Monday, 27 February 2023
It’s cold and wet outside, and the children are squabbling due to boredom. You’ve run out of ideas for what to do with your kids on a rainy day. Sound familiar?
Let’s look at ten affordable ways to entertain your brood, which will hopefully put a smile on everyone’s faces.
Have a bake off!
There’s nothing nicer than the smell of freshly baked cakes and biscuits on a rainy day! So, why not have your own bake off? Make it into a competition and, if there are a few of you, choose a head judge to decide who’s bake is the best. If that’s too competitive (and likely to end in tears), decide on a rating system so that everyone gets points for their efforts. And the best bit of all is in the eating afterwards.
Do a LEGO challenge
Over recent years, LEGO challenges have become increasingly popular, even resulting in TV shows. Take a look online to get inspiration for projects, and then get building! Big and small kids alike will enjoy these challenges, and you can create whatever you want! This is a great way to use an old box of LEGO gathering dust.
Strictly in your living room
If you’re a large family or you have friends over, then why not hold your own family dance contest? Not only is this a great way to add some exercise, but you’ll wear smaller children out so they’re ready for bed in the evening. And then the adults can continue the theme with some music, dancing and a glass of wine! If you’re feeling brave, you could give extra points for anyone that dares to make a TikTok video!
Go up into space
Take a look at the International Space Station via the NASA website to see real astronauts going about their business. Check out links to footage of planets within our solar system from the Mars Rover and the James Webb Space telescope. If you have small children, you could build a rocket from a cardboard box for extra fun.
Play board games
In today’s oversaturated online world, an old-fashioned board game could bring some light relief for many hours on a cold, miserable day. There are plenty of new trivia, quiz and questioning games, and you could play in teams. Don’t forget classics like Cluedo and Scrabble. Monopoly is now available in different cities and themes. So if you have a horse rider in the family, why not play Horses & Ponies Monopoly?
Make a time capsule
This is a wonderful memory-making idea that involves going around the house and finding items to place in a box to be opened on a date far in the future. Choose things that hold some significance for your family. These could include photos, kid’s artwork and handprints, an old toy, baby clothes, school report, and coins from that year.
Family video games
Not much of a gamer but your children are? Why not find an adventure video game you can all play together? You can download plenty of family-friendly video games from GooglePlay and the AppStore. Mario Party offers fun multiplayer mini-games, where your mission is to collect stars. You might just discover your hidden gaming streak! If you don’t have a gaming chair, make sure you’re sitting comfortably.
Movie duvet day
If everyone’s energy levels are low, then you could grab a few duvets and extra cushions, along with a few of your fave snacks, and have a movie day! There’s nothing nicer than snuggling up together on a cosy, warm sofa. A bright animation like Finding Nemo or Ice Age might lift the mood or go Disney princess with Frozen. Prefer adventure? Guardians of the Galaxy is a great comedy and sci-fi combo.
Home movie time
It’s so easy nowadays to make a movie on your phone or tablet! Give everyone a role - actors, cameraperson, director, and so on. Choose your movie theme, for example, spooky, adventure, comedy, pirates or sci-fi. Make costumes from everyday or recycled materials from around the house. Use different rooms for different scenes. Apple has the iMovie app and Quik is a great app for Android devices.
Finish your home office
Okay so this doesn’t sound like fun, but you could turn this into a family activity AND make some progress on all that DIY you never get round to doing! Make a list of all the things in your home office that need doing and assign a role to each person. Tasks could include painting a wall, filing a box of paperwork, building a piece of flat-pack furniture, or setting up a new fancy office chair. Put some music on and off you go! Finish the day with a reward like a fave takeaway meal or a popcorn movie night.
We’ve all been there when it’s too wet or too cold to do anything outside. From playing video games to completing your home office, we’ve hopefully given you some ideas to keep your children entertained on a rainy day. Even if you’re stuck indoors, you can still create some fun, lasting memories that can be retold in years to come.
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