5 Free Games on a Rainy Day to Keep Kids Happy
Guest post by Rosie
If the thought of a rainy day indoors with your kids makes you want to curl up under the covers and hide, have no fear. With a little creativity, you can have a lot of fun. Staying in can be enjoyable and inexpensive when you use the following five free games on a rainy day to keep kids happy:
Five Good Old-Fashioned Games to Play on a Rainy Day
Fort Tent – Setting up several chairs in your family room covered by an oversized blanket and a couple of sleeping bags on the floor creates the perfect fort tent for kids to hide out. There, they can color, do arts and crafts or eat a snack while they watch a movie.
The Go To Game – The Go To Game is a classic, yet very little known, favorite. Parents set the game up prior to playing. On a piece of paper write down for each child playing a set of instructions that begin with “Go To” and be sure to number them so the kids can follow them in order. If the children bump into a clue that is not the next in order, they cannot take it. For example, the first piece of paper can give a clue that states “Go to the room where food is found.” This can be the kitchen or the dining room or the even the pantry. As they scurry to figure out which room to go to, they will eventually bump into the next clue. That clue will state something like “Go to Fido’s favorite spot in the house.” Taped on top of or even underneath Fido’s doggie bed, they will find the next clue. Be sure to leave the correct number of “Go To” clues for each child (One clue for every child playing). This way each child gets a clue whether he or she arrive there first or last. At the end of the game, a prize of some sort (for example some chocolate or stickers depending on the age of the child) is waiting for each child participating. This way there are no losers of this game – only happy winners.
The Land of Lava Game – Using imagination has gone by the wayside for most families with technology and electronics so prevalent. Take some old throw pillows and make a path in, near, and around your couches. Have the children follow the path and pretend that the floor is lava. Have them hop on one foot from one pillow to the next careful not to fall into the lava. The couch is “land” and if they fall on the couch, they are safe. If they touch the floor, they fall into the lava.
Put on a Play – Putting on a play incorporates imagination and fun for everyone. Before passing on dad’s old suit or baseball uniform or that old bridesmaid dress, keep in mind that kids love to play dress up and role play. Store them in a trunk and bring them out for a rainy day play.
Arts and Crafts – Arts and crafts does not have to be expensive. Your kids can make doll clothing out of an old pillow case or a project using macaroni shells, buttons, and some glue can create hours of fun with things you have lying around the house.
Rosie is a writer for Aspects Holidays who provide quality Cornish cottage holidays. They have over 300 properties from eco style beach houses to self catering in Falmouth.
