Do you ever look at the fast-approaching gloomy clouds, then at your kids wreaking havoc on your house, and wonder how to stay sane and in a neat place until the storm passes?
All parents are familiar with those horrifying moments when they realize they have a week ahead full of showers, thunderstorms, and overactive children begging to go outside.
But here we come with a magical solution that’ll guarantee your sanity and your kids’ happiness: rainy day crafts!
We’ve curated a list of 35 enjoyable crafts that are suitable for kids and will keep them busy until the storm passes. And since most crafts are doable with recycled home items, you might not even need to go shopping. So now that we’ve grabbed your attention, you can start reading!
1. Coffee Filter Butterflies
Instead of chasing butterflies out in the garden, your kids can make their own using coffee filters. They’re plain, thin, and versatile, so your kids can use their imagination and paint them in whatever way they want. And for the antennae, you can provide a couple of colorful pipe cleaners.
Get the tutorial for coffee filter butterflies on One Little Project.
2. Halloween Bowling Set
A homemade bowling set will keep your kids busy for a long while, and the enjoyment will double if it’s Halloween-themed. You can implement this idea using wood pieces, and we can’t promise it won’t be challenging to finish. However, we can promise the peace of mind you’ll get afterward.
Check the instructions for the Halloween bowling set on Evite.
3. Animal Masks
Animal masks can give your kids the fun they desperately need on a gloomy, rainy day. And luckily, you won’t need more than old cereal boxes and colorful cardstock paper to finish this project.
Find out how to make animal masks on Martha Stewart.
4. Marble Fun
Playing with marbles is a timeless act that has been famous for many generations, and kids nowadays are no exception. Nothing beats the fascination of seeing the bright glass balls sliding on slopes. Using an old cereal box and some creativity, you can prepare a marble-based fun activity for your little ones.
Read more about the marble fun on Made by Joel.
5. Fairy House
Kids love all things mythical, like unicorns, dragons, and fairies. You can use this to your advantage and lure them into making a cute fairy house out of craft sticks. It’ll be best to let them use their imagination to decorate the home. This way, they’ll improve their creativity and crafting skills.
Learn how to make a fairy house on Living Well Mom.
6. Magic Milk Activity
For a project that combines science, art, and immense fun, you can prepare this magic milk activity for your younger children. You’ll only need milk, food coloring, toothpicks, and dish soap. Then, you can watch as your kids get fascinated by the swirly movements of colors in the milk.
Head over to Modern Parents Messy Kids to know how to prepare the magic milk activity.
7. Box Vehicles
Normal kids watch movies sprawled on the couch, but super cool kids watch movies in homemade box vehicles. So you can give your little ones a drive-in cinema experience within the comforts of your home on a rainy day. But keep in mind that the vehicles will take a space in your house, so you need to plan where to put them.
Get the tutorial for box vehicles on Emilia Keriene.
8. Cardboard Musical Instruments
Here’s a simple craft for parents who are raising aspiring musicians. You can encourage your kids to make musical instruments using cardboard and stretchy strings. The resulting tones won’t precisely be worthy of blasting on the radio, but the fun project will provide your little ones with much-needed amusement.
Check the instructions for cardboard musical instruments on Mini Eco.
9. Kid-Made Puppets
Playing with puppets is an enjoyable classic that’ll come in handy for any upcoming rainy days. And as a creative twist, you can let your kids make the puppets. First, they’ll draw the shape they want on paper and color it. Then, you can cut it, glue it on cardboard, and join the body parts with pins.
Find out more about kid-made puppets on Kids Activities Blog.
10. Indoor Treasure Hunt
What’s more enjoyable than following clues and hunting for treasure? Nothing, of course! This activity should be number one on your to-do list on rainy days. It’ll take some preparations on your side, but it’ll provide your kids with immense fun.
Read more about the indoor treasure hunt on The Spruce.
11. Homemade Play-Dough
Play-dough can keep your kids busy for hours as they manipulate it into many different shapes. And if you don’t want to go out in the rain, you can make some using kitchen ingredients. You can also throw in some cookie cutters for added fun.
Learn more about homemade play-dough on Living Well Mom.
12. Garden Diorama
We all get rainy day blues sometimes and wish for a clear sky and sunlight. You can make this colorful garden diorama with your kids to get them all excited for spring and take them out of the gloomy mood. It’ll remind them of the sunny days and keep them distracted for a couple of hours.
Head over to First Palette to learn more about the garden diorama.
13. Cardboard Playhouse
Stormy days and overactive kids call for fresh ideas, and here’s one that you can quickly implement. You’ll make a playhouse for your little ones using cardboard and decorate it with twinkling lights. Your kids’ fascination will probably last till the storm passes, and after it does, you can put the playhouse in the garden and make it an outdoor activity.
Get the tutorial for the cardboard playhouse on Say Yes.
14. Number Hockey
Prepare a fun-filled day for your kids with this homemade number hockey game. You can use old paintbrushes for the sticks and jar lids for the pucks. As for the table, you can use masking tape on the floor to make a hockey rink.
Check the instructions for number hockey on Toddler Approved.
15. Toilet Paper Roll Train
Having a train to play with during a rainy day is a win-win situation for both kids and parents. And if your kids don’t own one, you can make a cute train out of old rolls. It’ll keep your little ones happy for a while and give peace to the entire family.
Find out more about the toilet paper roll train on Kids Activities Blog.
16. Paper Bag Houses
Your little ones can have a fun-packed rainy day with grocery bags, colored pencils, cardstock, and some creativity. They’ll make tiny houses using bags and decorate them with different colors. You can even transform the activity into a friendly competition and decide whose craft is better when they finish.
Read more about how to make paper bag houses on Inner Child Fun.
17. Rain Cloud Craft
Although your kids can’t go out on a rainy day, they can prepare a craft inspired by the gloomy weather. In this project, they’ll use paper plates to make a cloud and a sun peeking out behind it. And to make it more realistic, they can make raindrops out of colored paper and hang them by a thread from the newly-crafted cloud.
Learn how to prepare the rain cloud craft on Easy Peasy and Fun.
18. Bubble Wraps Runway
Do you have a leftover bubble wrap from a new purchase? If so, it’s time to prepare a fun craft for your kids. The preparations won’t take you much time as you’ll merely tape the wrap to the ground using painter’s tape. After you finish, your kids can either run on the wrap or use it for a car race. All in all, they’ll have massive fun going over it repeatedly.
Get the tutorial for bubble wraps runway on Hands on as We Grow.
19. Crayon Hearts
Instead of looking outside the window and seeing rain, you can encourage your kids to make a cute display to hang up and cover the dark clouds. Take those crayon hearts, for example. They’ll add cheerful vibes to your place and won’t make much of a mess. Also, they’ll give you peace for a while as your kids focus on coloring them.
Check the instructions for crayon hearts on Martha Stewart.
20. Egg Carton Masks
Egg cartons are a staple in every household, and they come in handy for homemade crafts. For instance, you can use them to make cute masks for your older kids.
They’ll have fun using them for pretend play, and the masks will make for cool photo props for any upcoming birthday parties. And you can get more egg carton crafts ideas on craftwhack.com.
Head over to Teaching Every Day to learn more about egg carton masks.
21. Tinted Mason Jars
After a storm passes, we all wait for a rainbow to come out, but sadly, sometimes it doesn’t. However, you can craft a homemade rainbow with your children using mason jars and food coloring. After you finish, your kids can organize the colors in the correct order and enjoy their new rainbow.
Find out how to make tinted mason jars on Capturing Parenthood.
22. Mini Lid Banjos
With jar lids and washi tape, you can make colorful banjos for your kids and give them the time of their lives. They’ll have tremendous fun playing music with the African instrument, and you’ll enjoy listening to the twangy tunes of the banjo.
Read more about mini lid banjos on The Craft Train.
23. Rain Clouds
Clouds look marvelous from a distance, but how about taking a much closer look? To awe your kid, you can make a cloud out of shaving cream and use food coloring to resemble colorful rainfall. The science project won’t take more than a minute to prepare, but it’ll remain in your kid’s memory for a long time.
Learn how to make rain clouds on One Little Project.
24. Miniature City
This small city project belongs in the imaginative cities’ hall of fame next to Gotham and Hogsmeade. Your kids can build their own town out of old toilet paper rolls. And if they have small toys or figurines, they can assign a mayor. How cooler can this project get?
Get the tutorial for the miniature city on Today’s Parent.
25. Origami Santa
Origami art is enjoyable, breeds beautiful results, and can keep your children distracted for as long as you need. If the little ones are getting restless because of being stuck indoors, you can use this as a chance to teach them all about paper folding. Then, you can give them simple projects to try out, like this cute Santa, for example.
Check the instructions for origami Santa on The Spruce Crafts.
26. Olaf Snow Globe
Ever since Disney’s Frozen came out, children have been obsessing over it, and we can’t blame them. The dazzling animations and loveable characters are enough to fascinate anyone. Making this Olaf snow globe will send your young ones over the moon. It’s pretty easy to craft using a mason jar and some white clay.
Find out more about the Olaf snow globe on Sister’s Suitcase.
27. Adventure Book
When bad weather hits, children reminisce about their adventure-filled days when they could go out every day. You can help them get rid of the foul mood with some cool crafts, like this one. They’ll make an adventure book that includes old memories and upcoming plans. Accordingly, you’ll get them all excited for the storm to pass and distract them for a good while.
Read more about making the adventure book on Lifestyled by Sam.
28. Puppet Theatre
People of all ages love watching the theatre. Nothing can make your children more excited than you putting on a stunning puppet show for them. Luckily, this project is easily applicable with some ready printables and a small carton box.
Learn how to make the puppet theatre on Bloesem Kids.
29. Physical Activity Cube
Do you want to prepare an enjoyable activity for the entire family? If so, you can make this entertaining physical activity cube. It’ll give both adults and children in your house some good laughs and won’t take much of your time to create.
Get the tutorial for the physical activity cube on Little Family Fun.
30. Carpet Golf
How awesome would it be if you had a mini-golf course in your home? Let us assure you that it’s possible with a bath sheet, a tennis ball, and some newspapers. Your children will be over the moon with their new game, and you’ll have a few moments of quiet for yourself during the rainy week.
Check the instructions for carpet golf on Inner Child Fun.
31. Moon Sand
Sensory experiences are of utmost importance for children, and they help the little ones gain more knowledge about different materials. Here’s an example of a sensory project you can easily prepare during a rainy week: playing with moon sand. You can create it from kitchen ingredients, and your youngsters will have a blast.
Head over to Fun 365 to learn more about making moon sand.
32. Dinosaur Terrarium
We may have no witnesses of the prehistoric era, but you and your kid can use a bit of imagination to create a terrarium full of dinosaurs and rocks.
It’ll make for a fun and educational project as you can use this chance to teach your young one all about the massive creatures that walked on the planet millions of years ago. As a bonus point, this idea will strengthen your bond and help you stay connected with your child.
Find out more about making the dinosaur terrarium on Fun 365.
33. Indoor Swing and Crash Pad
Raining means that your outdoor swing will be out of service for a while, so making an indoor swing is in order. It’s an easy craft that you can create using a length of fabric and a few pillows as a crash pad. This way, you won’t be worried as your child swings around and has fun.
Read more about the indoor swing and crash pad on Teach Me Mommy.
34. Hallway Laser Maze
Spy movies taught us all about going through laser traps, and you can challenge your childrens’ spying skills with a hallway laser maze. They’ll get to act all James Bond for a while and forget about the rainy weather. And you’ll get the moments of peace you’ve been desperately waiting for.
Learn how to prepare a hallway laser maze on It’s Always Autumn.
35. Indoor Camping Party
Before we roll the credits on our article, we’ll give you one last marvelous idea to keep your children entertained. You can organize a glorious camping party with an indoor tent, board games, s’mores, and more. Preparing the party might take a bit of effort on your side, but your childrens’ happiness will be worth the effort.
Find out more about the indoor camping party on The Gardening Cook.
Now that you have many fun ideas for the whole family, you can get ready for the beginning of the rainy week!
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