Rain or Shine : Activity ideas

April showers might bring May flowers, but they also bring some days when you do not want to be outside. Here are a few ideas for activities you can do with your children during those times that you do not want to go puddle jumping!

1) Build a fort

Children love to create forts out of pillows, blankets, chairs, and tables!

A very simple fort idea is to hang a long cloth (sheet, table cloth, etc) over a table. Give your child a flashlight or set up a battery-operated lantern to provide some lighting. An added bonus of this type of dark space is that you can create shadow puppets with your hands or with paper cut-outs. Why not have a teddy bear’s picnic with your child in this fun space?

2)  Playdough

Playdough is a delightful sensory activity for children and adults alike.

Use the playdough to make animals or letters, or flatten the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Do you want to try making your own playdough?

Here is a recipe we use regularly at the CRF:

Ingredients

            4 cups boiling water

1 cup salt

            6 cups flour

            4 Tbsp alum powder (can be found in pharmacies)

            Food colouring

Directions

Mix water, alum, and food colouring. Add the salt and flour. Mix and knead until well combined.

3)  Read with them

Did you know that you can travel to far-off lands and enjoy magical journeys without ever leaving your home?

Stories allow us to use our imagination and take us to worlds we may never otherwise experience. Reading with your child also helps to encourage in them a love of reading. Remember that you do not have to read every word on the page! Talk about the pictures, ask your child what they think is happening, or is going to happen, or invent your own story relating to the images in the book! Use your imagination. Don’t forget audiobooks and oral stories! You can create your own stories, based on the interests of your child, or you can seek out existing ones online or at your local library. Some 

4)  Kim’s Game

A Kim’s game is a fun memory game you can do with your child with items from around the home. For this game, lay out a variety of objects on a tray or cookie sheet. Look at them with your child, naming each of the objects in turn. Next, cover the tray with a cloth and have your child look away. You will then select an object to remove from the tray – be sure to hide it from view before you have your child turn back around. When you are ready, remove the cloth from the tray and ask your child to tell you which item is missing. Repeat as many times as you wish.

5)  Swim in the tub

Pull out the bathing suits and turn your rainy day into a day at the pool! Fill the tub with water and give your child some beach toys to play with. Bath crayons are handy to have around to make this indoor pool time (or bath time) even more fun. Kids love to fill and empty containers, so provide them with a few plastic cups or bowls that they can fill and pour from in the tub.

It is a good idea to have a few “rainy day” activities up your sleeve, just in case, but remember that you can also put on your raincoat and go out in the rain with your child. Puddle jumping is an activity that many children enjoy and you are sure to hear some belly laughs from them if you join in!

Share with us what other indoor activities do you enjoy doing with your child, and if you try any of our suggestions 🙂