What to Do on a Rainy Day: Indoor Summer Activities for Kids

Ally Bremer
Jun 30
4 min read

Welcome to part 2 of our summer activity series! In my last blog post, I discussed outdoor ideas to keep your child active, social, and screen free. But unfortunately, not every summer day is going to be sunny and warm. Indoor activities can still be fun and beneficial for your child. Below, you will find indoor activities to try with your child (while mostly limiting screen time).

Indoor activities:

Movie night!

I know! I just said that we would limit screen time! But kids can be a lot and sometimes you just need a break! If you decide to use screen time, make it intentional and set a specific time for it to end. Movie nights are a great way to engage in screen time that involves that whole family. Here are some extra ideas that can make movie nights fun!

- Let everyone vote for a movie

- Go out to see a movie in theatres

- Get special snacks for the movie

- Get a projector and play the movie in a special location

- Bring a mattress into the living room and make it a sleepover movie

- Build forts to watch the movie in

- Set up a ticket stand and concession stand for your kids to pretend that they are in a real movie theatre

- Invite friends over

Make special dinners together:

Involving kiddos in meal nights can be a great way to teach them how to cook, build independence, and get picky eaters more willing to try new foods. Here are some fun meal ideas that your kids will love. Bonus points if you bake desserts together too!

- Table pasta! Wrap your table in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and dump your pasta directly onto the table. No need for plates! Your kids will think that this is hilarious and will want to do this again and again! This activity can also be great for kiddos with sensory needs.

- Build your own (salad, burger, taco, nachos, etc). This is a great option for kiddos who are slightly older. They can help you prepare veggies and other sides. Plus they get to choose what they eat! This is a great way to promote independence.

- Cookies, cupcakes, something fun! Baking is always a blast with kids! Sure they might eat all of the batter, but that is part of the fun! Let the children even add decorations to make it extra special.

There are many MANY options to look at online if you need help thinking of fun cooking activities with kiddos.

Building forts:

Grab all of the chairs, blankets, and bedsheets! Building forts is a super fun activity that allows kiddos to use problem solving skills. It allows for them to be creative and engage in imaginative play. The forts can easily become castles, caves, secret hidehouts, and many other fun imaginary destinations.

Arts and crafts:

Arts and crafts are a great way to teach your child how to be creative, focus, and problem solve. It also is a great opportunity for you to show your child that mistakes happen! It teaches perseverance and integrity as kids might mess up and need to try try again! Here are a few easy ideas:

- Coloring pictures

- Painting

- Making paper squishies

- Making paper fidgets

- Origami

- Making paper hats/crowns

- Making paper airplanes

- Making collages with old magazines

Board games:

Board games can be fun for the entire family. This can also be a great opportunity to teach your child about sharing, losing, and tolerating anger especially when things don’t go their way. It can be a great way to bond with siblings or parents. Here are some fun and classic board games (not all of these are ones that you need to purchase!)

- Crazy 8’s

- Go-Fish

- Sorry

- Trouble

- Game of Life

- Monopoly

- Tic Tac Toe

- Hangman

Visit the Library:

Going to the library is another great tool for parents to utilize. Often, in the summertimes, there are different activities that you can sign your kiddo up for. There are also events, craft sessions, or even book readings/performances. This can help them to strengthen their confidence and practice social skills. Be warned! There may be an electronics section at your local library!

Science experiments:

Science experiments can be a blast! And some of them don’t even require special ingredients. You can make things like slime, oobleck, or volcanoes! You can even test things like viscosity or do mold experiments. Science can be a fun way to peak your child’s interest and get them away from screens momentarily.

Play pretend

Imaginative play helps children process things that are going on around them. It can also be helpful for children to build their creative skills, practice empathy, and increase imagination. Here are some fun scenarios to try. Feel free to jump in with your kiddo and have fun as well!

- Pretend fast food restaurant

- Pretend grocery store

- Tea party with siblings or stuffies

- Pretend school (decide who gets to be the teacher!)

- Superheroes!

Conclusion:

Rainy days don’t have to be boring and they don’t need to be filled with screen time. These activities can be great to help children build on numerous skills. The important thing is to be intentional with the activities that you suggest and help your child have fun and grow in a safe,engaging way.