10 Rainy Day Activities For Kids

"It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring."

Don't you just WISH you were THAT OLD MAN in in the song?

Able to sleep away a rainy day...

Able to drift off to sleep with the sound of raindrops and thunder rolling in the background...

AH! It's sounds glorious.

HOWEVER....

If your house is anything like mine, a rainy day just means EXTRA LOUD FOOTSTEPS in the house,  EXTRA COMPLAINING because there's "nothing to do," and an EXTRA CUP of coffee for you...cause you're not really sure what time it is.

In our house, we try to embrace a good ol' rainy day and make the most of it...so momma don't go crazy!!

So, if you're stuck at home, here are 10 of our family's favorite rainy day activities...

(This post contains affiliate links. Click here for full disclosure and explanation.)

​SHEET FORTS
What a better way to escape the lightning and thunder than to hide inside the comfort of a sheet fort! Grab some clothes pins or chip clips, old sheets and blankets, gather the pillows and flashlights, a game or two, your favorite books and stuffed animals, and you're all set!

DANCE PARTY
Crank it up to drowned out the thunder. Dress up, dance around, and join them!!
My kids are loving the Greatest Showman Soundtrack, but really, they will dance to anything with a good beat! You could even get creative and mix up your genre of dance.

STUFFED ANIMAL BASKETBALL
I honestly don't know how we ended up with the amount of stuffed animals in our house, but if you're home is anything like mine, you probably have a large basket for these little buddies. I mean, where else do you store them?? Empty out the basket and have your kiddos practice their free throws! It's a treat my children LOVE (since one of our house rules is don't throw your toys). 

ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS
Bring out all the instruments, and have each child play it with all they've got. You can be the judge! However, you may need some earplugs!
We've even played "musical instruments"...kinda like musical chairs. I set up their instruments in a circle, play a song, and when it stops, they have to rush to an instrument! So fun and so LOUD!

PUDDLE HOPPIN
Once the thunder subsides and the the light rain remains, send your kids out in their favorite rain gear to find some puddles. The freedom to splash around is a childhood memory they won't ever forget!

ACT OUT A BOOK
All of my sons love the book "Going on a Bear Hunt." On days like this, it's the prefect time to act it out. My favorite part is ending up in bed, covers over our head, out of breath from being chased by the bear!

BOARD GAMES / CARD GAMES
Our family is BIG into game nights and these are our favorite games for kids UNDER 5.
Karen, over at Lightly Frayed shared her favorite card games for her BIG KIDS, and I can't wait to add them to our collection as our kids grow!

HIDE & SEEK/SCAVENGER HUNT
Some of my favorite childhood memories is hide and seek with neighborhood friends on a rainy day after school. And to take it up a notch, add in the element of a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt. Our favorite game to aide in this endeavor is "Ukloo Treasure Hunt Game."

PUZZLE PARTY
Depending on the age of your kids, you can go about this two ways...
Assemble your puzzles one by one, OR dump ALL THE PIECES of ALL THE PUZZLES on the floor for a bigger challenge (the organized side of me cringes for even suggesting this...but the older kids will love it).

BRING THE OUTDOORS IN
I don't know what is, but anytime my kids think they get to "break" some rules, they are all about it. The novelty of bringing their outdoor toys inside makes it unique and entertaining because you are switching up the setting. Try hopscotch on the tile,  bubbles in the bathroom, or balloon volleyball! 

---

These posts are chalk full of great resources for a RAINY DAY too...

10 Family Fun Night Ideas

 10 Games to Play with your Kids

 20 Books for Toddlers ​