While some will call these rainy day activities – stuff meant only for days when you are stuck inside – I call them FUN, whether it happens to be raining outside or not! I’ve put together a collection of ideas that I look forward to doing with my kids, and I hope it inspires you too. Many of these activities do require supplies that you may not have on hand, so I recommend selecting a few, and getting fully prepared ahead of time. Some of these just might make you wish for rain!
What We’re Reading:
Wendy Cheyette Lewison (Author)
Pam Paparone (Illustrator)
Jonathan London (Author)
G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)
Activity: Rain Stick
This instrumental craft might not summon the rain, but the natural seeds inside the tube sound like a real thunderstorm when your child turns it from end to end.
Directions:
- Cut a piece of decorative card stock or scrapbook paper 1/2 inch wider than the circumference of an empty paper towel roll, and 1 inch taller than the roll.
- Cut a piece of box board or heavyweight card stock 1/4 inch narrower than the diameter of the roll.
- Accordion-fold the box board, and stuff it inside the roll.
- Tape one side of the roll closed.
- Scoop rice and popcorn seeds into the tube.
- Tape the other end closed.
- Adhere the decorative paper to the outside of the roll, folding the paper over the ends.
- Adhere two circles of the same decorative paper to cover the ends of the roll.
- Tie ribbons onto an elastic band, and place the band around the tube.
Activity: Puddle Jumping
Play a puddle jumping game, using pretend puddles made from blue paper. Lay the puddles on the floor, and play music while the children jump from puddle to puddle. When the music stops, the children need to quickly find a puddle to jump in and freeze. Repeat several times. You could also go out and jump in real puddles!
Activity: Rainy Day Painting
It’s raining, it’s pouring, and everything’s so boring! Try your best to beat the rainy day blues with a little twist on splatter painting! It only takes about 1.2 seconds, but creates some fabulous artwork for the kids. This activity works best if it’s only sprinkling!
Directions:
- Drip food coloring onto pages of card stock.
- Head outside with the card stock, and watch the rain drops alter the painting.
Activity: Make it Rain!
This idea comes from Weather Wiz Kids, a website created by a meteorologist. Check it out for even more fun ideas!
What You Need:
- Glass Jar
- Plate
- Water
- Ice cubes
Directions:
- Heat water until it is steaming.
- Fill jar 1/3 of the way with hot water.
- Place the plate on top of the jar and wait a minute or two.
- Put the ice cubes on top of the plate and watch closely to see what happens inside the jar.
- Streaks of water are running down the jar! You’ve just created RAIN!
Activity: Letter Cookies
Kids love to helping in the kitchen, playing with letters, and eating cookies. This rainy day activity combines all three!
For little kids, this project is perfect for practicing letter identification, while older kids can use the letter cookies to make a special message for someone. It’s so easy to do, and the result is not only educational, but delicious.
Directions:
- Combine a pre-made sugar cookie dough with 2 egg yolks and 1/4 cup of flour. Let your child roll it out into a nice rectangular shape.
- Slice dough into thin strips, using a pizza cutter
- Roll thin logs of dough, and start creating letters with the logs.
- Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Make small indentations where pieces of letters meet to lay them nicely together.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 min