Special Replay: Summertime Rainy Day Activities

Vintage Homeschool Moms

Best Summertime Rainy Day Activities

Are you ready for some fun rainy day activities? Unless you live in a frigid place there will be a time that rainy day activities will come in handy. I guess it if is winter change it to “snow day” activities! Here we have some fun ideas that will help you entertain children with the least amount of tears!

This month it is all about making memories and keeping some last minute plans in place for those unexpected events is so helpful. In my early years as a mom and homeschooler, I subscribed to different mailed sets – one was a kit to do with your kids and it involved crafts and things to build. However, I found that while some of the ideas were great many were not anything that interested my children. So I started and proceeded to lose lists! Sound familiar.

Rainy Day Activities

Now that I’m so much older I have a wealth of experience and information at fingertips! I know what works and what does not, and it is amazing how these old ideas still work well. I’m happy to share my ideas with you—and you can keep these handy and we plan for your own rainy day activities.

I know, I know – kids are all different, and what makes one kid excited can leave the rest yawning, so I add a few little ideas to the list of my favorites and that enforcing good character qualities in our children through every-day events.

My children all struggle, we all struggle with different things such as patience, sharing “our” things, waiting for others who are slower, perfectionism, doing things we don’t want to do.

At times I would plan out fun things to do only to have kids say they don’t want to participate! Talk about a fun-damper, right? So… instead we want to set up the kids for success and keep our sanity by planning out even their reactions!

Before we do anything, especially with little children I remind them of the rules.

1. We are thankful for everything and everyone.
2. We will be grateful
3. We will share and be happy for others
4. We won’t touch anything until given permission

Quick opinion on rules: I grew up as a teacher in the era of coloring without lines and classrooms without walls – this permissive atmosphere cause kids to be confused about what was expected and certainly did not encourage the creativity and “free thinking” it was meant to instill and allow. Yet, I continued to use this type of methodology in my parenting. It made parenting at times very difficult because I had little kids that were “exploring” and loving their surrounds but certainly not listening to anything I had to say. I learned to change my methods and teach them some rules of what I expected and wonder of wonders, they learned to obey and listen! Life was much happier.

An overview of rules allows kids to know what is expected when we played games or before we left the house – even in the car, I made sure to go over what I expected. I didn’t want to be embarrassed on our outings and my kids were sure to get excited when they saw friends or shelves full of fun things to pull off in the store! I think shopping carts are probably an invention by a mom to keep kids contained while shopping!

Kids will still enjoy themselves and believe me rules will not starve creativity! I met a lady recently who works with parents, she is a parenting expert and helps moms and dads learn how to parent — there is even a certification for this! For many of us this is probably not surprising and I’m sure it is much needed.

So, as we look forward to rainy day activities be sure to let the kids know – we will have fun, but we do have some rules we want to follow.

Are you ready for these tried and true ideas for 10 fun rainy day activities?

1. Reading
   1. Books saved particularly for rainy days – read aloud – get the pop corn out and erect a tent!
   2. Books kids want to read on their own – again save special books for a special occasion.
2. Crafts
   1. T-shirts – use fabric makers or paint
   2. Clay
   3. Mason Jar terrariums
      1. Use soil and small plants – poke holes in lid and keep an eye on the soil moisture
      2. Use sand and shells for a great beach memory craft and something to do with those shells the kids like to collect

• Use for rock collections or any type of “nature walk” collections the kids bring home.

1. Paints
   1. Use ink pens – draw a picture and color it with watercolors
   2. Make a mural – use large pieces of paper (packing paper – keep it!)

• Use fingers to make prints and create fingerprint creatures

1. Balsa wood – models, etc.
2. Mini-marshmallows and toothpicks – build!
3. Ready made kits
   1. Beads
   2. models
4. Games
   1. Board games with Play offs
   2. Video games
   3. Active games
      1. Charades
      2. Hide and Seek

• Don’t step on … avoid different areas.

1. Learn a new dance
2. Games that are interactive
3. Inflate balloons and allow the kids to play games with them!

4. Movie marathon
   1. Series of movies to watch
   2. Short movies and then act them out
5. Indoor tents or forts
   1. Set up a pop up tent
   2. Use sheets and blankets and chairs
6. Puppet show / Plays
   1. Use an box as the puppet stage
   2. Make hand puppets
   3. Act out a movie, or characters from a book
7. Indoor Scavenger hunt
   1. Monthly printable for June – subscribers only
   2. Go to the place where you enter the home – there you will find the next clue
   3. Be sure to set up your rules first
8. Baking cookies or bread
   1. Be sure to have ingredients on hand
   2. Create a dough that requires rolling out and cut outs for added fun
   3. Learn to braid bread
   4. Make cinnamon rolls or other breakfast breads
9. Learn something new
   1. Learn simple vocabulary for a new language – Spanish, French, Italian learn how to say hello, please, thank-you, etc.
   2. Learn how to eat with chop-sticks
   3. Learn to juggle
   4. Learn to paint
10. Activities
    1. Ice or roller skating
    2. Sock skating indoors
    3. Make and fly paper airplanes
    4. Create slime
    5. Exercise
    6. Give the kids a bag of recyclables and ask them to create something – have contests to see who wins.

Remember, whatever you do –do it with fun in mind! Have some activities ready for when the rains come, and you will create a fun atmosphere without resorting to placing the children in front of the TV!

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