Rainy summer days can be a challenge for moms and kids alike. You dread hearing that infamous phrase of “Mom, I’m bored!” or incessant whining. This summer, ward off rainy day blues with these six fun and festive ideas that will keep your kiddos entertained for hours. You might even find yourself looking forward to the creativity and family time that naturally spring from these activities.
Make a Blanket Fort (or Ship or Covered Wagon)
This retro idea may be a throwback to your own childhood, and you can pass the fun on to the next generation by building forts out of blankets. First, scour the house for as many blankets as you can find, and while usually large blankets are best, sometimes smaller ones can make the perfect front porch awning or back door. Grab some kitchen chairs or footstools, and place everything in the room with the largest pieces of furniture, like a sofa or dining room table. Then the magic begins! Drape the blankets over the backs of couches or chairs to create the shape of the fort that you desire. You get bonus points for the largest fort ever created in your house or creative designs and shapes, and you could even award prizes for the best construction or most innovative structure.
You don’t have to stop with just a fort. Blankets flung over the back of a couch can form the perfect sailboat. You can talk about what life on a ship might have been like, how to prevent scurvy, and even research online to learn more about the real-life adventures of Christopher Columbus or the imaginary exploits of the Pirates of the Caribbean. You can set the mood by playing a soundtrack from an adventure movie or some reggae tunes.
Experience the Wild West and pioneer life by building covered wagons out of blankets and a table or couch. You can chat about what life would have been like for early settlers and engage the children in a discussion of what you would bring along if you had to pack everything up and fit it in a wagon. You could even read Little House on the Prairie by candlelight or sing cowboy songs around an imaginary campfire.
Craft a Family Tree
Pull out some construction paper, poster board, and any family records that you have to make your own family tree. You can have the kids draw leaves and make a paper tree while you talk about your ancestors and share any stories, amusing antics, or unique traditions that your family has. Drawing a portrait of family members could be a fun and creative way to represent members of the family, and you could even call grandma or grandpa to get stories from their youth.
Open Your Own Restaurant
This can be as elaborate or simple as your imaginations choose to go. You can pick two or three fun, easy, and kid-friendly recipes to whip up together, and then you can let the kids order what they would like for their next meal. You can let them draw up menus, set the table elaborately, and assign someone to be a waiter or waitress. On the other hand, you can use toy food, assemble kiddie furniture in the living room, and pretend that you’re having a fine meal out on the town. The options are endless for your own family cafe.
Go Camping Indoors
Pack up your gear and get the tent set up… in the living room! Everyone loves a camp-out, so don’t let the weather ruin your wilderness experience. You can talk about survival skills and nature while you pitch your tent, make s’mores in the microwave or carefully in your fireplace, and spend the night in sleeping bags on the living room floor. One of the best parts is that you don’t even have to worry about bug bites!
Make a Paper Bag Village
Paper bags can provide hours of entertainment when paired with some scissors, construction paper, and imagination. To create a paper bag building, open the bag, stand it upright, and cut the seams of the back of the bag down to the bottom. It makes a small building that can stand alone. Next, you can cut openings for a door or windows, and then the kids can make their own furniture, people, and other objects to fill the little houses. The possibilities are endless, and you may end up with a grocery store, school, or even a farm.
Put on a Family Show
A family production is a wonderful way to spend a rainy day. This can be as simple as each child giving a performance in a homemade talent show or as elaborate as the children writing their own scripts and giving out tickets for the premier of their first show. You can make your own costumes or dig through closets to find just the right look. Remember to make origami flower bouquets for each actor and actress and take lots of pictures.
Rainy days can be the perfect setting for a new family adventure. As the raindrops patter on your windows, you can be cooking up something new or staging your first family performance. The kids might not even miss the sunshine.
