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Rainy day activities for kids at home, no screens needed
On a rainy day at home, children are happiest with something hands-on: build a blanket fort, run an indoor scavenger hunt, bake together, put on a puppet show, or color pages that show themselves.
Here are 18 screen-free ideas that need little more than what you already have in the house. Most work from about age 3 with a grown-up nearby.
Get moving
Indoor obstacle course
Cushions to jump, a chair tunnel, a tape line to balance on. Time each round and try to beat it.
Balloon volleyball
A string between two chairs and a balloon. Nothing breaks, and it keeps everyone moving.
Freeze dance
Play music and stop it at random; everyone freezes in the silliest pose they can hold.
Puddle walk
Rain boots and raincoats on, and out for ten minutes. Count worms, race leaves down the gutter, jump in the biggest puddle.
Animal walks
Bear crawl, crab walk, frog jumps from one end of the hall to the other.
Make and build
Blanket fort
Chairs, blankets and clothespins. Add a flashlight and it becomes the place for lunch and stories.
Cardboard box world
A big box becomes a car, a rocket or a shop. Hand over markers and tape and step back.
Homemade play dough
Flour, salt, water and a little oil, with food coloring if you have it. Making it is half the fun.
Paper airplanes
Fold a few designs and hold a contest for the longest flight down the hallway.
Sock puppets and a show
Old socks, buttons and yarn, then a puppet show from behind the sofa.
In the kitchen
Bake something simple
Muffins, cookies or banana bread. Children measure, pour and stir; a grown-up handles the oven.
Make your own pizza
Ready-made dough, a choice of toppings and everyone builds their own.
Quiet time
Indoor scavenger hunt
A list of things to find: something red, something soft, something older than you. Use pictures for children who cannot read yet.
Story time in the fort
A stack of picture books, or a story you make up together, one sentence each.
Puzzles and board games
A jigsaw on the floor or a game everyone can play, from memory cards to dominoes.
Window drawing
Trace the raindrops, the street or the clouds on paper held against the window.
Treasure map
Draw a map of the home, hide a small treasure and let the children find it.
Coloring pages that star them
Children color for longer when the page shows them. With Penna you turn a photo of your child, a sibling or the dog into a coloring page, or draw your child into a scene like a dinosaur ride or a trip to space, and print it on your home printer.
You use your phone only to make the pages. The children get paper and crayons.
Make your first page
Free to try: 2 pages to start. No account needed.
Tips for a screen-free day
- Prepare a rainy day box before you need it: tape, string, paper, crayons, balloons, an old sheet.
- Alternate busy and calm. An obstacle course, then a story; baking, then coloring.
- Let them lead. A fort that turns into a pirate ship is the day going well.
- Put screens out of sight. A phone on the table invites the question; one in a drawer does not.
Questions
What can I do with my child on a rainy day?
Build a blanket fort, set up an indoor obstacle course, bake something simple, put on a puppet show, go on a short puddle walk in rain gear, or color pages that show your child. Alternating active and quiet activities keeps the day going.
What can kids do at home with no screens?
Hands-on things: building with boxes and blankets, play dough, paper airplanes, puzzles, board games, scavenger hunts, baking and coloring. A box of simple supplies ready in advance makes it easy to start.
How do I keep kids busy without screen time?
Plan a few short activities and switch between moving and calm ones, keep screens out of sight, and let the children turn an idea into their own game.
What are good rainy day activities for a 4-year-old?
An obstacle course with cushions, balloon volleyball, homemade play dough, a picture scavenger hunt, story time in a blanket fort and coloring pages with big, simple shapes.
More ideas
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Make your first page
Penna is free to try on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Scan this code with your phone's camera to get Penna.
Free to try: 2 pages to start. No account needed.