Five Things to Keep Little Ones Busy on Rainy Days

Oh great. It’s raining. Again. You’re running out of ideas to keep your kids busy on another dark and dreary day. You’re starting to feel guilty for letting them play with your mobile phone for hours and video games are even starting to get boring.

Here’s an awesome list of things you can do to keep your kids busy: and that they’ll want to actually do!

1. Okay so video games aren’t as bad as everyone says: it’s how you use them that is important. Rather than letting your kids play video games by themselves for hours on a rainy afternoon, host a video game challenge! Challenge your kids to a duel on their favorite video game! Sure, you’re going to be terrible, but it’s not about the video game: it’s about the time you are spending together!
2. Make some mud pies. When I was a kid and my grandmother would babysit me, she would send me outside with a bowl and a spoon and let me dig for dirt. Then, I’d take the bowl full of dirt and bring it to her kitchen and make mud pies…that we would bake…for real. We’d add ketchup, sugar, molasses, anything that would get sticky and yucky and whip up a batch of mud pies. Of course, we’d never eat them, but it was a memory of my grandmother I’ll never forget: she let us make a mess!
3. Make a superhero costume! Everyone has a favorite superhero. Find some old clothes you aren’t using anymore and get out that needle and thread and have a content to see who can make a superhero costume the fastest. Obviously, mom and dad can help – or participate! This is a fun way to pass the time and end up with something kids can keep for a long time.
4. Look through old pictures and tell your kids stories about when they were young. No matter how old we get, we love to hear about how we were when we were young. Children in grade school will especially appreciate hearing about when they were a baby: kids love to hear stories in general, but stories about them is even better! You’ll laugh and cry and make even more memories sharing stories together!
5. Make the day about something other than yourselves: clean out a closet or a room and decide what you can donate. Make a pile and then make the trip together to donate the clothes or toys. Kids learn to value what they have and learn that sharing makes them feel good. It’s a great way to spend a rainy afternoon and it provides a good excuse to get out of the house to donate the goods too!

Whatever you do to keep your kids busy during inclement weather, remember that they probably just want to you to do something with them. Anything.

Even the teenagers like their parents around…sometimes. Think outside the box and if all else fails, the answer will also be to go outside and play in the rain! The kids will think your nuts – and then they’ll think you’re awesome!