Kelli
I love rainy days. I like the coziness it brings to my home and the snuggled in feeling as the grey sky wraps around our town like a blanket. The best rainy day involves a good movie, my kids snuggled around me, topped off with a nap. My husband came home one day to find me buried under a pile of kids and dogs, all snoring happily away. But that’s a Saturday or Sunday during the school year.
I dread summer rainy days. Hours of “I’m bored,” “Can we just got see if it’s raining at the beach still,” and “MOOOOOMMMMMM, he’s ___(verb)___my, me, the,___(noun)__. That would be a typical summer rainy day, especially when it’s during the week and I have to work.
I know I am not alone with the rainy day angst so here are a few things we’ve tried.
Blanket Forts. I loved doing this as a child. I am pretty sure most folks have either done this or watched their living rooms turned into a maze of chairs and blankets. We then took flashlights, pillows, and books down under for story time. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches always tasted better in a blanket fort. Caution, make sure you monitor what’s happening. Multilevel forts are not safe! I can’t describe the horror of walking into a room to see your older children having built your youngest child a “nest.”
Crafts. We used to scour activity books for rainy day activities but now you have the Internet! The web makes it easy and fun to find things for your minions to do while the outside world is watered. Did you know Military OneSource has a Pinterest board? I find way more than I could ever do!
Building Block Universe. I say universe because in our house a city, town, or country is not enough. Besides, if you have a universe you can have alien invasions from the kitchen, amphibious assaults from the bathroom, and a final battle in the den. Every single building toy and plastic dish in our home is used. The universe is populated by tall dolls, plastic soldiers, and anything that looks humanoid. It is actually amazing to see what the kids come up with. It’s also amazing to see how much STUFF you actually have when it’s laid out all over y our floors. If you are OCD and need everything put away neatly DO NOT DO THIS ACTIVITY. If you are good with shoveling toys into containers and all your plastic dishes and bowls into a freestyle arrangement in your cabinet, this is the universe for you.
Singing in the Rain. If there is no lightening I say go for it! How fun would it be to dance around the backyard to music blaring from a window. Inexpensive ponchos, umbrellas, swim masks or goggles, and a camera are the makings for a fun “photo shoot/dance party.” With digital cameras, you can spend the afternoon putting a slide show together. Add some music, save them on SD cards, and mail them off in homemade cards to grandparents or special aunts and uncles.
Reading. I know the goal is to limit how much time our kids spend in front of electronics, but I think things like TumbleBooks and other online activities are a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. Older kids can grab their eReaders or <gasp> a good book! Make a trip to the library in the morning, get home in time for lunch (or pick it up), and the little ones can nap while you and the older kids spend the afternoon reading. We don’t read enough America!
Food. There are some great “kids in the kitchen” ideas out there. This not only keeps the kids engaged, it ends up quite yummy. Teaching them to clean as you cook will help avoid too much of a disaster when it’s time to sit down and taste your creation.
What about those times when they decide to “surprise” you and make something on their own. Be strong, smile, and nod. Then take a deep breath before you go into your kitchen. Keep on hand small spray bottles, non-toxic cleaner, and cleaning erasers. I usually say don’t stop cleaning until your spray bottle is empty, your eraser is dissolved, and the role of paper towels is half the size they are now. Turn on upbeat music and walk away…
Last but not least, when you have exhausted all other avenues of entertainment, close the curtains, get comfy and switch on that afternoon movie. If you’ve managed to keep them busy most of the day, they will be asleep well into the first hour.
Saved Rounds of Advice
- Prepare for rainy days while the sun is shining. Trying to pull it all together that day can be frustrating.
- Don’t expect any activity or craft to go perfect. It’s really not the outcome, it’s the process.
- Not all hours in a day need to be filled with planned activities. You’ll be surprised at how they figure out how to come up with ideas if left to ponder it for a while. Just keep an eye open. If your kids are like mine then someone is going to end up painted orange.
Doesn’t all that sound like fun? Well I wish I could say all my rainy days were filled with educational crafts, beautiful music, and abundant love among siblings. In our house these activities may possibly end up with someone bleeding or bruised, someone in time out, and someone else crying, usually me. That being said, I encourage you to push through and do only as much as your crew can stand, and have ideas for individual activities in your back pocket.
Good luck on your first summer rainy day!