There are few feelings quite as disheartening as opening your curtains on a Saturday morning, only to be greeted with a deluge of rain from the heavens. Not only does that keep you from doing what you wanted to do today, it means you need to find something for the kids to do as well! Here are 4 excellent places to start.
Board Games
Board games are the perfect antidote to being bored. They aren’t as common a sight as they once were. Many of us grew up in homes that had dozens of board games (at least half of which would have pieces missing), and we have fond memories of passing many a rainy day sat around them. Today, with the ubiquitous nature of technology, many kinds find the idea of playing on a physical board very old fashioned.
You can find digital versions of many of the most popular board games ever made, often at a fraction of the price of the physical set. This can help to draw in the interest of children who would otherwise be uninterested in an ‘analogue’ form of entertainment.
Watch Something Enriching
One of the most common go-to activities for a rainy day is, of course, the television. Many parents would like it if they could get their kids to spend a little less time with their heads buried in their screens. However, if you choose the right thing for them to watch, there is no reason why a few hours in front of the TV can’t be time well spent.
Of course, any educational films or videos you can find will be a good choice, but they don’t have to be explicitly educational. Depending on the age of your kids, you might want to show them a movie that conveys a positive message to young children.
Homework Help
Getting children to do their homework is a common struggle for many parents. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers here, what works to motivate one child won’t necessarily work for another. However, one of the common themes among many children who are unwilling to do their homework is that they feel like they are losing time from more enjoyable activities. As a parent, one of the most important lessons you will have to teach them is that sometimes, the right thing to do isn’t the thing that feels best. With the rain pouring outside, preventing them from playing as they normally would, it might be easier to coax them into doing the work they need to.
Arts and Crafts
Why not take the opportunity to indulge their, and your own, creative side? There are an infinite number of art and craft projects that you can do at home. Whatever materials you happen to have lying around can be utilized in the making of arts and crafts. If you aren’t sure where to begin, there are lots of great resources online. One of the best I’ve found for finding stuff to do with my kids is reasonstoskipthehousework.com.
Many parents dread the next rainy day! But there really is no need. It is a good idea to have a list of go-to activities for when the weather is preventing you from being outside. Remember, boredom is the enemy, not your kids!
