Paper Mache Spring Hats

Years ago when my daughter was still a toddler and still at home all day, I compiled a list of 64 rainy day activities to do with your toddler (also great for sick days, or any other day you need something to do without a lot of effort or leaving the house). Some of these would work in a classroom or with a small group of kids, though some are pretty at-home specific.

I’ve also shared rainy day crafts before, but it feels like there’s always a need for fresh ideas of things to do when the weather is yucky.

It’s always good when you can get kids moving on inside only days, so why not build an indoor balance beam like this one from How We Learn, or make a full on obstacle course with things from around the house or in the classroom? You can use lines of tape for jumping or other motor activities; get ideas from Hands on As We Grow. They’ve also got a post about walking on pillows that is great for doing at home or adding to an obstacle course.

If you’ve got a garage or covered outdoor area you can make a chalk obstacle course, track for playing with cars (that’s How We Learn again) or just let kids draw with chalk.

Building with blocks is a classic rainy day activity, and you can also use blocks to make games, like this block ring toss game from Stir the Wonder. Or grab some balls and make up games like these from Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls.

Of course crafts are great for rainy days, too, and you can even make crafts you can enjoy when the weather is better, like this recycled wind chime craft (add some bells to make it really chime rather than just being decoration) from Rainy Day Mum.

I’d love to hear about some of the things you do with kiddos at home or in the classroom to make rainy days a little more fun!