Rainy day fun
Laci Miller, 2, and mom, Danielle Miller, of Springettsbury Township plan for puddle jumping on a recent rainy day.
By NANCY POSTER for Smart
April showers might bring May flowers, but it also brings bored, restless kids and irritated parents.
So, short of turning on the TV, what can parents do to bust the boredom on a cold rainy day?
Give these activities a try.
1. Make and fly paper airplanes. Click here
for step-by-step instructions and here for decals to personalize your aircraft.
2. Create a rainy day sandbox. Fill a large plastic bin with dry pasta, dry beans or rice. Then give the kids measuring cups, spoons or sand toys for digging.
3. Create your own word search puzzles, or click here for puzzles we created.
4. Make a book of favorites, such as favorite toys, animals, bugs, flowers or foods. Look through old magazines, cards or surf the Web for images to glue onto the pages.
5. Line up empty plastic soda bottles, get a rubber ball and bowl.
6. Go to a local appliance store and ask for a large refrigerator box. Break out the scissors, glitter, paints, crayons and markers to create a giant fort or spaceship.
7. Have an indoor “snowball” fight using wadded up sheets of newspaper. Then, see who can gather the most balls into a bag for recycling.
8. Make a “Book About Me” using photos and scrapbooking supplies. Some topics could include: height, hobbies, friends, sports, loves, dislikes. Some of your child’s answers might surprise you and lead to a great conversation.
9. Have a scavenger hunt. Make a list of things for children to find, such as loose change, a paper clip, a rubber band or a colored marker. Throw in some that require some thought, such as “something with teeth but not a mouth” (a comb). Set the timer and go.
10. Finger paint with chocolate pudding on a paper plate, then lick the plate clean.
11. Raid the house for dress up stuff: a scarf to turn into a boa, a colander for a hat, high heels or ties. Put them in a laundry basket, turn on some music and ask the kids to put on a fashion show.
12. Build tents out of blankets and pretend you’re camping. For an added touch, make s’mores in the microwave.
13. Make musical instruments: a paper plate can become a tambourine, plastic bottles filled with beans make perfect shakers and used paper towel rolls can make a horn. Have a rainy day parade.
Sources include: www.redshift.com and
http://utut.essortmentcom
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