10 x Rainy Day Play Ideas

The weather is still wild as I write. The winds are ferocious, the region is flooding and we are, as predicted, hunkered down inside while we ride out the storm. I had a blog post scheduled today for a rainy day craft activity (#1, the sock puppets), but I've decided to give you all a "bumper-issue" rainy day blog post instead! Here are 10 ideas that you can use to keep the kids busy while the storms rage outside. (Or bookmark this post for later if it's sunshiny where you are - lucky you!)

The photos and ideas below are drawn from The Byron Life photo archives and where I've been able to find links to the original blog posts, I've added them. What a blast to have re-discovered some of these photos... I love that I have a blog, otherwise I may never have documented these special moments with the girls. The ideas here aren't complicated and the materials aren't specialist - most can be found at home. Have fun xx

1. SOCK PUPPETS

We saw a sock puppet performance in the school holidays which inspired these creations. Meet Zoe the puppy and Dragon the dragon. We all have a spare sock lying around the place, don't we, so why not put it to creative use? You can sew, glue or tie together your sock puppet creation - whatever works with the materials you have at hand. Once you're done, let the show begin!

2. COLOURING IN

Give them a tin of pencils or crayons and the kids will while away the hours. If you don't have a colouring-in book handy, there are so many resources online to print out. I found a colouring in printable on the Dirtgirl Facebook page, here which was fun to colour in and the picture above shows (a little)Melli colouring in a Made by Joel printable. Find all of his printable colour-in pages here

The pencil tin is another idea you could make - it's a page from an old Little Golden Book cut to size and pasted to a tin. Simple and fun.

3.PAINT SOMETHING

Use a paintbrush, use your fingers, use a cotton bud... Just give them some colour and something to paint on and you have yourself a happy rainy day project. Use the paintings for cards, wrapping paper or as artwork to display. My girls have been painting on plastic sun catcher frames, a gift for Melli's birthday, and the results are so cute. I'll hang them above their play corner when fully dry.

4. RAID THE PANTRY

String up some penne pasta, glue down some seeds and rice to make a picture... the pantry is not just for cooking, it's a smorgasbord of art and craft supplies if you choose to see it that way. Even a few lentils in a plastic tub is enough to keep a toddler happy as they shake, shake. shake. 

Pasta necklace blogged here.

5. MAKE A CUBBYHOUSE

One of the most popular blog posts on the Byron Life has been this Teepee ideas post. Some of the teepees pictured are incredible, yet expensive to buy or complicated to make... Kids love having a cubby house to hide out and play in but they don't need to be complicated. A sheet hung over a table or pegged to a chair works just as well as a pre-designed one. So simple, yet the best fun going on a rainy day.

6. VEGETABLE PRINTS

Raid the fridge or fruit bowl for some fun printing shapes. Pictured above is an apple. cauliflower and an onion cut in half - but why not try the classic one, potato prints. There's a great tutorial here for a potato-printed tote bag. Simple, but stylish.

7. DRESS-UPS

Okay, that photo of the girls dressed up as Wild Things just kills me with its cuteness, so maybe that's why I added this one... But, truthfully, there's nothing easier than a dress-up box to change the mood of a rainy day. You don't need to do much - just provide the materials and stand back and watch the show begin.  These dress-ups were home-made and/or thrifted. Again, it doesn't need to be expensive or complicated. You can create a dress up by just cutting a mask from cardboard or some wings from a scarf.

7. MAKE RAINBOW CRAYONS

This was a popular craft post from Melody's recent rainbow party. Colourful, fun and an easy way to recycle old crayon pieces. Here's how I made ours.

8. PUZZLES AND BOARD GAMES

Back in the day, when it rained outside or the holidays dragged on, we kids didn't turn to ipods and the Internet - we played board games and spent hours putting puzzles together. You remember playing cards, dominos, scrabble and jigsaws, right? They are still fun and maybe it's time to revive the lost art of amusing ourselves without being plugged in. I'm a bit of a fan of finding vintage games when out op-shopping so my kids have grown up with an array of older-style games. That vintage Dick Bruna matching game pictured was one of my favourite scores.

9. SEW SOMETHING

This cute kitty toy was created by Ella when she was about 11-years-old. She designed it and sewed it by hand. Kids love a hand-made toy, no matter how wonky. The wonkier the better, in fact:  it adds character. You don't even need a sewing machine to sew a toy, you can find a scrap of old material, a pillow case for example, and sew it by hand. There's so many online tutorials and the older kids can have a go themselves, or if you plan ahead you could buy a sewing kit with the pieces already designed and printed.

10. BUILD IT

Build it from blocks, sticky-tape cardboard boxes together; make a robot, house or animal from milk cartons... you get the picture. Think Play School. Construction games are fun and good for the brain and can be made from any old household items.

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So, there's 10 ideas to get us through the Big Wet. Can you think of any more basic boredom-busters I haven't thought of?

x
Megan