28 Rainy Day Activities for Kids

My kids are getting older, with two of them already in their teen years. But, after a week and a half of rainy days, even my teens were showing signs of getting stir crazy. I knew I needed to come up with some ideas to get them busy in a productive way that doesn’t include the video game box.

With the weather changing rapidly, and more dreary days to come, I thought I’d share four of my favorite rainy day activities to keep kids occupied and out of trouble.

Rainy Day Activities for Kids

1. Be a detective. My youngest son loves Sherlock Holmes, Nate the Great, and any mystery in general. In fact, he is so good at solving mysteries that he is the first person we go to when something is missing. His powers of observation are unreal, and he has found even the tiniest things when no one else could, even after scouring the same area. A fun activity for kid detectives on a rainy day is to learn about fingerprints. All you have to do is grab some index cards, a pencil, and a roll of clear tape. Begin by coloring about a two-inch circle on the card with pencil, being sure to cover it pretty darkly. Then, have your child place his finger on the colored area, pressing down and gently rolling his finger from side to side. With a piece of clear tape, press the sticky part over the “inked” part of his finger, and then peel the tape off and stick it to a clean index card. With a magnifying glass, examine the loops and swirls of the print. Do each member of the family, and compare how they look.
2. Prepare a special meal together. We love to raid the freezer and see what we can concoct from leftovers. Our favorite things to make include rice bowls, noodle bowls, and quesadillas. We usually have some assortment of ingredients that can go into at least one of these dishes, and getting the kids involved keeps them busy and entices them to enjoy what they’ve prepared. Make it extra special with a pot of hot tea, some fancy dishes, and cloth napkins. Even eat at the “big” table. Who says the dining room is just for special occasions? A rainy day–any day–is a special occasion.
3. Build a blanket fort. Who can resist a good blanket fort and a couple of flashlights? Set some chairs around, back sides facing, and drape them with sheets, blankets, even a big tablecloth. Clip with binder clips or clothespins for stability and dive in! Give everyone a flashlight, and gather underneath to tell stories, talk, and giggle. It might sound simple, but it really is fun!
4. Watch the birds. With nature journals and pencils in hand, sit quietly at the window or sliding glass door and observe what’s happening outside. Kids can draw the rain, the sky, the way the grass and plants look when covered with rain, and what the critters are doing. We have a bird feeder on our porch, and it’s fun to watch the wet little birds that come to it, even in the rain. Observe how different they look when their feather are all wet and frizzy. What varieties of birds visit in the rain? Be sure to keep the feeder full for them! For an easy homemade nature journal, click here!

Those are four of my rainy day activities for kids. And because you can never have too many tricks up your sleeve for rainy day activities, I’m linking up with some awesome mom bloggers who are also sharing their ideas. Make sure to check out their posts. because everyone’s ideas are totally different, and you’ll want to learn from moms who have been there.

Salma at The Write Balance

Andrea at Homemade for Elle

Corinne at Wondermom Wannabe

Leah at Sandytoes Creations

Nicky at Little Family Adventure

Sharisse at Savvy Sweet Life

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