Ideas to keep kids occupied on a rainy day

Being stuck indoors on a rainy day can be frustrating for children, leading to boredom and misbehaviour. Avoid a rainy day turning into a stressful day with these tips on how to keep your children entertained when the weather is against you!

Get crafty. Children enjoy using their imaginations to create sculptures, paintings and any other artistic project you can think of! Some great, low-cost craft ideas include;

• Toothpick and marshmallow sculptures. Using simple toothpicks and marshmallows encourage kids to create sculptures; bridges, buildings even animals and people!
• Milk carton boats. Empty milk and juice cartons are the perfect size and shape to make boats! Cut holes in the side for the ships windows and finish with a toothpick flag! See if they float in the bath or sink!
• Cereal-box jet packs. Empty cereal boxes make excellent jet packs for little adventurers! Find out how to make them here!
• Make your own play dough. Using simple, household ingredients you can make your own play dough. All you need is 10 minutes and some flour, water, cream of tartar, salt, vegetable oil and food colouring. Find the exact recipe here!

Use your imagination! There are tonnes of activities to keep kids occupied and all you need is a little imagination. Here are some ideas to get you started!

• Play dress up. Use mom and dad’s clothes to transform your kids into different characters and hold competitions to see who can create the wackiest outfit!
• Hold a rock concert. Use hairbrushes for microphones and turn up your child’s favourite music to unleash their inner rock star!
• Make a fort. Use cushions, pillows and throw overs to create a fort! Inside your fort you can read books, watch a movie or play castles!
• Indoor hopscotch. Use painters tape to create an indoor hopscotch so your kids can still get their daily exercise without having to go outside.

Keeping your kids entertained on rainy days just requires simple household items and lots of imagination! But of course when the weather isn’t against you, make sure you get your kids outside as much as you can.