Rainy days can turn into long, boring days for children and stressful days for adults. The key to keeping children happy is to keep them busy! Indoor games, art supplies, science fun, and experiments for kids are just a few of the many things you may find helpful. Fun activities that keep kids busy are a great way to pass the time on rainy days. This is an extensive list of 48 activities you can use for rainy days at home or at school.
1. Directed Drawing
Directed drawing is always a fun way to pass the time on a rainy day with a classroom full of restless kiddos. Have students grab a sheet of paper and follow your directions as they craft a cute illustration on their own. They can paint or color it afterward too.
Learn More: Education to the Core
2. Play Dress Up
Imaginations can run wild when you are dressed as your favorite superhero, princess, or other character or profession. Students enjoy wearing dress-up gear and using items that make them feel submerged in the role they are dressed in.
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3. Independent I Spy Sheets
This "I spy" printable is a great way to practice blending words and matching vocabulary to those words. Students can color the items as they find them and match them to the written word. All you need is a sheet of paper to print this fun, indoor activity.
Learn More: Education to the Core
4. Balloon Hockey
Rainy days do not mean that you can't also have fun game days! You just have to bring the outdoor games inside and put a little twist on them! This is a fun way to play hockey safely inside the house. Use balloons to keep it safe and indoor-friendly!
Learn More: Happy Mom Hacks
5. Balloon Tennis
Another outdoor game that can be adapted indoors is tennis. Students can create makeshift tennis racquets out of wooden spoons and paper plates. They can use a balloon instead of a ball so game days can still happen indoors as well.
Learn More: Happy Mom Hacks
6. Hide and Seek
Pass the time by playing hide and seek or by finding hidden objects. Let students play the classic children's game or hide an object and provide clues for your students to find the hidden object. You can guide them around by saying if they are "hot" or "cold" until they find the hidden objects.
Learn More: Real Simple
7. Make Your Own Movie Theater
Making your own movie theater or family movie night is a lot of fun! Pop some fresh popcorn, pick a favorite movie to watch, and snuggle in for a nice time together. This would work in your classroom on pajama day as well.
Learn More: My Kids Time
8. LEGO Building Contest
A fun building competition is always a great way to inspire some friendly competition within the family home or the classroom. Have students brainstorm and decide on a design before tackling the work of building and seeing the model design through.
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9. Indoor Scavenger Hunt
An indoor scavenger hunt is easy to make into what you want it to be. Give a sheet of paper with a simple checklist or give clues for children to find things by using the clues. Either way is a fun way to spend a rainy day.
Learn More: My Kids Time
10. Play Dough Marble Maze
Creating a marble run is a fun way to pass some time on a rainy day. Let students create their own marble maze to see how fast they can get through the jumble. Kick it up a notch by doing timed runs to see who can make it through the fastest.
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11. Make Slime
Schedule some sensory time and let little ones create their own slime. This is fairly easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. Let students add color or even glitter to make it their own fun design. Students can carry this with them and use it whenever they'd like.
Learn More: Mom Life Made Easy
12. Pretend Nail Salon
Dramatic play is often overlooked by bigger kids. Some of the older students would love to paint the nails different colors on all the different traced hands. This will provide a lot of fun for the friends in your classroom.
Learn More: Happy Toddler Playtime
13. Cotton Balls Flower Painting
Cotton ball painting involves gluing cotton balls to a cardboard surface and making them into a shape or object, like flowers or an animal. Then students can paint the cotton balls, really bringing the picture to life. This is great for improving motor skills.
Learn More: Happy Toddler Playtime
14. Create a Map of Your City
Engage students in talking about the town or city in which they live. List places and talk about where things are located in relation to each other. Show maps of places and describe how a map has a key. Help them make their map key and guide them to create their own maps.
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15. Craft Stick Harmonicas
Making some craft stick harmonicas is a great way to spend a rainy day. This craft, turned actor, is a fun way to make some music within your classroom! Students can also decorate and design it to look however they want.
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16. Cardboard Rainbow Collage
Rainbow crafts are perfect for rainy days. These rainbow collages are perfect for keeping little ones busy, or even older students. Use a variety of shades of each color for a beautiful finished product of a rainbow.
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17. Fireworks Painting Craft
Another great activity that allows for recycling, this fireworks painting activity is fun and super easy. Literally cut the paper towel rolls, dab them in paint, and put them back down on paper. Layer colors on top of each other to create beautiful effects.
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18. Paper Plate Snail Craft
Paper plate snails will really bring out the creativity of students. Students can create patterns or just make a long line of their favorite beads to use as decoration on their snail shells. Great fine motor practice as well, students will love this one!
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19. Bluebird Paper Plate Craft
Spring brings many rainy days and this little bird is a great craft for one of those days! This little bluebird can be made with paper plates, tissue paper, foam, and wiggly eyes. Super easy and fun, and turns out so cute!
Learn More: This N That with Olivia
20. Start a Journal
Encourage students to express their thoughts and feelings in a journal. Provide prompts but also allow free writing. Encourage younger students to draw and label pictures until they are able to write more on their own.
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21. Grow A Rainbow
Rainy days sometimes bring rainbows. This little experiment is a fun one for students to try at home or at school on a rainy day. It is simple and requires a paper towel, some markers, and water. Students will be amazed as they watch their rainbows grow!
Learn More: The Best Ideas for Kids
22. Salt Painting
Salt painting is a fun, multi-step process that will use fine motor skills and imagination! Students can design art and make it colorful with this activity. Teachers can use this on rainy days to add a little art to a unit or lesson.
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23. Game Day
Classic games, like Monopoly and checkers, are great options for rainy day activities. Students will enjoy playing games together and challenging themselves. This is a great way to practice social skills, critical thinking skills, and cooperation with others.
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24. Singing Competition or Talent Show
Calm the family chaos or classroom business by scheduling a talent show. Let everyone decide what talent they want to feature. Whether it is singing a song, performing a magic trick, or a dance, each student can feel valued and special by showcasing their special skills.
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25. Try a New Science Experiment
Experiments for kids are ways to get students thinking, observing, and making predictions. Let them brainstorm about science fun they want to learn more about and create a list of fun science experiments to try on rainy days or even during your indoor recess. Then, create a list of items you will need for those experiments.
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26. Create a Sensory Box or Bin
Creating a sensory bin can be a lot of fun on a rainy day. Let students choose themes and create the bin together in small groups. Then, they can switch bins with other groups and have some time to explore the different sensory bins.
Learn More: Special Learning House
27. Lacing Cards
Lacing cards are a great way to work on fine motor skills and practice lacing string around cardboard objects, like animals. Students can create a simple game of competing for the fastest time.
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28. Play BINGO
BINGO is a game that students love! They love working towards a possible prize, for the winner! You can make a variety of BINGO cards, like letter recognition, math problems, sight words, or many other topics that need practice.
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29. Origami Frogs
Origami is fun for rainy days because the end result is so much fun to share. Students can be proud of the product they created by the time they finish this activity. Teachers and parents love origami because it only requires a sheet of paper and some instructions.
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30. Paper Plate Ring Toss
Creating a paper plate ring toss is quick, simple, and fun. Add some paint for a bit of color and let students enjoy playing this game! This is a perfect indoor recess game for students who still want to play on a rainy day.
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31. Marshmallow Toothpick House
Bring STEM activities into the classroom on rainy days to help students use critical thinking skills with having fun with indoor activities. Toothpicks and mini marshmallows are great for building structures. See who can make the strongest, biggest, or tallest!
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32. Bottletop Leaf Boats
This is a fun outdoor activity for a rainy day. Students can create their own bottle-top leaf boats and floats them in the rain puddles. They can experiment with different size tops for bottles and design their own small boats to float on the water.
Learn More: Learning 4 Kids
33. Q-Tip Painting
Painting with everyday items, like Q-tips, is a lot of fun for students and makes for an easy task for teachers. Students can put their own spin on this artwork and will enjoy project ideas like this one. All you need is craft paper, paint, and Q-tips.
Learn More: Artful Parent
34. Indoor Treasure Hunt or Scavenger Hunt
Better than a board game, this printable treasure map and scavenger hunt is a ton of fun! You could let students find clues along the way to help lead them to the answer. You could even incorporate math by having them solve to get answers that will lead them to the next clue.
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35. Homemade Rain Gauge
What better way to check out the rainfall than to create a rain gauge? Students can create this using household item, like a recycled two-liter bottle. Students can measure out and mark the bottle to keep a watch on the amount of water collected.
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36. Glass Xylophone
Creating a glass xylophone is a good way to create science fun for kids. Indoor activities like this are good for allowing students to explore concepts in science on their own. It can be done at your desk at school or at the kitchen table at home.
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37. Play Dough Task Cards
These play dough task cards are good for motor skills. Give each student a box with some task cards and a tub of play dough and let them create the object, number, or letter. This is great for creative minds that like hands-on tasks and need a break from time to time.
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38. Volcanoes
For a super cool, but very simple science experiment, try making volcanoes. This could be an outdoor activity or an indoor activity if it is rainy. For an added twist, let students choose a color to add to the lava that will erupt in each volcano.
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39. Color or Paint
Sometimes it is nice to just sit down and relax by coloring or painting something of your choice. Let students relax by choosing an abstract picture to color or paint. Of, if they are feeling super artistic, let them draw their own pictures first!
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40. Rainbow Windsock
Students will enjoy making a colorful rainbow windsock. While they can use it on a rainy day, they can make it and save it for a windy day! This is also great for including in a weather unit or to study weather patterns.
Learn More: Mum in the Mad House
41. Potato Sack Race
If you need a break from the same old dance party idea for indoor recess, try a fun game of sack races. You can use pillowcases and map out a course to see who can get to the end first. Be mindful that this is probably best done on carpeted floors.
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42. Practice Yoga
Staying active can be fun on rainy days, too! Practicing yoga inside can be a great way to bring outdoor games and activities inside. This would also be a great idea to include indoor recess games. Students can learn poses and practice peaceful relaxation.
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43. Marble Painting
Marble painting may look messy, but it is contained well. This craft is a great indoor recess activity or can be used as a fun art project. Students can move around as they use craft supplies to create a beautiful masterpiece.
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44. Make a Pet Rock
Pet rocks are a thing of the past, but you can bring them back on rainy days! Rock painting is a lot of fun, but creating your own pet rock will be even more fun. All you need is a rock from outside and some art supplies to decorate it and make it your own.
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45. Virtual Field Trip
Taking a virtual field trip is a great way to bring the outside world into your classroom. Use interactive videos to visit places around the globe, while students take in the sights and explore other places. Your students may have lots of ideas about where they want to go!
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46. Leaf Suncatchers
Bright, colorful crafts like this one are great for use as decoration around the house. Use these suncatchers in the windows when the sun returns and then later you can retire them to your at-home art gallery. You can add whatever colors you'd like.
Learn More: The Best Ideas for Kids
47. Artsy Paper Airplanes
Artsy paper airplanes are fun to make and fun to fly! Students can use a printable template to create their paper airplanes or fold their own. They can decorate it and color it before sending it into flight. Add this to your indoor recess ideas list and let students have competitions to see whose plane can fly the furthest.
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48. Monster Truck Painting
Boys and girls will love this unique painting experience. Use monster trucks to zip through the paint and create a very cool and speedy work of art. Students will enjoy the play involved in this artwork!
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