We’re pretty lucky in Australia to have a great climate for kids to be outside doing outdoor play almost all year round. However, there are the occasional rainy days where you’ll have to stay indoors and need activities to keep kids from getting cabin fever.
Make sure you make the most of every day with your kids, even the wet and stormy ones. Their minds should always be stimulated and there’s so much that parents can do to aid their early development and set the strong foundations for a flourishing educational career ahead.
10 things to do with children indoors on a rainy day:
1. Draw a Family Tree
Depending on the age of your child, you can adapt this from a simple drawing of siblings, parents and grandparents to a more detailed map to help them understand the concept of where they came from. Adding pictures is a great way of making this more fun and really helps children to get a sense of their identity.
2. Make a Den
This is one of those activities that generations of children and parents have enjoyed. Be prepared for a little mess but a lot of fun. Let your child take control and allow them a range of materials to use – from big sofa cushions to blankets and throws. Once they’ve made the den, you can encourage them to sit and look at books or draw inside.
3.Face Painting
Getting some skin friendly face paints for your child is a great way to encourage creative and imaginative play. Whilst adult supervision is required for their faces (always be careful of eyes), they can paint their own hands and feet. Encourage a bit of acting or work with a theme such as safari animals or fairies.
4. Make a Garden
If it’s not great weather outdoors, create the outdoors inside. Give your child a small plant pot and allow them to create a mini garden. Line the pot with soil (kids love doing this) then they can put tiny figures, little stones, feathers, or anything else they collect in their indoor garden.
5. Memory Games
There are all sorts of memory games that kids love to play. One of the most popular is to put a group of 5 or 10 items (depending on the age of the child) on a tray, ask them to look at it and remember the items, then cover it up and see if they can recall them.
6. Baking
Kids love being in the kitchen. There are so many easy and simple recipes that they can make – from cupcakes and cookies to healthy snacks. Get them stirring, mixing and pouring wherever possible! Why not get them involved in preparing a meal? They love simple tasks such as shelling peas or collecting herbs – both great for motor skill development.
7. Music Madness
Be prepared for a noisy afternoon! Get your child thinking musically by encouraging them to create their own songs. Depending on their age, they might enjoy a wooden spoon tapping on a metal colander, or they might already have a toy xylophone or drum. Put on some background music and get inspired.
8. Painted Stones
This is a great exercise and sensory activity – you can use other materials like shells, sticks or leaves, if you don’t have stones at hand. Get your child to think about how they want their stone to look, allow them to choose and mix their own colours, then get painting and create a keepsake.
9. Making Friendship Bracelets
This can be adapted to suit the age of the child however kids love making friendship bracelets and creating something to wear and keep, or give to their friends. It’s also a calming and therapeutic exercise which can be great for fine motor skills and developing hand eye coordination.
10. Visit the Library
Have you been to your local library? Chances are it’s an untapped resource – filled with baby and children’s books just waiting to be discovered. Local libraries often hold a children’s story time each week as well as hosting various events for kids and parents alike.
Many libraries also now feature a ‘toy library’ that offer toys, games and puzzles of an educational nature that provide a fun and full learning experience for children.
Click here to view Adelaide’s best libraries for kids.
Would you like some more ideas of how you can keep your children engaged and entertained when indoors? Have a chat with your friendly educators who are always happy to provide you with some great ideas.
