into a greased pan and bake for 45 minutes.

c) Pizza Rolls: This dish is both delicious and creative. You only need to make some rolls out of your favorite sandwich bread, spread some pizza sauce on each one and add ingredients that you like (like olives, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni or sausage). Bake it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until you get the golden crust that you want.

d) Grilled Cheese: It’s amazing how simple grilled cheese sandwiches can be when you make them like this! Just cut 2 slices of bread in half and spread butter on each side. Then, place the sandwich in a hot pan and cover it with another pan (one pan on top of the other). Cook them at medium heat for 2 minutes and then flip them over. Once they are cooked, they will be crispy and golden brown.

e) Homemade Ice Cream: If you have an ice cream maker, then this will be easier for you to make. Otherwise, you can make it using an ice cream machine or by placing your ingredients into some Tupperware. You just need to make some vanilla ice cream (you can use half of the pint of frozen vanilla yogurt) and add chocolate chips in it and mix well until you get chocolate swirls in your vanilla ice cream.

Cooking Safety

1. If you are using the stove, make sure that your children do not touch it and let them know that the burner is hot.

2. Please make sure that your little ones are supervised by an adult to prevent any accidents from happening.

3. Always remember to wear oven mitts when you handle hot pans or plates and have your children wear safety goggles if they want to help out in the kitchen!

CRAFTS:

Crafts are an easy activity that you can do with your children because they can be very creative and elaborate at the same time. Some of the craft ideas that you can try involve:

a) Painting: Your kids will have fun brushing or painting with watercolors, tempera, oil pastels and acrylics. They can also play with markers and playdough to create beautiful things. They can draw pictures that they find around the house or draw their favorite characters from movies or TV shows. Most children love to paint because it is an activity that requires them to be imaginative. This will inspire them to express themselves…you just need to help them see what they are capable of!

b) Sewing: This is a great activity because you can make anything for them (from pillows, clothes, teddy bears etc.); you can choose whether to be a participant or just sit around and watch them create their work of art. Children have a natural ability to be creative and this is something that they need to evolve in their lives. You can make things for your children simply by using your skills. If you have the sewing skills, then definitely utilize them!

c) Paper Crafts: These crafts are very easy to make and they’re great because you can recycle old papers from the house, magazines, newspapers etc.

SINGING

It is very easy to get your kids in the mood for singing when it’s raining. Sing along with their favorite song or even mix some random sounds with the background noise in your surroundings that will make them feel silly. You can also try and teach them some songs that you both know so that they can learn as they experience them together.

In conclusion, there are many ways to have fun during a rainstorm, even if you live in an apartment complex. If your children don’t have toys that they can carry around the house with them, then you can give them some options on what to do with their time. Not only will they feel better about themselves, but you will get the opportunity to spend some quality time with each other and bond while you are at it! So, let the rain come!