On a sunny day, children can play outside or go to the park but when it’s raining, everything seems grim and dull. Wet weather in the school holidays can drive parents crazy, especially for those on a budget and for many that mean’s a day in the house. How you keep the kids entertained without spending a fortune?
Cupcake Creations
Doing a spot of cookery with kids is great fun and they will enjoy serving up their creations to the rest of the family. If you aren’t the most confident home baker, then most supermarkets sell bun making or cupcake making kits that need just a little water and an egg. The kids get to do most of the work with a little supervision and will love arranging the decorations on the icing once they are cooked.
Cooking, Creating and Painting
As well as edible projects, you can also make salt dough in the kitchen. This uses 2 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of salt and up to 1 cup of water to make dough that can then be cut with shaped cutters or just by hand. It is baked in the oven at a low heat for around three hours and can be then be painted with acrylic paint, varnished and glittered. This activity is great for making decorations or beads to then be strung together.
Make a Den
There aren’t many kids who don’t love the idea of having a den in the house and a rainy day is a great opportunity to do this. Get some kitchen chairs together, hang bedding and blankets over them and secure everything with clothing pegs. The kids can then play inside with their favourite toys and games and will probably be very difficult to get out come bedtime!
All Children like a Good Treasure Hunt
With a little preparation, a treasure hunt around the house is a great children’s activity idea and will be great fun, with a little treat as the treasure. Set up clues that have them thinking things through without being too difficult and send them up and down stairs as much as possible – a bit of hidden exercise while in the house.
You could even integrate a little learning into the treasure hunt, ask them a mathematical problem or how to spell a word.
Marble Runs
Creating marble runs is a brilliant way to get the kids thinking. Stockpile old toilet roll holders, margarine tubs and anything else they can put together to make a run for their marbles. It won’t be long before they are becoming ever more inventive and trying to guess where the marble will go. Just watch out they don’t end up under your feet!
