When you get struck down by a rainy day it doesn’t necessarily have to equal bored children. How you keep them entertained entirely depends on what sort of things your children like to do. Are they creative or adventurous? Are they imaginitive or inquisitive? Put some thought into what they might like to do. This can often be done cheaply or without having to spend any money at all!
1) A great and timeless activity is to set your children the challenge of building a fort. Help them out with this one and give them a hideaway in which they will happily spend hours entertaining themselves. A fun extension of this is to build a miniature assault course. Lay down a bedsheet for them to crawl under, set up dining room chairs for them to weave around, allow them to run along the sofa just this once! This is a good one only if you have the space and robust furniture to handle active children!
2) Other great ideas for around the house include classics such as hide and seek or setting up a treasure hunt with a small prize in the end. This could include clues and questions which mean the children have to do a bit of research and perhaps learn a few things along the way! You could also give it an exciting theme, such as Jungle Adventure or Pirates Treasure Quest.
3) If you want to get creative and messy, art is always a great option. Kids will have a blast with paints, glue, glitter and sand! There are so many different ways you can engage your children creatively so always make sure you have a good supply of art and craft items.
4) Another potentially messy, but generally rewarding past time is baking. Try something easy, such as cupcakes or rice krispie squares. You can buy pre-prepared cake mixture if you want, and there are tons of simple recipes out there that you can’t go wrong with. It’s a fantastic way for you to get the children started in the kitchen and you will always finish up with tasty treats.
5) Have a dance party! Create a disco space and set up a stereo with their favourite tunes. It’s a great way to get some exercise, but most importantly it’s just plain fun! Try including some games such as moving like different animals, making shapes or freezing when the music stops.
6) Make your living room into a cinema! Really create that theatre vibe with home made popcorn and set them up with their favourite film to watch. Have them make their own tickets and allow them to assign you to your seat. It’s a great way to spend time together.
7) Try a story writing competition! If your children enjoy reading then they would be great at this. It’s a fab way to engage their imaginations and you’ll love reading what they come up with afterwards!
Written by School Mum – Wendy Sheenan
