Rainy Day Activities for Kids

Winter tends to keep people cooped up inside more than usual. Because it’s so cold outside, you can’t do all the same outdoor activities that you might do during the summer.

That often weighs heavily on families. Since kids tend to have more energy than adults–and without an outlet for all that energy–they can get a little stir crazy. But fear not. There are lots of ways to help your family get that energy out without destroying the house.

Some of the best rainy day activities for kids and parents alike include:

  • Going to indoor theme parks
  • Performing science experiments at-home
  • Hobbies and extracurricular activities
  • Play dates with school friends

Visit Indoor Theme Parks

When you think of theme parks, you often think of places like Disneyland, which are largely positioned outside and require you to walk around to enjoy the experience. Although that can be great when the weather is nice, it’s just not as much fun when it’s very cold outside. That’s why some companies have invented indoor theme parks for the days where the weather isn’t as nice as you might wish.

There are plenty of indoor theme parks, which often even include water parks. That means you and your family can go to a theme park of just about any type year-round, even if it’s extremely cold or extremely hot.

So, during the winter months, consider an indoor theme park to have a great time regardless of the weather. (Note: Rules and access are likely to be different this year. Be sure to check ahead with a chosen facility to verify.)

Create Science Experiments

Science experiments can definitely engage kids in a variety of ways. And you can do a lot of science experiments in your own home. There are plenty of lists out there of at-home science experiments that are sure to get your kids in the mood to learn, while also keeping them busy.

The reason science experiments are so engaging is that they take advantage of applied science, rather than just learning about science from a book. That means even if your kids aren’t usually big on science, you might still be able to sell them on a science experiment. More often than not, it’s just because they haven’t seen how fun applied science can be.

Engage In Hobbies & Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular rainy day activities allow your kids to do something that they love, without you having to be the one who puts a lot of work into it. Whether those extracurricular activities consist of a specific academic club, a theater program, or sports, you can probably find at least one thing that your child will enjoy doing.

This can help both you and your kids in a variety of ways. Your kids will get to do something that keeps them active on a regular basis. Even if it’s a less physically demanding hobby–reading, crafting, etc.–mental engagement is important, too. And by encouraging your kids to engage in their preferred activities and hobbies, you help them to become a more interested and well-rounded person.

Become Closer With School Friends

Are you familiar with the saying “It takes a village to raise a child?” If so, you probably know just how important it is to have community support when it comes to raising your kids.

By becoming closer with your children’s friends’ parents, you can get help transporting kids to and from extracurricular activities, coming up with fun activities, and teaching your kids the right and wrong ways to do things. But to make sure that this kind of relationship is effective, it’s important to try and make sure the other parents around your kids regularly are safe.

You don’t have to just hope that the parents you’re meeting with are safe. All you have to do is attempt to find out a little more about the parents in question. An online public records search may turn up any criminal history you should be aware of–possibly including violent incidents–so you know what’s going on with the people you leave your kids with.

Try it every time you meet up with a new set of parents, just to be extra safe.

Conclusion

Winter may keep you and your kids inside more, but there are plenty of rainy day activities available to keep you all from driving each other crazy. And it is a great time to spend with family and friends. Whether it’s people you already know very well or new friends you’re just getting to know, you can really bond during the winter months.

Image attribution: Ilike – shutterstock.com

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