Things to Do With Your Kids on a Rainy Day

Oh,no! It's raining outside! Don't let it get you down. You can still find fun things for your kids to do, and they wont be crying that they are bored.

The good thing is that children are easily amused. All it takes is a little creativity on your part and they will be having so much fun they wont even want to go outside.

• Make a tent! No, not your average store bought, set it up and take it down kind of tent. Grab some sheets or light blankets. You will need a couple of clotheslines strung across different areas of the room or just use tables and chairs, or other household furniture. Throw the sheets and blankets over them in a way that creates a hideaway underneath. If you use furniture in creating your tent you may have to use something to hold the edges of the sheets down so they don't slide off. Otherwise, just use clothespins if you are using the clothesline method. If you really want to have fun, shut off the lights, grab a flashlight, and pretend you are camping in the wilderness! I've included a S'mores recipe towards the end of the article and you can make them right in the oven!
• Have a baking creation day. Let your kids choose different ingredients to make whatever they want.The possibilities are endless with this one. Don't worry about their projects turning out funny or gross looking. The idea of this is to experiment. They will probably want to sample whatever they make, so as long as the ingredients are edible, let them choose whatever they like.
• Board games are always a good idea on a rainy day. Some of my favorites include perfection, monopoly Jr., don't wake daddy, and operation. They are fun games created with children in mind.
• Get out all of your arts and crafts items and some large poster boards.This one is a bit messy so you may want to also throw some newspaper down in the area you will be playing in. Allow your children to finger paint and make a scene of whatever they would like using only their fingers and hands. Some fun ideas for after they are done painting include glitter, glue, colored cotton balls, and squiggly eyes.
• Sit in a circle and have story time. But not just any ordinary story time. Have your kids grab two of their favorite stuffed animals or dolls. You are going to create a story with these toys as the characters with each of you taking turns adding to the story as you go along. Use the animals/dolls to act out parts of the story. When it is your turn, make something silly and fun happen to keep them entertained and involved.

• Play dress up! Even you can play along, you're never too old to have fun with your kids. For yourself find the goofiest clothes that you can find in your closet. Old Halloween costumes come in handy here, or just make up a crazy costume with your regular clothes. Let your kids pick out whatever they want and choose what type of character they are going to act out.
• Play I spy. I spy is a game where you take turns saying things like "I spy with my little eye something that is black". This is just an example, but basically you are finding things within the room and asking the other person to find what it is that you were looking at.
• Get out your old catalogs and magazines. You will also need scissors, Elmer's glue, stick glue, and construction paper. You and your children are going to make a collage with different things that you find in the magazines. Discuss what sort of subject they want to do for their collage. Do this before you even open the magazines. Then after choosing, open up the magazines and find things that match your topic. If you have girls you can play paper dolls. Just have them cut out people inside the magazines and then find clothes, hats, etc. in the magazines that they can cut and paste onto them.
• Have a scavenger hunt. Take various objects and hide them throughout the house. Let them know what it is that you've hid, and hints about where they are at, and let them find them. Keep track of who finds the most items. Whoever found the most objects at the end wins!
• This is messy! But your children will have a blast, and you will be laughing along with them. Find some large boxes or storage bins according to how big your child is. Get out the sand pails and shovels. Then, go into the kitchen and get out the cereal! Yes, you are going to throw the cereal inside the boxes. Lots and lots of cereal. The idea here is to make a sort of sandbox for your kids to play in. I guarantee this will keep them happy for quite some time.

"Do not, on a rainy day, ask your child what he feels like doing, because I assure you that what he feels like doing, you won't feel like watching."

~ Fran Lebowitz

Indoor S'mores recipe

• 20 whole graham crackers cut or broken in halves
• 20 marshmallows
• 1 small package of milk chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler and melt over hot, not boiling water and stir until smooth and blended. Remove from heat.

Spread chocolate mixture evenly over half of the graham cracker halves. Place the remaining graham cracker halves on an ungreased baking sheet and top each with a marshmallow. Bake for 5-7 minutes until marshmallows begin to soften and melt. Remove from the oven and press the chocolate-frosted side of the other graham cracker halves on top.

I hope you and your children enjoy your rainy day!