It's raining, it's pouring and the old man wishes he could be snoring away in bed, but instead he has active children going stir crazy in the house! Don't despair! Being "stuck" at home with your children can actually be a fun and memorable experience of quality family time.
If that sounds good but you're not sure what activities can turn this gloomy day into fun family memories, try out some of the following ideas: 1) Make some chocolate in your favorite shapes.
Add a stick and you've got chocolate lollipops- a perfect gift to give out as a party favor or even use as a party table decoration! Buy plastic molds in your children's' favorite shapes ahead of time to have on store for this deliciously fun rainy day (or any day) activity.
2) Sugar Cookies are a very fun food to prepare.
Between rolling, shaping and decorating, your kids will be kept quite busy! You can find a variety of basic sugar dough recipes online or in a cookbook, and the ingredients are ones you probably have in your pantry anyway so you won't have to run out special.
If you don't have cookie cutters home, just be creative-- you can use drinking glasses or any other (clean) object with a sharp enough edge and fun shape.
Use sprinkles, chocolate chips, a cinnamon and sugar mixture and any other goodies you can think of to decorate the cookies.
3) It's puppet show time! First make some puppets out of socks or brown paper bags decorated with markers and any other craft materials you have on hand.
Buttons make good eyes for sock puppets and older kids can be taught how to sew them on themselves.
Pipe cleaners can make good antennas.
Pom--poms, googly eyes and glitter are great for gluing on to paper bags.
Even plastic or paper plates can be made into puppets-- simply glue a popsicle stick on their backs as a holder! Then have your children put on a show for you.
You can also video the show and then have your children watch themselves on TV! 4) Good old letter writing, the old-- fashioned pen (or pencil) and paper way, is an excellent activity that is also educational and meaningful.
Have your child choose a relative or friend who lives far away (or nearby) and help them write a letter or card.
Of course they can decorate the card or paper first in order to create their own stationary.
Younger children can simply draw a picture and dictate to you what they'd like to say.
If they write to the same relative every year and their letters are saved, it can be fun for the children to reread their letters ten and twenty years down the line as grownups! 5) Creating an obstacle course is a really fun activity that allows children to constructively release their energy indoors! They can climb over and under furniture, step through buckets one at a time, throw golf balls into garbage cans, jump onto pillows, carry eggs on spoons, crawl through a tunnel made of chair legs, etc.
The race can include multiple floors, with a mattress or pillow slide down the staircase.
A parent should supervise the chosen challenges for safety and can time the participants.
6) How about encouraging your children's musical abilities and introducing them to the concept of stomp? (You may want to get your earplugs out for this activity.
) Let them go through your pot drawer and help them find creative ways to use objects from around the house as musical instruments.
It may be quite noisy at first, but once they get the hang of it you'll be surprised by the creative rhythms they come up with! 7) Change into workout clothes and have a family workout session! You can put on an exercise video or channel or just some good music and lead the workout yourself.
Family members can take turns leading the workout.
Don't forget to stretch before and after and drink lots of water.
8) Pizza is always fun to make, and that takes care of lunch as well.
While waiting for the dough to rise, you can try out some of the other suggested activities.
9) Puzzles and board games are a great activity anytime.
10) Puddle stomping is a really fun and memorable way to spend a rainy day!