6 Rainy Day Activities to Keep your Little Ones Entertained This Autumn
Following the heatwave we had this summer, with Autumn comes rain! Whilst it’s a beautiful season, being cooped up inside and unable to go into the garden or to the park can sometimes be difficult with little ones who have plenty of energy to burn!
If you’re looking for a few ideas to keep them entertained when the weather isn’t great, here’s 6 rainy day activities to help.
Get arty with some painting
Help bring out your little one’s artistic flair with some paints and a few brushes. It’s super simple to set up and you can see what creations they come up with. You can also get creative and use shaped potatoes or sponges as stamps. There’s also plenty of painting by numbers sets inspired by their favourite book characters like this Gruffalo set.
Get creative in the kitchen
If you like to bake yourself, why not involve the kids? Yes, things can get messy, but it’s all about creating something together. There’s plenty of ideas online from super simple chocolate crispy cakes to seasonal gingerbread men. You can also use pre-measured kits from the supermarket featuring their favourite book or film characters!
Educate with activity books
Activity books are great for entertaining and educating little ones. From flash cards to fun sticker packs and educational english and maths books, there are plenty of options available. Plus, the themed packs such as Safari Adventure, Dinosaurs and On The Farm are great for kids with particular interests.
Inspire their love of reading
Rainy days are ideal for curling up with a good book and studies have shown that children who see their parents reading are more likely to imitate and enjoy the activity too. For older children, you could introduce them to a series to read independently like Harry Potter or Sherlock Holmes. Once they find something they simply can’t put down, their love of reading will flourish.
For toddlers and younger children, why not create a dedicated reading corner where you can both sit and enjoy books together. This could simply be an armchair or a dedicated space in their bedroom with a bookshelf and bean bags. Not only will this inspire their love of reading, it will become a treasured bonding time for you both.
Set up a treasure hunt
This is a great activity for getting the whole family involved, from writing clues to watching your little ones scout out the goods! It’s an easy one to set up too, once you’ve decided on a few hiding places, work backwards with the clues – if you’re feeling creative, you could also draw up a map of the house for the kids to tick off hiding spots as they find them.
The hidden treasure doesn’t have to be extravagant either! The fun is in searching and figuring out the clues. Here are some ready made clues to get you started.
Get creative with boxes
If you order lots online (particularly now with Christmas around the corner) why not get creative with the boxes? It’s a great way to make good use of them and offers children a blank slate for creativity. With infinite possibilities, a cardboard box enables them to let their imaginations run wild and can quite literally create hours of fun. Whether they want to be knights in a castle or a race car driver, they can make it happen with a few boxes.
Chunky washable pens are ideal for adding the finishing touches and easy for them to use whilst getting carried away making their very own creation.
We hope this helps to inspire a few ideas for you and your family. If you try any or come up with others, be sure to tag us in your pictures on Instagram @books4us_ as we love to see them!