40 Rainy Day Ideas

Stuck inside while it pours? Don’t let the rain drops dampen the fun. From creative crafts to family fun and indoor adventures, these 40 engaging activities will keep your whole family entertained until the sun returns.

Things to do on a rainy day at home

1. Make Slime or try some other Craft & Fun Ideas
2. Build a massive indoor cubby house
3. Bake with your kids and let them be in charge of the decorating
4. Piece together a jigsaw accompanied by a classical music soundtrack
5. Teach your kids some easy card games. Show your toddler how to play snap, your primary schoolers to play Go Fish and your teenagers to play Rascals and Royalty.
6. Watch a movie at home – get some cushions, popcorn and make a day of it.
7. Construct a collage. Drag out your old magazines and paste away. Look for themes, colours or just cut and paste.
8. Sort through your toy boxes – the kids will play and you can declutter
9. Make an indoor obstacle course
10. Put on some music (old records would be good) and dance in many different ways i.e. disco, tribal, crazy contemporary, in the dark
11. Have a picnic lunch, snack or dinner on the floor
12. Make paper planes and test them out
13. Play indoor hopscotch (use tape to mark the squares)
14. Embrace the rain and get outdoors – jump, play, dance and run in it or just take a stroll under the umbrella
15. Hold a thumb wrestling or staring contest
16. Display your family photos on the TV or device. Maybe even get the kids to make their own slideshow of a particular event or person (you would be surprised by their tech knowledge)
17. Construct puppets from old gloves or socks and hold a fun drama performance
18. Set up a shop front – a bit of pantry stuff and some coins
19. Hold a trivia contest – choose a host, make teams and score to find out who is the smartest in the family (don’t forget to have a range of questions tailored to all members of the family)
20. Have a concert – any item can be used for a concert i.e. doing skits/plays, dancing, singing, magic shows, showing off a special talent, telling jokes etc. The kids can practice their talent and could even make tickets and programmes.
21. Become storytellers – make up your own stories. You could even record a child’s storytelling on tape so it can be played back to them another day.
22. Make robots/monsters/box people/cities out of old boxes or suitable throw-away items and paint them.
23. Make paper mache masks or creatures using balloons, newspaper/scrap paper, flour and water. Paint and decorate when dry.
24. Write a letter to Grandma, Grandad or any relative or friend and post it to them. Take the kids to the post office for the full experience.
25. As it gets closer to Christmas – make your own decorations or start hanging your Christmas Lights this can also be used at Easter, Halloween etc.
26. Decorate blown eggs – blowing the white and yolk out of an egg can take a long time for a child!!
27. Make a family time capsule
28. Make a batch of playdough and get creative – you could even try Nutella Playdough (and yes it is edible)
29. If you dare, make instruments out of household objects and JAM – this could be an item to do in your concert!! Rubber bands are great for guitar strings stretched over different objects to create different sounds, different levels of water in glass containers make great notes, rice or grains in containers for shakers – use your imagination and anything can be an instrument!
30. Hold a disco in the dark – turn off the lights, turn up the music, bust out the glow sticks and boogie.
31. Use whiteboard markers or paint pens to draw on the windows (just check in an inconspicuous spot that they rub off first)
32. Put different-sized containers out in the rain and have the kids try and think about which one will fill first
33. Dust off the board games. Try a new one or dig out an old favourite
34. Download Duolingo (there is a free version) and teach the kids to say a couple of greetings in different languages
35. Make mud pies – fill disposable containers with mud, decorate them with leaves, flowers and nuts
36. Buy some clay and create clay masterpieces
37. Look at how to draw tutorials on YouTube. You could even laminate and display your favourites
38. Hold a silent disco – put on headphones and dance til your hearts content
39. Brighten your day and plan your next family holiday – look at magazines, brochures, websites and travel shows for inspiration. Will it be a cruise, camping, roadtrip or overseas holiday?
40. Arrange your bookshelves into colour blocks

For more rainy day inspiration browse:

Best Places to Go on a Rainy Day

Rainy Day Ideas South Brisbane

Rainy Day Activities North Brisbane

Frame a rainy day as a positive. No need to do washing, mow the lawns or be outside (if you don’t want to). Spend quality time inside with your loved ones and create new family memories.