There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re trapped indoors with nothing to do when the weather outside is simply too bad to venture out. Add 3 restless kids to the equation and you could have a nightmare situation on your hands. But not to worry! We are here to help with our top six things to do indoors on a rainy day.
Play an Imagination Game
Here are a couple of games that are great fun for the kids and can be played anywhere as there are no props required:
One-word story: Sit around in a circle and start off the game by saying, “Once upon a time,” then go around the room and have each person add a single word to the story. It’s a good idea to decide on a genre first like a fairy tale, ghost story, etc.
Improvised poetry: Start off by saying a line of poetry. Something simple and easy to rhyme with like, “The cat sat on the mat”. The next person must then say a line that rhymes with it, and so on.
Little Chefs
It’s a great idea to get the kids involved in the kitchen on a rainy day. Keep the recipes simple so there is nothing too difficult or dangerous. Home-made pizzas or Rice Krispie cakes are simple, delicious and great fun to make. You can enjoy your food when it is ready by having an indoor picnic- you could even invite the teddies too.
Organize Your Own Film Festival
Queue up some classics, old (Mary Poppins?) and new (Frozen?) and have a marathon screening. Keep a cosy throw on hand, a big bowl of popcorn to dip into, and settle in to enjoy the show(s).
Make You Own Instruments
You would be surprised at what you can do with what’s lying around the house. Tissue boxes with elastic bands can make great guitars, a couple of paper plates with milk bottle tops make tambourines and some dried rice or pasta in bottles, tins or plastic containers make great maracas and shakers. You could even bang pan lids together for cymbals and cooking pots with wooden spoons for drums. Then it’s time to get practising for the bands big debut!
Host a “Tea” Party
Play dress up in fancy clothes, set the table with the “good” china, and put on your most formal manners (be sure to extend your little finger and sip politely). On the menu: tea (for you), juice (for the kids), and easy egg or chicken salad sandwiches cut into fun shapes, thanks to the cookie cutters lurking in your cupboard. The kids can decide the guest list, being careful to choose which of their favourite dolls or stuffed animals are on it.
Have an Indoor Treasure Hunt
Play an indoor treasure hunt to keep the day lively. The kids will need to work as a team to uncover the treasure. Make a set of clues for the players to try and solve (try rhyming the clues for fun or writing riddles). Each clue will lead to the next one and then finally, to the treasure. Seal the clues in envelopes marked with a number like ‘2/7’, or “Two of Seven”). This will help the treasure hunters to keep track. The treasure can be anything you like such as a small toy (or a few depending on how many players are in the team), cinema tickets, maybe a stash of coins (regular or chocolate), or some sweets.
*OR if all else fails, you can always get the Kids' Mac in a Sacs on and head out in the rain anyway! The choice is yours!