For children there is almost nothing worse than being cooped up inside on a rainy day.

And for grownups, the constant refrains of ‘I’m bored!’ and ‘when will the rain stop?’ are enough to send anyone around the bend. So what to do? Why not plan ahead for some of these rainy days by keeping a list of fun, indoor activities at the ready. On the next dreary day, you’ll be a hero for fending off the blahs.

Sarah on ‘Being Creative’

‘Rainy days offer the perfect opportunity to exercise the creative, right half of your brain. Rather than mope, declare the next rainy day ‘funhouse day.’ Turn off the TV and give yourself and all of your family members the license to let loose and have some fun. If your children are old enough, challenge them make up a game and then play it with the whole family. Last Sunday it rained all day, and my nieces and nephews, who were staying with us, invented a ‘name game’ that had us all howling with laughter. That was followed by a rowdy round of charades. And then we capped off the day by sitting in a circle and making up a story, where each person had to build on the sentence created by the person on their right. Those games turned a gray day into a bright one.’

Alicia on ‘Great Memories’

‘My four-year-old daughter loves to sing and dance. Lucy has a great creative mind and loves to put on a show. So when it rains, we make Lucy the star of the show and capture them on home videos. We’ve played dress up, sung karaoke, made dance videos, and put on wacky plays. Lucy’s all time favorite is to get dressed up in my outfits, shoes and makeup and put on a fashion show. I snap pictures and at the end of the show, sit with Lucy at the computer to make a photo album. Those cute albums always make me laugh when I look at them later. So go ahead, let them pick out their own unique outfits and strut their stuff as you ‘ohhh’ and ‘ahhh’ over their new styles.’

Here are some tips for a rainy day to entertain your kids for a day full of fun:

#1: Furniture Fun
Plan a trip to an imaginary land and build the adventure in your living room! Make a furniture obstacle course leading to a blanket covered cave in your living room. Be creative and make sure to add some challenges along the way — kids love tunnels and forts made with blankets and sheets draped over chairs and tables. At the end of the course, create a spot where they can camp out and eat funky snacks, listen to music, and hang out. For excitement, turn out all the lights and give everyone flashlights while they are going through the obstacle course.

#2: Make your own Playdough!
Making your own Playdough is inexpensive and easy, and when you make your own, there is no reason to be concerned if it ends up in your son’s mouth!

Here are the ingredients:
7-8 cups all-purpose or bread flour
3 cups salt
3 tablespoons cream of tartar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 cups hot water
Food coloring

First, mix the dry ingredients, then add in the wet ones and mix kneed by hand for 8-10 minutes or in a dough hook mixer for 5-6 minutes. Add in the food coloring with the wet ingredients if one color is sufficient to save time! Store it in a sealed container and if it becomes to dry knead in a dribble of water.

#3: Creative Creatures
Take sets of three index cards and line them horizontally, stacked on top of each other on a table. On the top piece, have your kids draw heads, on the middle piece have them draw matching bodies, and on the bottom piece, have them draw the legs and feet to their creatures. After your kids have drawn a few people and animals, mix and match the heads, bodies, and legs to create silly creatures.