5 Rainy Day Activities for Kids at Home

Here are some super Fun and Easy Indoor Activities for Kids on Rainy Days and the best part? No Screens Required!

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They say April showers brings May flowers but sometimes May is just as rainy!

We’ve had the cabin fever meltdowns, the sibling battles, the leftover craft messes…. but over the years, I’ve also learned something surprising—there are actually a few rainy day activities that my kids and I love and look forward to.

No, they don’t involve any screens.

Now, when I see rain in the forecast, instead of dreading it, the kids and I make a plan and figure out some fun indoor activities to do on rainy days.

Setting the Tone for rainy day activities at home

The first thing everyone should do is get comfy!

I’m talking about pajamas, sweats, leggings, the works.

Secondly, instead of overplanning the day, I like to prep a few things ahead of time.

For example, a basket of books, a little craft drawer, a delicious dessert that can be thrown in the oven later, or some homemade hot chocolate or chocolate milk as a little treat in the middle of the day,

After setting the tone for some rainy day adventures, here are five easy rainy day activities you can do!

1. Blanket Fort/Indoor Camping

My kids always look forward to a good blanket fort!

The best way to do it is pull out every blanket in the house, grab spme couch cushions, and build a huge fort.

Turn it into indoor camping by adding some stuffed animals, a few books, flashlights and if you are ok with it, some snacks!

If you want to make it extra fun, have the kids actually camp out there for the night (this is when I would put a movie on and allow some screen time). Maybe even prep some delicious s’mores so it feels like real camping!

We love this idea because its cozy, imaginative, the kids can do some imaginary play, and you’ll be surprised how long they will stay in the blanket fort!

I’m talking hours upon hours.

2. DIY "Spa Day" for Kids

What kid doesn’t love a spa day?

Set up a "spa" with mixing bowls for foot soaks, towels, and some lotion.

Add some relaxing music, have them put on their robes, and if you have it, grab some cut up cucumber (save some cut up cucumber for spa water or a little snack)).

Bonus Tip: Let the kids take turns and play spa with each other! One can be the client and one can be the worker, than switch!

3. Bake Something YUMMY

Baking on a rainy day is the best.

There’s just something about it.. maybe it’s the smells or the oven making the house warm and cozy, who knows.

Have your kids agree on something yummy to make like banana bread, boxed brownies, homemade pizza, or cupcakes!

Assign each kid to a task whether it be cracking the eggs, measuring out the flower, or stirring ingredients together.

End result?

A delicious treat that everyone helped making!

4. Sensory Station Switch-Up

Sensory play is the real MVP here.

If you have a few bins you can set this up the night before. Grab some sensory play supplies like rice, kinetic sand, pom poms, play-doh, or if you’re brave enough… gliftter.

You can create some mini stations and have each kid rotate after 10 minutes.

Theming out the sensory bins is super fun too.. You can create an ocean with blue rice and sea animals, or a construction zone with sand and dirt.

There are tons of ideas so feel free to check out Pinterest or come up with your own fun sensory bin ideas for a rainy day.

This sensory station idea gives me at least 30 minutes to myself which is so nice, ha!

5. Family Game or Puzzle Hour

This is a good rainy day afternoon activity.

When the day starts to feel long and everyone's a little antsy, we each pick out a family game or puzzle and get to work!

Some fun games include Guess Who, Twister, Uno, and big floor puzzles. We set a timer so there’s no pressure to finish, and usually bring snacks of course!

Indoor activities at home for kids

Of course, not every rainy day is going to have screen-free days.

Especially those days when the rain just doesn’t want to stop.

However, there are those days that force us moms to slow down, connect with our kids, and explore some fun rainy day activities.

Whether it’s a fort, a spa, a snack, or just a moment together on the floor playing a game, it can be so fun!

And honestly? I kind of look forward to them now.