Rainy Day Blues
Just as it seems we are finally packing away the winter gear and saying good-bye to days stuck indoors due to the frigidness outside, spring blows in and brings us rainy days. Back inside, we hunker down and sadly wait out the weather once again. With three little ones at home this year, I’m being proactive and planning ahead for those inevitable days that will keep outdoor play off limits.
Some of our favorite ways to beat the blues on rainy days involve being creative at home. We keep cheap cans of shaving cream stocked in our linen closet for impromptu fun. Assuming you aren’t dealing with severe storms, a midday bath with a muffin tin filled with tinted shaving cream can be a great way to pass the day during dreary weather. Children can “paint” rainbows on bathroom walls, and the clean-up for parents is incredibly simple. You also can create an indoor obstacle course. Crawl under tables, roll from one room to the next, do jumping jacks, slither like a snake around chairs, walk a straight line across masking tape on the floor—just be creative with items you already have on hand. The bonus to this activity is that it requires little to no planning ahead of time and it is also a great way to help burn off some of that stocked-up energy from being indoors all day.
We regularly keep our hold list updated at our local library. For example, if you search “weather juvenile” on the Johnson County Public Library database, you can find an entire assortment of books and DVDs perfectly themed for educational fun on a rainy day. Chances are that soggy weather will come your way at some point when you have those materials checked out. When you are in need of just a bit of a break from entertaining little ones, grab a piece of paper and use colored markers to create a rainbow-themed scavenger hunt. For non-readers you can simply draw lines and ask your children to go find one purple item, two blue items, etc. If you are looking for some additional creative activities to tackle on rainy days, www.Pinterest.com/KCParent has several boards with simple crafts to do with children.
Let’s face it though, there is only so much fun that can be had at home before we all need a break—rainy weather or not. A number of KC’s indoor spaces are worth checking out when your family needs a change of scenery. When the rain rolls in, we plan to take advantage of the dreary weather and visit a few indoor attractions in Kansas City.
Whether you choose to wait out the rain from the comfort of your home or you decide to visit a Kansas City attraction, you can make the most of those soggy days with a little creativity and pre-planning. The rain will pass (eventually), and you will have produced some fun memories in the meantime!
Rachel Boese is a blogger from Gardner, where she raises three young children with her husband. She hates rainy days and lives for summer and sunshine. She blogs about her adventures at www.RachelOnRewind.com.