These sixty-five indoor activities for kids provide hours of independent play ideas perfect for rainy days.
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Just yesterday the sun was shining and the kids were fully occupied –running around the backyard, climbing trees, splashing through sprinklers, and drawing with chalk.
But today the clouds moved in and there’s nothing but solid rain predicted all day long.
So now what?
It’s easy to keep most kids entertained outside with so many things to do, see and explore. But inside can be a different story with cramped quarters and little space to move.
Not to fear…the sixty-five indoor activities for kids listed below are the perfect remedy to a snowy or rainy day. They generally use common materials found in most family homes and kids ages 6+ should be able to do the majority of these activities independently with little or no help from you.
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65 Indoor Activities Kids Can Do Independently on Rainy Days
Click on the links below to see suggestions, resources, and ideas for each activity.
- Create an indoor obstacle course
- Plan an indoor scavenger hunt
- Write letters to family or friends
- Design cards for your friends
- Make your own play dough
- Make play dough sculptures
- Make slime
- Make a necklace out of beads or pasta
- Write in a journal
- Choreograph a dance
- Plan and perform a play
- Play a card game
- Play a board game
- Have paper airplane races
- Make shadow puppets
- Line up dominos and watch them fall
- Play with shaving cream and food coloring
- Create a sculpture from recycled materials
- Play string games (Cats in the Cradle)
- Build a fort with couch cushions
- Create a design with popsicle sticks and glue
- Bake a snack
- Make ice cream
- Make popsicles
- Cook a meal
- Leave friendly notes or gifts in neighbor’s mailboxes
- Do a blind taste test of different foods or drinks
- Solve a crossword puzzle
- Make an eruption with baking soda and vinegar
- Create and bury a time capsule
- Paint rocks
- Put a puzzle together
- Play 20 questions
- Create something from a large box
- Create a secret code
- Create a giant paper airplane
- Design your own board game and play it
- Build with blocks
- Create an art gallery featuring your artwork
- Read a book
- Read a magazine
- Play with Legos
- Make a collage
- Sew something with fabric
- Play dress up
- Do a random act of kindness to a family member
- Turn on music and have a dance party
- Stack cups and knock them down
- Tell or write a story
- Make sock puppets
- Write a poem
- Take photos
- Record a video
- Paint with sponges
- Build a structure with playing cards
- Use craft supplies to create animals
- Draw a picture of a person
- Cut out paper snowflakes
- Play school
- Play farm
- Play family
- Play zoo
- Put on a puppet show
- Make something with pipe cleaners
- Make bookmarks
Tired of hearing your kids say “There’s nothing to do!”? These printable 101+ Boredom Buster Cards can help. Each card contains a suggested activity that kids ages 6+ can do with little or no guidance from you. The activities listed on these cards only use materials frequently found in most family homes. So there’s usually no need to buy special supplies. Check them out here.
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