6 Easy Rainy Day Activities for Kids

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There’s not much harder than a rainy summer day when you have kids. Well, multiple rainy days in a row definitely is harder. What’s a mama to do? You want to help your kids not go stir crazy but you also want them to use their own imagination and not just plop in front of the TV all day. On top of that, you don’t want a ton of set-up or mess. These easy rainy day activities definitely fit all the criteria. Most ideas are great for kids 2-5 years old but can be adapted for older or younger kids.

Easy Rainy Day Activities

Coloring/stickers

Not just any coloring. Keep some surprise coloring books for a rainy day or print out coloring pages of your kids’ favorite characters, animals, etc. Make it different from normal so it feels more special. Maybe even have a package of special crayons that only come out on stuck inside days. Check dollar stores for cheap coloring books or paint with water books that you can keep set aside those those special coloring times.

Rainy day box

This is my personal secret weapon. We have a cardboard box with toys that only comes out on rainy days. My daughter actually asks for her “rainy day toys” on those days. She has magnetic dress-up dolls (like the Melissa and Doug ones), lacing cards, special dress-up things separate from her normal dress-up clothes, play instruments, etc. I’m always on the look out for other things to add to this box. The clearance toy section is a great place to find stuff to add to this rainy day box.

Collapsible slide

An indoor slide is the best thing. We use it a lot in the winter as well. Rainy days are great for quiet activities but you also need to get that energy out! Collapsible is the key here as it is easier to put away when not being used. Ours has gotten used for a fort as well as a slide. Even toy cars get pushed down the slide for races. More expensive than coloring books and small toys but so, so worth it. Ours is on it’s third year and still going strong.

Cloud dough / dry beans

Both of these things come out on rainy days. Cloud dough is simply 4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of oil (we use vegetable oil but some recipes call for baby oil). Dry beans are great for scooping with toy trucks or pouring between cups. Much cleaner than a sand table. A tip for both: get a 97 cent plastic party tablecloth and keep on hand to put under the cloud dough or dry bean play. Makes clean up a breeze.

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Use the bathtub

The sky is the limit here. Or rather, how much you want to clean up is the limit. You can make washable bathtub paint, colored bubbles/shaving cream, or even just water and some cups and things to pour the water back and forth. With the bathtub, the mess is contained. We’ve done a towel on the floor and a plastic dishpan of water. Water still gets everywhere! The bathtub is a much better choice for inside water play.

Play in the rain

When all else fails, just go play in the rain! Obviously, make sure it is warm enough and it isn’t a thunderstorm. One of the best things about childhood is jumping in puddles, making mud pies, and floating paper boats in puddles. If you live where their are sidewalks, I bet your kids would love making paper boats then racing them down the gutters towards the storm drain. Simple but so fun! Just be sure to catch them before they go down the drain so you aren’t littering. 😉

 

Rainy days don’t have to be boring or full of screen time. I hope you find these six easy rainy day activities helpful the next time you need to entertain kids on a bad weather day. Have a rainy day activity I didn’t include? Leave a comment and let me know!

 

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