5 Rainy Day Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers {Volume One}

With spring comes many rainy days around these parts. That means we need to get creative on the days we stay inside. Those of you who care for young children during the day will understand this. Today I will be sharing the first “volume” of activities that I have done with my own little ones on days we played indoors. I will be sharing later volumes in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned! (And even if you don’t have young kids…you might just enjoy seeing some personal pics of mine throughout these posts!)

Most of these would be appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers (or even younger or older) depending on your child’s developmental stage. Sometimes I try things with my kids that work out great, and others not so much. But that is okay…it’s still fun to try. Some of these activities are obvious ones, that my kids love, and hopefully, others will get your creative wheels turning for your own creative play.

1. Finger Painting

2. “Let’s Be Pirates”

One day Hazel said to me, “Let’s be pirates!” I didn’t even know she knew much about pirates, but I guess watching an episode or two of Jake and the Neverland Pirates got her hooked (no pun intended!). So what did we do that day?

We made ourselves into pirates, of course! I found some vintage scarves in the dress up basket, and voila. Pirates we were. And yes, I got in on the fun too 🙂

We turned the living room furniture into our “ship” that we sailed away on. 

We were on the lookout for Peter Pan and as Hazel calls them, “Golden Blooms.” I love my little pirate girl.

If your own kids aren’t into the whole pirate thing, you can easily find other themes that they love and build a play activity around that. I know that it can be a lot of work putting all the furniture and props back where they belong, but my daughter still remembers the day that we played this. When you surprise your kids by getting “all in” with their game, it can create lasting memories.

3. Sensory Play

Another great activity on a day spent indoors is creative sensory play. Hazel has always loved Play-Doh and does really well with it, but as I mentioned earlier, Owen puts everything in his mouth. When they were a bit younger, I found a way that he could have some fun experimenting, while Hazel had her fun with Play-Doh.

Some oatmeal and a little bit of water! I also threw in some white sprinkles just for fun. Even Hazel wanted in on this.

There are so many possibilities for sensory bins that even babies can have fun with. If you do a search on Pinterest you will find loads of ideas. Since both of mine have gotten older, the types of items have broadened.

The most recent included seashells, glass beads and chess pieces (although I still didn’t let Owen have any smaller pieces, since he still puts lots of things in his mouth.)

4. Cooking Together

5. Play Grocery Store

The last rainy day activity for this round is to create a play grocery store. I actually have just as much fun doing this as they do I think (funny though…because going to the actual grocery store is worse than the dentist for me).

You don’t need any fancy toys either. One time, I cleared out our toy shelf and filled it with different varieties of foods/store items. I filled them with empty boxes from the recycling or unopened packages along with some play food. I even added a little “baby” section with diapers and bottles we had on hand.

We made our own play money with green construction paper and markers.

Hazel and I took turns shopping and playing cashier. When she is the cashier each item costs, “Sixty dollars,” or “One dollar.” Gotta love playing with kids!

I hope you enjoyed these and will come back for more!