In completing this series on free rainy day activities, I have barely touched the surface on the mass amount of possible indoor activities.

The activities shared in this series include: indoor picnics in Part 1, painting in Part 2, and baking, building, and napping in Part 3.

Even with all these ideas, I sometimes cannot think of an activity when my kids are going stir crazy. When these times occur, I turn to games. 🙂

Electronic

Though not my favorite, my children love playing on any type of electronic media. When they tire of their computers, they move to the X-Box 360, Wii, 3DS, or the iPad (when available). Besides playing referee, I spend more time teaching (or working on) sharing than they play. With limits, my children do play electronic games on rainy days.

Puzzles

My girls love to put together puzzles. My oldest daughter sees patterns and amazes me how quickly she puts together a puzzle. She is extremely creative and enjoys putting puzzles together over and over and over.

My toddler enjoys dumping out all the pieces and putting them in a safe place. Of course, if she could remember where the safe place is would help during cleanup. 🙂

My son enjoys puzzles on an electronic device more than working with his hands. Though all my children enjoy puzzles differently, puzzles offer another option for a rainy day activity.

Board

When all my children work together, we really enjoy playing board games. Both girls have a difficult time playing all the way to the end, but my son loves to have someone play board games with him. Besides my top 5 preschool board games, my children have added mouse trap, connect 4, and picture tri-ominos.

Imagination

My favorite games on rainy days are hide-and-seek and create a game. From building a train route and then using chairs to play train to using buckets and balls to compete with each other, my children can get very creative. With a rainy day and a little imagination, indoor fun can keep my children active.

Among electronic, puzzles, board, and imagination games, you might welcome the rainy days. Having lots of options for keeping little ones engaged during indoor playtime gives your family an opportunity for making memories and enjoying family time. Happy playing!

Question: What games do your children enjoy playing?

As our garden gained a couple of inches of rain this week, I enjoyed watching my girls peeking out the windows to check on our tomatoes.

Just having a garden outside our window provides opportunity to watch the rain for a fun rainy day activity.

In this series on free rainy day activities, I have shared how we sometimes have an indoor picnic (part 1) and paint (part 2).

This week, I will share three more activities my children enjoy while the weather keeps them inside.

Bake Together

My children love to help in the kitchen, especially with desserts. When the weather is dreary and the temperatures cool our home, I am willing to turn on the oven, bake with them, and share in the end product.

My older daughter loves her Disney Princess Cool Bake Magic Oven. She enjoys making the little cakes and then sharing with her little sister. So sweet when they share!

Allowing my children to help with baking teaches skills in math (measurements), safety (hot, electricity, gas), and sequence (following directions). Though I can bake much quicker on my own, I choose to encourage my children to learn these skills while using time wisely baking together.

Make a Fort

Having a hideout or clubhouse is a special place to gather your toys and play. When he was younger, my son loved to hide behind our large recliner and called that place his clubhouse. My older daughter received a princess tent for a Christmas present, and she still loves to keep her special toys within those boundaries.

Besides these favorite hideouts, my children like to hide together. On these occasions, we pull out the sheets and blankets and create a space for all of them to share. Sometimes we build our fort in the living room or bonus room where they can hide and watch a movie or fall asleep.

Take a Nap

Speaking of falling asleep, my children beg to watch a movie in my bed where they usually fall asleep. Rainy days create the perfect nap environment for snuggling and getting some extra rest.

When the rain pours outside and you are looking for activities to keep little ones engaged, try to bake together, make a fort, and/or take a nap. With little ones, I find changing the routine or moving locations for meals, naps, etc. simulates their creativity. My children just need a little inspiration before they create new games for themselves.

On rainy days bring on the indoor fun. Once your children discover or remember these fun activities, you might find it difficult to get them back outside. 🙂 Happy playing!

Question: What activities do your children create on rainy days?

During this week of quick tips, I continue with part 2 of our free rainy day activities series. Besides having an indoor picnic on rainy days, my children enjoy an indoor adventure with paints.

With many types of paint, we get to choose our paint, project, and then experiment and create. Making the choices becomes part of the learning process as my children develop and exercise their creativity.

Some paint types we enjoy include the following:

Paint with Water

These pages only need water. The water combines with the colors on the page to paint the pictures. These pages are great for little ones. The pictures are fully colored, and the mess is minimal.

Watercolors

Using a little water to activate the colors, my children learn to rinse their brushes between colors. We have used plain paper, coloring book pages, and watercolor paper.

Finger Paints

These are quite messy and need a larger page for lots of fun in a small amount of time. These paints are better for outdoor play, but can create a quick, fun activity on a rainy afternoon.

If used indoors, plaster newspaper all over your space, floor, and chairs. We also make sure there is a straight path to the sink since all fingers get quite messy.

Acrylic Paints

These paints are fantastic for all the projects we build at Lowe’s and The Home Depot. Upon getting a special project, we choose to paint it to protect the wood and preserve the project for years to come.

When we use these paints, I place a little paint on a paper plate. As each child finishes his first color, he cleans the brush. Then I place a little dab of another color on the same paper plate.

After completing our projects, we rinse out our brushes, dump the water, dry off the brushes, and toss the newspaper, paper plates, and paper towels in the trash.

Paint by Numbers

Though my children have a couple of these projects, we have not tried painting them yet. At this time, I cannot sit and help one child while the other two paint on their own. All three need constant attention, and the paint by numbers projects wait for an individual activity.

As the colors change outside on rainy days, grab paper or canvas and paints to create masterpieces. With a few supplies (newspaper, cups, water, paintbrushes, paper plates, and paper towels), your family can enjoy a free rainy day activity filled with lots of colors. Happy creating!

Question: What painting activities do your children enjoy?

When the day is dreary and wet and the kids need a change of scenery, you don’t need to leave home or spend any money. With a little creativity, you can turn rainy days into special days with some fun activities.

In this month-long series, I will share four ways our family has embraced rainy days beginning with an indoor picnic.

Living Room

We have eaten our grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup in our living room. With our blinds open on the large window, we can watch the rain while enjoying our lunch. My children get excited in the new space since we usually eat at the dining room table. But on a rainy day, the change of scenery is a welcomed exception.

Within a day or two of our indoor picnic, my girls enjoy pretending and playing indoor picnic during play time. 🙂

Bonus Room

When the rain is pouring down, the view from our bonus room over the garage gives a much different perspective. We can watch the water stream down the street, beat off the cars, and pound on the concrete. Enjoying a picnic from the second floor intrigues my children while we enjoy a rainy day at home.

When rainy days arise, adjusting your routine may result in a fun family activity embracing the day spent indoors.  With a little creativity, you can have a house full of activity even on a rainy day. Happy rainy day planning!

Question: What room in your home offers a different perspective on a rainy day?