Rainy Day Rescues
It’s raining, it’s pouring … life feels very boring! Sighs can be in steady supply, as we have just come out of winter in the Midwest only to head straight into our rainy season. If your family is like our family, we are tired of being indoors! But though you may have reached the bottom of the idea barrel for coming up with fun, rainy days don’t have to be boring. With a smidge of creativity and determination to dig deep, you can keep your sanity and keep your children entertained!
Sensory play
Sensory play is so beneficial for kids, as it promotes free exploration, sparks creativity and piques curiosity. These are some of our family’s favorites:
- Baking soda and vinegar. Use eye droppers to drip vinegar tinted with food coloring onto a thick layer of baking soda in a pan. Watch it bubble up over and over again. Make little paths or tiny volcanoes with your fingers. Endless entertainment and squeals of delight here!
- Shaving cream. Buy inexpensive shaving cream at the dollar store and let your children draw in it on wax paper or a cookie sheet. Bonus, it smells lovely too!
- Bowl of soapy water. Spread out a bunch of towels on the floor and give your kids different sized bowls filled with soapy water. Provide them with a few straws, measuring spoons and cups, and they will have loads of fun!
Indoor fun
If you feel like a prisoner in your own house or have totally hit your “fun” limit, there’s nothing wrong with heading out somewhere. We are fortunate to live in an area where indoor options abound, so take advantage of it!
- Backyard Specialists. Located in Olathe, this retailer offers open play on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00-5:00, for $2 cash per child.
- Wonderscope. Brand new location and building! Lots of entertainment here for children of different ages. Bonus: Cookies and Creamery, a newer sweet treats shop, is located just a stone’s throw from Wonderscope, so you can grab a treat after!
- Indoor pools. Matt Ross as well as Olathe’s and Lenexa’s community centers are all great indoor pools with a variety of things to do. Bring snacks and you should be golden for a while!
- Open Gym. Kaw Prairie Community Church offers a free open gym Monday through Thursday, 9:00-Noon. Foundry Church offers a free open gym time as well that is open to the public (just check their calendar to be sure there isn’t a private event).
Get active
These “stuck inside” days can tax everyone, so try to get active. Even just five minutes can change the climate in your home when dispositions start to get dicey.
- Dance party. Turn on some tunes and turn the volume up loud! Let your kids dance until their hearts are content.
- Obstacle course. Have your kids design obstacle courses and teach each other the routes through. They can use cushions, ottomans, blankets and more. Or turn on the “Floor Is Lava” song on your Alexa or phone and follow the directions! Our 5-year-old loves it!
- Build a fort. Go back to the good ol’ days and let kids make pillow and blanket forts using chairs or whatever furniture you have close by for the structure. You’ll be an even cooler mom if you “let” them picnic inside it, too, for lunch!
- Stair slide. If you really want to throw caution to the wind, let your kids make a slide on your stairs. Eeek!—I know. But a little cardboard and creative magic with a whole lot of pillows and blankets could provide for some really fun times.
Crafts
Even if you don’t consider yourself crafty, giving your kids a chance to explore with supplies is great for their development.
- Recycled items. Use items for a makerspace you set up, for inventions or for building
- Rock painting. You can buy rock painting kits cheaply or go out and find some of your own. These are fun to paint on a rainy day then leave at a park or trail once the weather has cleared up.
- Coffee filters. We (myself included) love painting on coffee filters with watercolors. Paint them as they are or cut them into hearts or clouds or whatever fun, thematic shape you’d like. Then hang them up in a window for some added pops of color!
Remember, too, don’t be afraid to let your kids entertain themselves or even to be bored. It’s actually really good for them. However, if all else fails and you find your day going south quicker than you thought, ask your kids what they want to do. When my 8-year-old saw I was writing this article, her suggestion? Go out and play in the rain! Leave it to a kid to suggest that … but our kids have done it, and guess what? They loved it. They were soaking wet, lying down in puddles and giggling with a delight you can’t help but smile at.
Julie Collett is a mom of four in Overland Park and enjoys doing crafts with the kids on rainy days just as much as she enjoys letting them entertain themselves!