What to do on Rainy Days at Home With Kids
If you’re anything like me, you are running out of ideas to keep the kids entertained while at home. After almost a year since COVID and quarantine happened, our brains just can’t take the pressure of thinking of anything new, am I right?
So here’s a list of all the things my family has been doing while suck at home (or things my friends have done, because I needed ideas for younger kids, too!). There are ideas for all ages here, so I hope this helps keep your kids entertained during the rainy season!
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, but only for products that I use and love (I seriously only included things I’m obsessed with!). If you buy through them, I’ll earn some cash for coffee (or tea). But don’t worry, I’ll use that energy to create more helpful content for you!
Play Some Family Board Games
Okay, I have an obsession with buying board games. I will buy almost anything that Gamewright creates, plus whatever else looks fun. Luckily I have one child that loves them as much as I do so I always have someone to play with.
Board Games for Older Kids
I have a 10 and 12 year old and these are the games we love the most. I could seriously play any of these over and over and never get sick of them. They are the best of the best!
Board Games for Younger Kids
These are either games that we used to play when my kids were younger, or games that my friends have told me are awesome for their little ones.
Games The Kids Can Play Alone
These are games that can be played with just one player. Because some days you just need them to be entertained without you. The Cardventures games are like a choose your own adventure so they can play it alone or with a partner.
Fun Things to Play Outside
Maybe it’s not raining (or snowing), and you just really want the kids to get the heck outside! I feel like I’m constantly trying to think of ways to keep the kids out in the fresh air longer, these days they come back in after 10 minutes and it’s really frustrating. One thing that helped was the scooters we got them for Christmas. They love those things!! The Sumo Bumper Balls are for the trampoline only, that way it’s a bit safer. So far no one has been hurt! Lol.
Arts and Crafts for Kids
My kids both love crafts, but especially my daughter. As soon as quarantine started, I went on Amazon and bought tons of craft supplies so she would hopefully stay entertained and not beg me to go on electronics every 5 seconds. That happens anyway, but at least I have something to tell her to do instead ????.
Teach Them to Cook
No matter what age they are, your kid can probably help you out in the kitchen, even if it’s only to help put the chopped veggies on the sheet pan before you roast it. But if you teach them how to cook, eventually they will be doing it all while you sit back with a glass of wine. That’s the dream! I bought a cookbook for my son this year because he decided he really wanted to learn to cook meals. I was so excited!! So far he’s made two recipes from this book, plus chili mac (which he totally did wrong but it came out great anyway) and he has a new habit of cooking over medium eggs every morning. We’re getting there!
Activity Books to Keep the Kids Entertained
I love activity books because you can do them anywhere! Here are a few that we have purchased and love.
Keep the Kids Entertained with Echo Dots
We got the kids Echo Dots for Christmas so they could play their horrible music in their own rooms, rather than ask mine to play Caillou 20 times a day. It didn’t work, they still keep playing that song in the living room even though I’ve tried to block it. If you ask in a different way, it still works!
Anyway, back to the point! You can ask Alexa to read audiobooks, read interactive choose your own adventure books, play calming music at bedtime with a sleep timer, tell you jokes, so many things! We also love using ours as an intercom so I can tell them when it’s time to eat or s the kids can chat while they play Among Us.
For my daughter, we got the panda version of the Kids one. And for my son, we just got him a regular one. Both are amazing and the kid one comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+. You can set parental controls for either one.
And just to sum it up…
How can I keep my kids entertained at home?
- Play board games together
- Show them board games they can play alone
- Give them fun activities to do in the backyard
- Set them up with a craft
- Teach them to cook
- Give them an activity book
- Let Alexa entertain them
