Tuesday, August 08, 2017

10 Rainy Day Activities To Keep the Kids Happy ♥

 *This is a collaborative post.

We live in Ireland where it rains, a lot. There are days when it's just too dark, dull and wet to venture outside the door and with two very much outdoor loving children who love to run and crawl free in the great outdoors, it can be a bit of a nightmare keeping them cooped up.

So today I'm sharing 10 rainy day activities to keep the kids happy, all things which I've done myself with the kids and which kept them entertained, happy to be indoors (when they needed to be!) and me sane!

1. Let them jump in puddles. Such an obvious rainy day activity but one which brings the most enjoyment to little ones. If you're not afraid of your little darlings getting soaked and most presumable filthy with dirt, then pop on their rain macs or wet suits, put on their wellies and let them jump to their hearts content. 100% happy children guaranteed!

2. Make a den or put up a tent/teepee indoors. Cosy, indoors days spent in handmade dens or tents and teepees laden with cushions and blankets is what childhood dreams are made of. Turn your sitting room into the kids very own playhouse and happiness is guaranteed. Extra points if they can enjoy some popcorn and a movie from their den too!

3. Teach them something educational, but fun. I'm all teaching my kids things but through games and recently I began teaching my four year old how to read with help of a fun, app based learning game called Reading Eggs. The great thing is he's loving it but having fun at the same time. If you're like me and are a bit overly-cautious with the tech in case the kids destroy it, investing in iPhone 7 cases (if you have one like me) is recommended! A screen protector may be a good investment too.

4. Let them colour on the windows. Let the kids make the dull and grey rainy days a little more colourful by letting them draw on the windows with some window markers - did you even know there was such a thing?! These can be bought on Amazon for under £7 and are perfect for budding little artists who don't mind their designs being washed off with a wet cloth!

5. Let them play with water. My kids love playing with water and my four year old can regularly be found by the sink playing with his bath toys or washing his dinkies. You could set up a little car wash with a little bit of shaving foam, a scrubbing brush and water or let the kids pretend they're doing the dishes with some plastic kitchen toys.

6. Make a rain gauge. I love teaching my kids about nature and as a child, I loved learning about the weather in geography classes. So what better way to teach the kids about the weather on a rainy day then making a rain gauge? You don't have to go all out with this, a numbered cup and a lollipop stick should be enough to measure the rainfall, but it'll getting the kids learning and interested in how the weather works.

7. Bake some treats. Involving kids in the kitchen is such a great thing to do, as not only are they having fun, but they're learning a vital life skill in cooking too. On a rainy day, why not bake some delicious fairy cakes or cupcakes with your kids? Or if you're looking for a non-oven based recipe, some classic Rice Krispie cakes or a no-bake cheesecake are great options too. Check out our delicious Rice Krispie Medleys here.

8. Have a home cinema experience. There are so many great kids films out there - I still need to work my way through the Disney and Pixar catalogue with my boys - so why not give the kids their very own home cinema experience? You could set up a treat table with some popcorn, nibbles and drinks, print out some 'movie tickets' with their names on and even have a theme for your movie day. You can read more of my ideas for enjoying movies at home with the kids here.

9. Play shop. Kids love playing shop and the great thing is, you don't need to have any fancy toys to do it either. You can take non-breakable items from your own cupboards, such as cans and packaged foods, or even use empty breakfast cereal and milk cartons for the kids to 'sell'. Write up some price labels, give them a basket or a toy trolley (if you have them) and let them go around the room picking up their items. If you don't have a toy cash register then a box with some buttons drawn on the lid will work just as well. Lots of fun guaranteed!

10. Pretend it's the toys birthday and have a party. This is such a sweet idea and one my four year old is a fan of as he loves his cuddly toys. Pretend it's one of the toys birthday's and set up a little party for them and the kids to enjoy. It doesn't have to be elaborate and you can use toy food instead of real foods if you prefer, but the kids will love it! Plus, it gives an excuse to use up some of those party supplies which have been sitting in a box, unused for months on end.



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2 comments

  1. Ah I’m really going to put this list to great use, starting with the teddy’s birthday party.. my little girl would love this!
    Amelia
    Www.anothermummyblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. The window markers sound fun. Good motivation for me to clean my windows afterwards!

    ReplyDelete

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