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?