Rainy Day Children’s Activities

When the rain strikes, having some activities on hand can be a lifesaver to bring joy to our little ones on those grey days. Knowing that you have several ideas and resources to fall back on, is a comforting thought and it can let you and your children pick and choose according to your interests and energy levels. Make the most of those rainy days and continue to make happy memories, even when we might be stuck indoors. Below is just a sample of ideas to get you started. The next time it rains why not pick one to try with your child and see what your child does with the activity. Following your child’s lead lets them explore their interests and passions and allows beautiful play to flow.

Imaginative Role Play Games

1. Hold a teddy bear’s tea party.
2. Stage a fashion show using children’s costumes or items borrowed from your wardrobe.
3. Let your child be a hairdresser and style your hair.
4. Create sink play setups, such as sea creatures, shells, a plastic plant and a toy boat.
5. Get your child to play with their favourite toys in a different, more unusual place, such as under the table. The table can then transform in your child’s eyes to become a cave.
6. Play Who am I? Take turns to mime actions for different jobs for example a slow exaggerated walk for an astronaut.
7. Use building blocks to create new buildings and scenes for toy figures to play in and act out stories.

Arts and Crafts

1. Get your child to take a pencil for a walk by drawing an overlapping squiggly line across a page. Colour it in using pencils, pens or paint.
2. Select some interesting objects for your child to draw. Introduce some different media such as pastels or chalks to create different effects.
3. Make a bracelet using elastic and beads.
4. Design and make a costume for a toy.
5. Collect a range of objects such as a cotton reel or a chopped apple and use paints to print the shapes onto paper. Create pictures and patterns with the different printing shapes.
6. Make salt dough and use simple tools to make shapes and models. Once dry models can be painted and sealed with PVA glue.
7. Make slime and experiment with adding colour, glitter and other ‘ingredients’ such as beads or buttons.

Getting Active

1. Play musical statues or musical bumps.
2. Create an obstacle course using cushions, blankets, cuddly toys and anything else you can find.
3. Play the floor is lava.
4. Have a dance contest.
5. Create a dance routine.
6. Share some active songs to move around to, such as Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes or Sleeping Bunnies.
7. Put on your waterproofs and wellies, put your hoods up and brave the rain. Splash and jump in all the puddles you can find.

Time to Calm Down

1. Share a book or listen to a children’s audio story.
2. Play sleeping lions.
3. Colour in a mindfulness colouring picture.
4. Follow along to a children’s mindfulness audio track.
5. Do a jigsaw together.
6. Run a calm bath, with dimmed lights, soft music, a scented candle and a relaxing bath bomb.
7. Have a spa session, with dressing gowns, face masks and a hand or arm massage.

Have any activities caught your eye? What do you think you’d like to try with your child?