20 Ways To Keep Kids Entertained on a Rainy Summer Afternoon
Summer is most kids' favorite season for obvious reasons: They get to ditch indoor activities and be outside in the sun and fresh air. There's time to run around with the neighborhood kids, and there are possibly days at camp, swimming, finding bugs — whatever kids do in summer weather. It's still sometimes hard to keep kids occupied for so many hours every single day of the week, though. With older kids, that's basically eight hours or more per day that now have to be filled. It's not easy (which is why camp is a pretty great option for some families). Sometimes, however, the weather isn't sunny, and doing fun summer activities outside such as visiting parks, playgrounds, farms, fairs, etc., isn't an option. The only place for kids to be is indoors. This is usually where parents panic, but mama, it will be OK!
"Mom, I'm bored!" Sound familiar? Entertaining kids isn't too bad during the school year, but in the summer, when the days never seem to end, finding things for them to do can be brutal. Finding them things to do within the confines of a house? Forget it. But don't fret. There are actually lots of things to keep kids busy on a rainy day. Some require a little effort on an adult's part, whereas others don't. It depends on kids' interests and what supplies are at home. If not, taking a trip to get supplies could be an activity in itself. No matter what, there are options — from more creative art projects to more imaginative games. And hey, there's no shame in enlisting help for something mom likes, too.
We tried to round up some ideas to exhaust kids so mamas (and their homes) can get through the rainy day in one piece and repeats of the phrase "I'm bored" are kept to a minimum. Check them out.
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Put together a puzzle (or two).
Puzzles are a perfect activity for a rainy day because they work well inside and can take a while to figure out. Depending on how long the rain is coming down, kids may have time to finish them or will need to continue the project another day.
Conduct a science experiment.
Got any science enthusiasts in the family? If so, a rainy day is an ideal chance to put those skills to the test. Find an age-appropriate experiment online and get to work.