Rainy Days can make you and the kids go stir crazy so here’s some “Rainy Day Activities” for next time you’re stuck indoors or just looking for some creative inspiration – or perhaps you want to make the most of your outdoor play. Check out some of the fun ideas in “Getting Outdoors” or “Get Creative with Paint"

Make a collage!

Older children might want to create a story or picture of a special place with their collage. Younger children will probably love pulling the pieces off and screwing them up as much as they do sticking them on. Not to worry, the act of doing is helping them learn new skills, bringing new experiences and maybe even a creation to be admired for years to come.

You will need:

1. Anything that will stick to a piece of cardboard – find things around the house like patty cake papers, buttons, streamers or ribbon, coloured paper, magazine cut outs, feathers, or egg cartons.
2. Cardboard – use large pieces of card from a craft shop or the side of an old cardboard box
3. Glue
4. Scissors
5. Paint if you want to add this medium as well
6. Pencils, textas, crayons

I seem to find myself keeping things ‘just in case’ I can use them! Like fishing wire, broken strands of beads, shells & bells, film canisters & buttons. Here’s a fantastic opportunity to put them to good use.  

With your blank piece of paper attached to the fence or easel (you might need a flat surface if the materials are heavy) and the materials laid out on a table for easy access, you can let your little one’s stick & scribble till their hearts are content. You’ll probably find yourself making one of your own.

Play Dough

1 cup flour
1 tbsp vegetable Oil
1 cup Water
½ cup salt
2tsp cream of tartar
2tsp food coloring 

1. Mix everything together in a saucepan
2. Cook it over a moderate heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will loose it’s stickiness and will start to gather together in a big blob like pastry
3. Once it does this, take it off the stove
4. Turn it out onto a floured board and knead it until the mixture is smooth
5. Allow it to cool and enjoy watching the creativity that comes
6. You can set aside some old unused items from your utensil draw (egg rings, rolling pin etc.) or use cookie cutters to add to the fun  

Indoor Treasure Hunt

Tell the kids all the materials they need to draw a picture (crayons, pencils, paper etc.) have been hidden around the house. Once they have found them they can draw. You could also hide craft materials for a specific project or any other random objects.

Make sure you tell them what they are looking for or they will turn the house upside down! 

Sock Puppets

Find some colorful old socks, stitch buttons on for eyes & nose, use wool or thick cotton to stitch on a smile. You could also use stickers or craft eyes to stick on rather than sew.Use a cardboard box to make a puppet theatre or put on a show from behind the couch. The kids will love it. 

Life Size Art

Get the kids to lie down on a large piece of paper, trace around them and write their name and date. Then help them decorate themselves with all the things they love. Use pictures from magazines, photos or draw/paint their favourite things on them. You can also do this with their hands and feet, adding rings, bracelets or any kind of pattern. Keep it somewhere they can look at to see how much they’ve grown. 

Interactive Story Book

Write a short story together, you can give them ideas such as a recent holiday or day out but let them lead the way. When the story is finished you can decorate each page using pictures, drawings and magazine clippings.You can laminate the pages or punch two holes and tie them together with a piece of wool or string to avoid using staples.

Photo Board

A variation on the Interactive Story Book;  get a large piece of colored cardboard and make a photo board from your holiday or day trip e.g. trip to the zoo or steam train ride. Write small captions under each picture or use sticker letters to title the page. 

If it's on the wall in their bedroom you can use the pictures to tell bedtime stories about the fun day you had together

Dance the time away!

Kids love music. Put their favourite tunes on and have a dance party!

Ribbon Dancing!

Do you have a box of ribbons or streamers? Perhaps somthing you use for wrapping presents or even some bright colored scarves? Two beautiful coloured ribbons or pieces of fabric in each hand can be swished side to side, up and down & all around in time to the music - it's called ribbon dancing at our place!

Home-made jigsaw puzzles

Some kids will spend hours with puzzles so to add a different twist, get some of their favourite pictures (out of magazines or even ones they may have drawn themselves), glue them onto some thin cardboard and cut them into simple shapes so they can be reconstructed as their very own jigsaw

Tell us about your favourite indoor activity below.........