Nothing makes a parent’s heart sink quicker than seeing it’s bucketing with soak-you-through-in-minutes rain on a day you planned to be outdoors with the kids, especially when it’s the half-term holidays. But, rather than feeling cooped up and cross, embrace the chance to be together as a family. Next time torrential rain’s predicted, have a look at some of these indoor fun suggestions from parents.
“We have a craft box which sounds smug but it basically just lots of loo rolls and plastic bottles, poster paints, glue, pipe cleaners and paper plates and cups. My kids love it when I challenge them to make a specific thing, like a scary monster or the dinosaur that hasn’t been discovered yet or a face mask.” Angela
“Get baking. Then tuck into your culinary creations in front of a good film together.” Jane
“My kids are allowed to sledge down the stairs if they’re going stir crazy. We use a super slidey tray and a couple of those little bottom shaped sledges. Top tip: put a mattress or pile of cushions at the end of the stair run to break falls and don’t do if you’re aged over ten - the bumps hurt when you’re big!” Pat
“I think we have a tendency to over-organise our children. Rainy days are a great opportunity to rediscover favourite toys, lose yourself in a good book, watch a film or just sit and daydream. The best thing we can do on rainy days is do nothing and leave children to their own devices and imagination.” Bree
“Last time it was raining ferociously, we made puppets out of loo roll cardboard tubes and cheap wooden spoons. Then the kids spent hours bickering furiously but happily creating a play they eventually put on for us, crouched under the kitchen table. It was lovely.” Maria
“When my children are at a loose end, homemade play dough is always a good calm-down recipe and children love making it. Make sure you keep it in an airtight container or you end up with lots of brown balls.“Jasmine
“We often make pizzas. Kneading the base, watching it rise, then rolling it out is always great fun. Then they can put whatever they like as a topping on the tomato base, like salami, mushrooms, tomatoes, grated cheese. Sweetcorn and chocolate spread was not a huge success - but we love remembering Joe’s face of pretend yumminess.” Kate
“Challenge the kids to make their own maps. I keep a roll of wallpaper on craft standby. They love sitting together, talking about the imaginary worlds they’re making, the armies invading and the rivers and forests.” Jerry
“Make an indoor den with blankets and sheets strung over upturned chairs or behind a sofa. It can be anything they want - a base for games or just a comfy place to chill out and watch a film or read a book.” Mary
“Nothing beats a lazy afternoon watching a family film, all snuggled up together a blanket. It’s lovely to slow down sometimes.” Anne-Marie
“Children love playing cards, board games and ‘who am I?’ Our current favourite is Bananagram - much faster than Scrabble.” Dan
And the last (hearty) word goes to Tom:
“I’m Norwegian and we have a saying, ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.’ If your kids are in all-in-one snowsuits or rain-overalls and wellies, they don’t notice the weather. Don’t change your plans because of a bit of rain - just get out there in the right kit.”