It's raining, it's pouring, the kids are saying it's boring. When the weather's not on your side, there are still plenty of free, entertaining ways to while away the day. We've got the lowdown of what to do on a rainy day with kids — perfect for the inevitably soggy February half-term holiday.
From creative pasttimes and active pursuits to snuggle time and tasty treats, plus where to head when you need a change of scene, we've got plenty of inspiration for free rainy day fun.
Creative
There are so many imaginative, crafty and creative ways to while away a rainy day.
1. Family tree. Delve into the past with this creative activity that involves history, story-telling and art — and can easily take up hours of a rainy day. The kids can learn more about their roots (#sorrynotsorry) and represent their genealogy in a beautiful display. It's educational, interesting and colourful. There are lots of different video tutorials online to give you some inspo, like this DIY family tree step-by-step courtesy of School Projects.
2. Junk models. You don't need expensive craft materials to create a masterpiece — your recycling box is home to all sorts of wonderful materials just waiting to be remade into something fun. The kids could take on the cardboard box challenge, and turn it into robot/car/dolls house/theatre/you name it.
3. Origami. Got some paper? Then they can while away hours carefully folding it into all manner of clever creatures and shapes. You don't need to shell out on fancy origami paper — just take the top corner of an A4 piece of paper and fold it diagonally across to the other side, and cut off the bottom strip; this turns your rectangle into a square, and sets you on your merry way. You also don't need to buy a pricey instruction book; visit the Gary Easy Origami YouTube channel for free video tutorials suitable for children, from frogs to basketball toys.
4. Drawing games. Sticking with the paper theme, they can get their imagination going with funny pictures during a classic drawing game. Heads, Bodies, Legs involves folding a piece of paper into three, and hiding the other two sections while each person draws one of the parts. Cue plenty of laughs as bizarre character combos are revealed.
5. Homemade playdough. Avoid any chance of paper cuts by whiling away a rainy day with the soft squishy stuff. And you can make your own playdough with ingredients you'll probably already have in your kitchen cupboard; the BBC Good Food play dough recipe simply calls for plain flour, table salt, vegetable oil and warm water. If you have glycerine and cream of tartar, then I find Imagination Tree's play dough recipe a fantastic option. A bit of food colouring gives them a choice of colours, and cookie cutters are great tools for easy shaping.
6. Science experiments. They can get creative with a science angle thanks to a DIY experiment using store cupboard ingredients. Dig out the bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, washing up liquid and optional red food colouring, and get ready for explosive fun — literally — with a bubbling volcano on your dining table. The Natural History Museum shows you how to make a volcano.
7. Activity sheets. There are lots of free printables online for colouring in or puzzles to complete, but if you want a one-stop-shop then check out Twinkl. It's full of entertaining, educational resources, and there's currently a 30-day free trial at Twinkl. Need to stock up on colouring pens and paints? Check out VoucherCodes' crafty discount codes for retailers like Baker Ross, Hobbycraft, Ryman, The Works and WHSmith.
8. Sock puppets. Find a use for all those odd socks by turning them into sock puppets. This can be as easy or elaborate as they like, as they use pipe cleaners, pens, googly eyes and other pieces of fabric to create crazy creatures. They can then put on a show with their newfound friends.
9. Scrapbooks. Many an hour of a drizzly day can be spent sticking special pictures and mementoes into a scrapbook. They don't need an actual scrapbook, either — any old exercise book, notebook, or diary will do, or even just sheets of paper stapled together. They can add tickets, photos, drawings, etc. to their special book, and decorate it with pens, pencils and patterns.
10. Rock painting. If you have a selection of pebbles at home, they can become an artist's canvas with a lick of paint (or deco pens). Make ladybirds and bees, friendly monsters, fish, or any kind of pattern of their choosing.
Snuggly
Make a duvet day extra entertaining with these ideas for chilled out snuggle time.
11. Fort. You can't beat a homemade den/fort for a classic rainy day chill-out zone. Grab some chairs and blankets/sheets and they've got the basic structure sorted. Add some cushions to the floor, and then set up whatever entertainment they'd like in there. So much more interesting than the sofa.
12. Movie afternoon. Cuddle up in the den/fort/on the sofa and get a film on. Make it extra exciting by closing the blinds/curtains, grabbing a bowl of popcorn (more on that below) and getting into PJs.
13. Read. You can't really beat burying your nose in a good book for a classic rainy day snugglefest. Bring the duvets downstairs, hunker down and get reading — whether that's a novel, a comic book or a magazine. The kids could even write reviews once they've finished.
14. Write letters. For any nostalgic, curling up and writing a letter is a wonderful way to reconnect with analogue life. Putting pen to paper to construct a message to a loved one feels so different to typing on a phone or computer, and it's a great opportunity for them to hone their handwriting skills. The recipient will be thrilled too. Or they could write fan mail to their idols, or even send handwritten messages to their toys and teddies.
15. Write a newspaper/magazine. If they're into writing, then they can take it even further by crafting a whole newspaper or magazine. Just the job for staying snuggly indoors when it's chucking down outside.
16. Pamper party. Get the cucumber slices ready! What could be more decadent than cosying up in a robe and treating yourselves to at-home spa treatments, from painting nails to luxuious bubble baths.
17. Board games. Getting everyone together for a board game-fest is the perfect way to hunker down.
18. Jigsaws. Keep your PJs on and get ready for a day of puzzles. The kids could choose to work together on a large jigsaw — 500 pieces is the limit for most older kids, while the younger ones will probably find 24-piece puzzles the right level of challenge vs reward. Or you could turn it into a contest with competitive puzzling, where they each have their own small puzzle to complete against each other. This can work across different ages, with smaller ones having a smaller number of pieces.
19. Building blocks challenge. Get the LEGO/Megablocks/etc. out and get building. You don't need a set to enjoy a challenge — try the Build Together mode in the LEGO Builder app, or keep it really simple: who can build the tallest tower in one minute, who can sort the bricks into colours fastest, etc.
20. Pen and paper games. Get comfy on the sofa and get those old-fashioned games going: hangman, noughts and crosses, battleships, Pictionary, you get the idea...
Active
You don't have to sit still just because it's raining, as the energetic activities prove.
21. Puddle jumping. Of course, we can't talk about rainy days without mentioning the joy of jumping in puddles! Get the wellies and brollies out and take advantage of the fresh rain fun.
22. Party games. Why wait for a birthday when you can crack out the party games on any (rainy) day? Let Netmums inspire you with the best party games, from duck duck goose to follow the leader.
23. Balloon games. Balloons can be the basis for various active games, from keepy-uppy to relay races.
24. The floor is lava. Spread some cushions around the floor and you've got your islands, which the kids have to hop to and from, avoiding the hot 'lava' of the floor. You can turn it into a competition to see who can make their way around every island the fastest.
25. Obstacle course. Take that game to the next level by creating a whole course of obstacles to climb over/under. Parents.com has ideas for how to turn your living room into an obstacle course (and keep the kids safe), from tunnels to mazes.
26. Dance competitions. Turn up the music and get dancing. If the kids need a bit more direction rather than just freestyle, you could play musical statues, musical chairs, musical bumps and musical dress-up — where you dump a heap of clothes on the sofa, and then shout out an item they have to put on when the music pauses.
27. Fun workouts. You don't have to leave home to get a sweat on. Joe Wicks's kids workouts to do at home YouTube playlist gives you plenty of options for a quick blast of energy.
28. Circuits. If your kids are used to high-energy activities, you could get them doing a circuit workout thanks to Workout Hotel's Kids Circuit Drill Workout YouTube video, which involves the likes of lateral shuffles, squats, leap frogs, high knees, bear crawls, hopscotch and more.
29. Treasure hunt. Hide some clues around your home and get the kids' brains active as well as their bodies, as they race to find the 'treasure' (aka biscuit/tempting thing of your choosing!) first.
30. Shows. Whether they love to tell jokes, act, sing, play music, recite poetry, speak in funny voices, do their times tables mega fast — whatever their talent is, they can display it for all the world (the members of your household) to enjoy in their very own show.
Tasty
Rainy days are the perfect excuse to create a feast in the kitchen with basic ingredients.
31. Pizza faces. Make pizza more interesting by turning it into an edible artwork. Set out the toppings and the kids can get creative with their arrangements — olives for eyes, a tomato for a nose, sweetcorn for teeth, pepperoni cheeks, grated cheese for hair, the ideas go on. You can cheat at the 'pizza' too, and just use wraps as the bases.
32. Picnic. Who needs a dry park when you can set up a picnic blanket in the comfort of your own home? Sandwiches, fruit and crisps (aka classic packed lunch) is so much more appealing when it's presented as a picnic.
33. Smoothie inventions. If you've got plenty of fruit in the bowl, let them go wild creating their own smoothie concoctions — coming up with a name is all part of the fun, too.
34. Afternoon tea. Looking for something a bit more involved? Then get your bake on with a full afternoon tea spread. The kids can make scones, cupcakes and little sandwiches to serve on pretty plates.
35. Bake Off competition. Competitive kids? Make that rainy afternoon baking session more tempting by turning it into a Bake Off contest, complete with tasting, judging... and hopefully no soggy bottoms.
36. Popcorn flavours. Having a movie afternoon while the rain pours down? Then make your snacks all the more interesting by trying out some new popcorn flavours. Buy kernels and pop them yourself, before dividing into bowls and seasoning with different toppings. BBC Good Food's popcorn recipes range from brown sugar and cinnamon to bombay popcorn mix. Or make Jamie Oliver's marmite popcorn — yep, they'll either love it or hate it.
37. Hot chocolate fun. What rainy day is complete without a hot chocolate? And the kids can make it interactive by going wild with the toppings — squirty cream, mini marshmallows, choc chips and biscuit pieces are fair game.
38. Pancake bar. Continuing with the toppings theme, make pancakes more delicious with a range of extras — chocolate spread, sliced bananas, Lotus Biscoff spread, maple syrup, and so on. Shrove Tuesday falls on 13 February in 2024, so it's fitting for February half-term. I love John Torode's buttermilk pancake recipe for thick ones (you can substitute buttermilk for regular milk), and Delia Smith's basic pancake recipe for thin crepe-style.
39. Fruity ice cubes. Fruit juice, small pieces of fruit, and an ice cube tray (plus a freezer) are all you need to rustle up something colourful and tasty ice cubes that can then float and flavour a glass of water.
40. Cafe/restaurant. Food fun doesn't just have to be about what you're eating, it can also be about the whole experience — which is why opening up a cafe or restaurant in your home is a great way to embrace a rainy day. The kids can write out menus, use notepads as order pads, get toys to be customers, and even use play food.
Out and about
There's no need to only hunker down inside thanks to these free outings ideal for bad weather days.
41. Library. Your local library is a haven on a wet/windy day, and can keep the kids occupied as they slowly examine the shelves of the kids section to find the perfect read to take back home. Many libraries also have activities and events like story times and music 'boogies'.
42. Museum/gallery. If you're lucky enough to live near a free museum or gallery (or can get in for free by proving you're a local resident) then that's the perfect place to explore when the weather's inclement.
43. Garden centre. You can't beat a garden centre for some fun, free idling away of an hour or two. There might be swing seats to try out, flowers to guess the names of, gnomes to arrange, or play houses to explore.
44. Woodland walk. As long as it's not chucking it down, the kids might be up for some fresh air with a walk — brollies at the ready — and woodlands are the perfect place, as the canopy of trees often provides more shelter from the rain too. You could make it more interactive by taking a spotter sheet with you, or coming up with your own list of things to find, like a stone, twig, leaf, feather, etc.
Whatever you do on the next rainy day, we hope you have lots of fun!
