5 Creative Rainy Day Activities for Kids

When it’s raining outside, it can be tempting to switch the TV on to pass the time, or to leave kids up to their own play. Although there is nothing wrong with these options, a rainy day is also a great opportunity for some creative indoor fun with your kids.

To get you started, here are five activities to try:

Baking

Baking fairy cakes, gingerbread men and other simple bakes will help your children learn essential cooking skills and build their confidence in the kitchen. If you encourage them to get involved with the whole process, it also exercises other skills like reading aloud, measuring and counting. Then there is the added incentive of sampling the finished product once they are out of the oven!

Go to the Library

If the kids have had enough of playing at home, a trip to the library is free, requires no forward planning and gives everyone the chance to get lost among books for a few hours. Older children can spend some quiet time reading a new book, and younger children will love choosing something for you to read with them. You could also check on your local library’s website in case there is a scheduled story time you could join in with.

Letter Writing

In an age of emails, phone calls and instant messaging, the art of letter writing is no longer an essential skill for communication. However, encouraging your child to put pen to paper is a great way to practice handwriting skills, and if you are sending the letter abroad it’s exciting for kids to think about the long journey their letter is going to embark upon!

Scavenger Hunt  

Whether you have 1 or 10 kids to entertain, an indoor scavenger hunt can be tailored to any size of group, theme and age range. One hunt idea is to hide small prizes around the house for the kids to find, perhaps with the help of clues or a ‘treasure map’. Alternatively, you could use the objects around your home to create a hunt, by making a list of things to find, such as ‘something with four legs’ or ‘something red’.

Make Musical Instruments

Raid your recycling and your craft box, and gather together some materials for children to make their own musical instruments. Fill a recycled milk bottle with buttons and beads to make a shaker, or decorate an old coffee tin to make a colourful drum. This activity encourages kids to be both resourceful and imaginative, and they will have loads of fun playing their instruments once the glue has dried!

For more rainy day inspiration, why not browse of our wide range of toys, games and crafts? We have plenty to keep the boredom at bay!