Rainy Days and Toddlers: A Survival Guide

Two days ago I had the opportunity and joy of playing with two wonderful toddlers on an absolutely rainy day. Now, for most people that would be very discouraging because 1. you are playing with two hyperactive toddlers 2. it is rainy 3. you are playing with two hyperactive toddlers inside the house when all they really want to do is run around in the rain. Well, my friend Emma and I were up to the challenge. We used the knowledge that the kids wanted to be outside playing in the rain to our advantage as we planned the activities for the day that morning. We were able to combine the fun of playing in the rain with the shelter of playing inside and pack a bunch of activities into one hyperactive morning! So here is a list of activities that I like the call Rainy Days and Toddlers: A Survival Guide.

ACTIVITY 1

Activity 1 was our first activity for the day. Emma and I showed up while the kids were eating breakfast so we used that time to prepare for them the . . . Water Balloon Hunt. This activity is as easy as the title makes it seem. We filled up 16 water balloons (8 for each kid) and hid them all over the backyard. When the kids finished breakfast we helped them put on their rain boots and they were able to hunt for the water balloons in the rain (there was only a slight drizzle but it did fulfill their desire to play in the rain for the day.)

 The kids had so much fun finding the water balloons but I think the best part for the both of them was getting to throw and break them after all 16 where found. They had a blast throwing the balloons at the ground and watching them shatter as the water went everywhere! I definitely suggest this activity if you find yourself needing to entertain toddlers on a slightly rainy day.

ACTIVITY 2

After we cleaned up the water balloons and got the kids dried off, Emma and I got to work on our second activity for the day . . . SNOW!

Do not be deceived, we did not actually make it snow (we do not possess that kind of power). This activity is super easy. All that is needed is a can of shaving cream, baking soda, a mixing bowl and stirring spoons. Just put some baking soda and shaving cream in a mixing bowl, mix it all up and tada! Snow! 

We added some blue sprinkles to ours to give it a little bit of color (NOT EDIBLE! I repeat: NOT EDIBLE). This is simply a cheap, homemade version of Moon Sand but keeps the kids entertained for at least 30 minutes, giving you some time to relax, or get started on the next adventure!

ACTIVITY 3

The drizzle had subsided, for the time being, so we took the kids outside for some chalk painting. The ingredients for chalk paint is simple. All you really need is some Powdered Kool-Aid, cornstarch, and water. Mix together different flavors of Kool-Aid with the cornstarch and water, and you have homemade chalk paint. This is super easy to use on freshly wet pavement, which was perfect for what we were doing.

ACTIVITY 4

Jello Jigglers! Eeep! This one was so much fun to make! It takes about 30 minutes and is something that you would need to actually need to make (hot water and kids are not a good idea) but is super fun for the kids to watch. We let them help stir the powdered flavoring concoction so that they really felt like they were apart of the process. The rest of the time they watched as we mixed the boiling water with the fruity powder to create the Jello liquid! The fun in Jello Jigglers is that you get the congeal the Jello into different shapes using different molds. We used a racecar mold, making 15 Jello treats for the kids to enjoy later!

For the rest of the morning (all 45 minutes of what was left of it) we took the kids outside to play with chalk on the now dry pavement! While Emma watched the kidlings, I ran home and got my dog, Brighton, so that they could play with him before they were called in for lunch. The two had a blast chasing him around the front yard and Brighton had a fun time with the toddlers too. 

It was truly the perfect end to a rainy morning!

So, if you ever find yourself with some joyful, hyperactive toddlers on a rainy day, try some of these activities. They are super simple but will have the kids smiling, laughing, moving, and OCCUPIED for the the day!

Do you have any specific games or activities that you like to play with kids on rainy days?