Kids love a day out. The zoo; the cinema; climbing up a tree in the park – they’re often not too hard to please. But the one thing they don’t tend to like is a day in. Whilst some kids might enjoy a day snuggled on the sofa, when it’s raining, you’ve limited their screen-time or their plans have been cancelled they can feel trapped or frustrated by the confines of the house. But don’t worry. There are plenty of things you can do to help them have a fun day in.
Arts and crafts
One of the many great things about kids is that they’re creative. So why not try some arts and crafts? Get the crayons out and get scribbling. If they’re not keen on drawing, show them some colourful stuff on the computer that they can print out using coloured ink cartridges, and get them to stick them into a journal or make a collage. The messier the better.
Indoor camping
You’ve tried outdoor camping – now try it indoors! If your kids are feeling antsy, there’s nothing more fun than getting the tent out and assembling it indoors for that sense of adventure and excitement. If your tent is too big (or grubby) for the house, encourage them to make a fort instead using blankets and duvets. Once they’ve settled down, give them a mug of hot chocolate and set up a film for you to watch together as a family. Perfect cosy time.
Games
Whilst your kids might be more used to playing games on a phone or computer screen, playing board games is a great way to get the family together on a rainy day for a bit of gentle competition. If you’ve got time to spare, go for something with longevity like Monopoly, where you’ll be battling for houses on Mayfair for hours. If your kids are feeling energetic, play something lively like Pictionary or charades that allows them to jump around and be creative. Whatever you pick, make sure you’ve got your game face on. This could get competitive.
For younger kids, why not get them to try role play? Encourage them to set up their own cafe and practice serving ‘customers’ to work on their maths skills, or set up a show for them to try their hand at storytelling. There are plenty of subscription boxes here that provide a new activity each month for your little ones to try out. This is a great way to keep their creative brains working – and who doesn’t look forward to an exciting parcel every month?
Reading
There’s nothing better than burying yourself in a good book, and storytelling is something all kids love due to their active imaginations. There are books out there for all reading abilities, and if your kids aren’t as into reading as you would like, make it interactive by sitting with them and reading out loud. Offering them different genres, or books that you loved as a kid always helps, too. A rainy day is a perfect day to get your kids into reading.
Baking
Another thing that kids can’t resist is food – and what better way to spend a day in than in the kitchen, teaching them how to bake some delicious sweet treats? Let them get their hands dirty by playing with flour, rolling out pastry or bashing up chocolate and watching it melt. Not only will they enjoy learning how to bake, but you’ll both enjoy eating the snacks… provided they followed your instructions, obviously.