We’ve all been there. It’s monsooning outside (or hailing, or mudslides, or any kind of in climate weather that means your kids are stuck inside.) You still have a ton of your own work to do, and the never-ending ‘mommm, I’m boooored,’ sounds like fingernails on chalkboard. How do you keep kids entertained inside all day when it’s raining outside?
It’s tempting to hand your kids some protein bars and say, today’s the day you can watch 8 hours of tv, I have shit to do. You’re probably quietly (or not so quietly) cursing the universe under your breath that you didn’t stock up on kids craft kits you could chuck at your kiddos before silently backing out of the room. But before you throw in the towel and let screen time reign, check out these rainy day kids activities that they’ll have a blast doing, and will give you some much needed time to yourself.
These stacking cardboard clouds are like dreamy, enormous legos. Super easy and quick to make (as in, raid your recycling bin and grab some paint, boom.) These clouds are fun to see how high you can stack them, make mazes, play cloud Jenga, the possibilities are endless. And don’t you kind of want to see your living room full of clouds? Plus, talk about easy clean up and storage, these babies lie flat against each other and take up up minimal space, so keep a stack in your closet, or your kids closets, or every closet of the house for that matter. You can never have too many clouds. Head to Handmade Charlotte for the easy peasy tutorial.
God’s eyes aren’t just for summer camp anymore, these neutral colored beauties are a great kids craft for all ages that requires only two items; yarn and sticks. These DIY God’s eye can be personalized with any color yarn your kiddo wants, and they can embellish with beads and feathers if they like as well, and the geniuses behind Almost Makes Perfect give very straightforward step by step instructions.
This activity requires a little bit of participation from you the parent after the fact, but this children’s art quilt is an incredible way to hang onto your tots artwork. Simply cut squares of calico fabric, and let your kids go nuts with fabric pastels (which are super cheap, $2 for a pack of 7!) Iron the squares to make the pastels permanent, and sew together to make an unbelievable keepsake quilt for you to sob into once they go off to college. *cough* I mean, snuggle into and sob when they get married. *cough* I mean… you know what I mean. The kids can make as many squares as they like, and you can check out Say Yes for the full how to.
How adorable is this cactus slingshot? There’s no shortness of cuteness with this activity, which doubles as target practice for your mischievous one. You might want to hide your cat before you let your kids loose with these, but the cactus flower pom pom artillery is harmless. Lovely Indeed has the full tutorial.
For the child obsessed with rainbows (I feel like there’s one in every family) this rainbow wall hanging is the perfect wall decor they can point at proudly and declare, ‘I made that!’ It’s pretty and flowy without being cheesy or blinding, and uses muted rainbow ribbons for a more understated look. The sisters behind A Beautiful Mess are the artists who created this beauty, so look no further than their blog to check out the step by step instructions.
Being stuck inside doesn’t mean nature is off the table, this clothespin paintbrushes activity from the queen of crafts, Martha herself, brings the outdoors inside with this fun activity for your tinier tots. And it’s dead simple, just grab some clothespins and some foliage and let them go to town with their new brushes.
A wooden bead chandelier is a beautiful focal point of any room, and your kids will love to customize it with paint or patterned beads. If they’re not up for the chandelier look, attach the single strands of beads to the top of their doorway for a beaded door curtain. Either way, this project is a great way to make a big impact wth minimal supplies. Head over to Alice & Lois for the how to.
For your little one practicing her sewing, these stitch cards are not only stinking cute, but great for younger kids to practice their fine motor skills. Use a real needle if you feel comfortable with it otherwise plastic needles can be found at any local craft store. Handmade Charlotte has the illustrated instructions.
Teenagers get bored on rainy days too, and this essential oil sprays activity is the perfect boredom buster, with a sophisticated twist. They can create their own essential oil sprays that are multifunctional as a room spray, body spray, or linen spray, and they’re all natural to boot. Let them experiment, but if you want some tried and true recipes, head on over to A Beautiful Mess to find out their favorites.
These block printed napkins (or placemats, or scarves, or tea towels) are a classy take on good old potato printing. The stamps are super easy to make, just cork board and crafting foam with adhesive backing. Cut out any shapes you want, flowers, hearts, anything- or stick with geometric shapes for a more modern look. Stamp with fabric paint, let dry and voila! Look at you, being so trendy.
Everyone needs a good luck charm, and these glittery good luck charms from Handmade Charlotte are so cool. And oh so glittery. You can add beads, feathers, bells, tassles, anything you want to make your good luck charm extra. Use the night sky or fortune tellers as your inspiration, and these easy charms will be your new favorite thing, you only need air dry clay, glitter paint, and whatever embellishments you’d like to add. Great for all ages, whether it be your teenager who needs a little (or a lot) of luck on an upcoming test, or your preschooler who has some separation anxiety and would love a little talisman to hang onto until you return. Handmade Charlotte has the full tutorial.
If all else fails, and the kids are driving you bonkers, don’t feel bad about sitting them in front of a movie. But instead of plopping them in front of the tv, maybe try having them build a blanket fort, and using a mini projector like Cinemood to project a movie on the wall; ditch the screen entirely. They’ll love their little hideout, and if you can all manage to squeeze in there, family movie night in a blanket fort might just become a regular tradition.
Cinemood mini projector, $299.99 at Amazon
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