We’ve had some serious downpours recently, and while getting outdoors in the rain can be fun – see our previous post for inspiration – sometimes you just want to stay indoors!
Get Cosy
My idea of a perfect rainy day is staying inside, getting cosy with a book and a blanket, and listening to the rain with a cup of tea. If your kids are big readers this can be a great quiet time activity for your family. Similarly, you can get all your blankets and sheets out and make a cosy fort, watch comforting movies and eat popcorn or your favourite snacks. The microwave popcorn sachets are great because they have long expiration dates, and take up very little space in your cupboard.
Baking
Kids love to get involved with baking – so why not enjoy the time indoors by making some biscuits or cakes! You can get creative with your favourite flavours and different combinations and get really stuck into it! Baking can help your kids with so many essential life skills – measuring ingredients, developing motor skills, and even helps boost self esteem and lower stress levels. If you’re not a confident baker, there’s no shame in using baking kits or just decorating pre-made cakes or biscuits with pre-made icings. It can be fun to try something new and it might even inspire you to bake more as a family.
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Arts and Crafts
There are so many different arts and crafts to try indoors! If your kids are crafty you probably have a plethora of supplies ready, but it can be a nice idea to have a few crafty kits or colouring books especially for the occasion. It’s so easy to find these items cheaply at charity shops, pound shops, and in the sale sections at craft supply shops, so they’re perfect to have stashed away for a rainy day. If you have teens who might feel too grown up for arts and crafts – encourage them to make a collage from magazine clippings of their dream future. If you’re stuck for ideas, why not give rock painting a go? Have a look at our guide here.
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Spring Cleaning
While you can’t leave the house, why not try to make the space more organised? Set a timer and see which of your kids can tidy up their rooms fastest! Or give each one a bag or box to fill with toys or clothes they’ve outgrown to be donated. Hopefully that will give you some time to clean something that’s been on your to-do list, sort out your messy drawer, or re-organise the Tupperware containers!
Movement and Noise
Sometimes you need to let your energy out, so you can have a quieter time afterwards! Let the kids pick songs to sing along to, karaoke style! Learn a dance routine to a popular song – we used to love 5, 6, 7, 8 as kids – I’m sure that’s showing my age! There are also some really fun exercise videos online aimed at all ages and activity levels – we love ‘Danny Go!’s dance songs, and the game-style exercises on ‘PE With Mr G’ and ‘Bobo PE’
Board Games and Puzzles
A rainy day is the perfect time to pull out a board game or puzzle to play as a family. I always keep an eye out for games at the charity shop, and you can often borrow them from libraries, which keeps the cost down if you love family game time! We love classic card games like UNO, Snap, and Top Trumps because they don’t take up too much space and can take up as much or as little time as you like!
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Get Out (Indoors!)
If you’re itching to get out of the house, take the kids to do an indoor activity! Go to the library to get some books to read later on. Visit a local museum or tourist attraction – see if they have any fun things to do. An activity like bowling or mini golf are great fun for all the family. While it might seem the opposite to staying dry, have a look at your local swimming pool time table to see if there’s an a family swim session. A rainy day is also the perfect time to go and see that new film at the cinema together. If you have teenagers, going to an Escape Room can be a really great time that doesn’t feel childish.
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What are your favourite indoor rainy day activities?