How do you Keep Kids Happy on Rainy Days?

A Guide to Keeping Your Kids Happy on Rainy Days

For adults and teens rainy days are great: you have the perfect excuse to stay inside, curl up on the couch and catch up with your favorite TV show or video game. Yet for little ones, rainy days force them to face the prospect of one more dreaded day stuck inside the house. When you use this guide to keeping your kids happy on rainy days for tips and tricks, rainy days don’t have to equal boredom for the kiddos!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Howdy Partner! Mayhem in a Cowboy Costume.

Boredom Busters for Rainy Days

Click through the links below for fun activities on how to keep kids happy on rainy days.

Get Creative with Painting

Painting doesn’t have to be just painting anymore; try some fun ideas, like painting with spaghetti, or paint rocks to look like ladybugs (on a drier day before the rain started, of course) or try finger painting in a fun new way. If you're up for it, let the kids try face painting with you as their model!

Maybe you have a designated kids' playroom and you want to get creative with a spare bit of white wall that's just begging for a splash of bright color. You can always paint your wall like a chalkboard and let the kids go wild!

If you're organized, you can prep for rainy day activities during the summer by collecting interesting seashells at the beach or walnuts in the yard, and saving them for a rainy day when you and the kids can paint the shells all kinds of creative ways!

Entertain All of Their Senses

As you know, younger kids are receptive to nearly anything entertaining, so don’t underestimate the power of visual and aural stimulation. Whether it’s a colorful cartoon on the TV or sound waves making the floor vibrate with their favorite childhood tunes, you can use this stimulation as a spin off for a drawing activity like this cartoon anime lesson.

Oh, how times have changed!

Also, you may want to consider investing a little more in home tech equipment for a true all-round experience; for example, thewireszone.com has a great range of audio and video equipment, including amplifiers to really fill up the house on those gloomy weather days. With all those beats pumping though the house, you'll be up dancing on the ceiling! Seriously though, dancing with your kids is the best rainy day boredom buster ever!!

Use the Furniture to Your Advantage

If you have a large living space with plenty of couches and chairs, consider building a lion's den or a makeshift maze for the kids. You can move the furniture around and even drape the furniture in towels and bed sheets to create a cozy tent or tepee area for the kids to crawl into and stay quiet for a while. Ask Alexa to read a story while you catch up on some chores.

Decorate with Fairy Lights. Photo Credit: Amazon

Add a sensory element by placing toys and books inside the blankets and light it up with funky fairy lights to make it a space the kiddos will never want to leave (until the sun comes out, of course.)

Catch up with Chores

It doesn't sound like the most fun thing to do, but if you have a whole bunch of household tasks you need to catch up with – and a rainy day just so happens to present an opportunity to do just that – then make the kids pitch in and get all those chores done together.

Need some motivation? Here are some printable chore charts for kids to help you keep track of their progress and work toward rewards!

Turn ‘matching up odd socks’ into a fun game with a prize, or maybe get creative in the kitchen if you have food that needs prepped, and let the kids help whisk up dinner!

You can also turn chores into competitions! Promise a special treat for the winner of ‘who can tidy the front room the fastest!’

How cool is that? Using chores as rainy day boredom busters is a great way to teach kids that helping around the house can be fun!

Play Dress Up in Costumes

You don't need a trunk full of costumes to play dress up with kids and keep them happy on a rainy day. No Ma'am, just raid your closets for old clothes, ties, and bandannas. In the picture above, we raided Grandma and Grandpa's closets for an old vest from the 70's, a gun holster, and an Australian Outback hat. Voila! Instant cowgirl costume.

Making costumes can keep kids busy for at least an hour on a rainy day. Once the costumes are complete, it's time for some good old fashioned pretend play!

• Use Cotton Balls to Make a Sheep Costume
• No sew Nativity Costumes
• Ideas for Easy Halloween Costumes
• Pretend Play as a Doctor or Nurse
• Make Costumes from Cardboard Boxes
• Dress up like a Chef
• Pretend Play at a Bakery with a Cool Cardboard Stove

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How to Save for a Rainy Day Fund

Emergency Cash Sources Every Mom Should Know About

Everyone needs a rainy day fund. Don't get me wrong, being a full-time mom is great, but raising children is very expensive. Especially, when you're a single mother. Whether you've raised many children from birth to adulthood or you're taking care of your first child, there are always extra expenses that don't fit into your weekly budget. With the price of childcare rising, along with all of the other unexpected expenses you'll experience as a parent, you need to know about available emergency cash sources. Here are some tips on how to save for a rainy day fund and ensure that you have access to extra money for your family should the need ever arise... And, you know it will.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Get this Rainy Day Fund Bank on Amazon.

Credit Cards and Mattress Money 

If you try to save on every purchase that you make, you might be able to store away a little extra money for a rainy day fund. For example, utilizing coupons is a great way to see your weekly grocery bill go down. With the money that you don’t spend on household expenditures, you can start your own ‘mattress money’ fund. Of course, you don’t actually need to keep your savings under the mattress, but keeping tangible funds somewhere in your home will come in handy during an emergency. Alternatively, using a credit card when you are in a pickle isn’t a bad idea so long as it is for an absolute emergency. In fact, having a couple of credit cards with large available balances is great for when you have an unexpected, last minute child related expense.

Learn to Get out of Debt Math Lesson for Homeschoolers

Short-Term Personal Loans

A lot of people still think that the only types of personal loans available are the ones that are offered by local banks. The truth of the matter is that there are all sorts of lenders who regularly make short term personal loans. At loanpig.co.uk, for example, small to mid-sized personal loans are often approved online in minutes. So, if you have a big expense that you only have a few days to come up with the money to pay, a short-term loan can save the day. These types of loans also come with manageable repayment terms, so you don’t have to worry about your debt skyrocketing. While you may not want to take out a short-term personal loan to pay for a child’s birthday party, it's certainly reasonable to take advantage of a small loan to help deal with emergencies or to help bridge the financial gap between pay periods.

Tips for Traveling on a Budget with Kids

Charities and Fundraising

There isn’t anything wrong with accepting or even asking for a little financial help whether you're a busy mom or anyone else. There are charities that help moms furnish their nurseries, aid them in rebuilding after tragedies, and just give a hand where needed. A friend might start a fundraiser for a working mom who has always been frugal and yet still is barely managing to make ends meet. There are charities that help moms get toys and clothes for their children during the winter holiday season as well as fundraising efforts that have given working class families the ability to go on amazing international holidays. Find what funds might be available to your family for emergencies and more. 

It is often very difficult for moms to think clearly when facing a financial emergency. You may go whizzing about looking for ways to pay an expense when the solution is right below your nose. Take a breath, relax, and think back to all of the ways you have prepared yourself and your family for the future when seeking a solution. These days, there are all kinds of ways to earn money online. Got stuff to sell? Give Facebook Marketplace a try!

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6 Cool Pinterest Father's Day Activities for Kids

Wondering What's Hot on Pinterest in Father's Day Activities for Kids? 

Check out these six fun, easy, and giftable craft projects to make your Father's Day the best one ever. These Father's Day activities are so neat- even the coolest Dads will love them. The best part is Kids can help make them. Enjoy!

Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Indoor Activities To Do With the Kids

When we leave summer behind and approach the colder months, kids want to stay inside. That means, it’s time to pull out the indoor activities to keep the kids entertained after school and on the weekends. Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean the day has to be wasted! There are loads of great family-friendly activities to do indoors.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links.

Be sure to click through the links to find all the fun indoor kids activities we've discovered.

If you're looking for great ways to keep kids entertained when the weather’s got you stuck indoors, look no further! Some or these activities, you might do regularly, others you may never have tried before, but they’re all great ways to keep the kids entertained while encouraging them to learn new skills. 

Baking 

How can you not love an indoor activity where you and the kids get to eat a tasty treat at the end? When the weather isn't very nice, baking is a great way to bring the family together, and you can learn some amazing new skills while you’re at it. 

Don’t worry if you’re not a great cook, the fun is in learning the new skill, and there are some great recipes for beginners out there. Even if you are a beginner, these recipes will have you baking up a storm!

Everyone wins when you get to do a fun family activity and eat some tasty baked goods at the end of the day.

Kid-Friendly Recipes from our Blog

Arts and Crafts

Keep everyone entertained for hours on end with a few well-planned arts and crafts projects. These might take a little bit of pre-planning on your part, but they’re sure to give your family an amazing day of creating things with their hands and bonding with each other. 

Any project with epoxy resin is bound to get the kids excited, and the results you can get with this product are awesome and perfect for a cold or rainy day.

Don’t worry if you’re not an arts and crafts pro, there are plenty of beginner projects to get you going like a pro. 

Kids CRAFTS from our blog.

Board Games

In the modern world of ultra-realistic video games, the old-fashioned board game still has its place. In fact, the classics are often the best, and there’s no better time to pull out the board game collection that when it’s raining outside. 

No matter how much technology moves on, the likes of Monopoly, Cluedo, Jenga, and Uno are always family favorites for a good reason. Once you get everyone together and involved in a game of Monopoly, you’ll find the time just flies by, and you won’t even remember that the weather is terrible outside. Make sure you’ve got a trustworthy banker, and you’ve got an afternoon of fun indoor activities for everyone. 

Indoor Sleepover Activities for Kids

Rainy Day – Don't Worry

As we approach Fall, the weather might not allow for as many outdoor activities as usual, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. There are lots of fun indoor activities that you can enjoy with your family on a rainy day.  For more inspiration, check us out on Pinterest!

What looked like a boring weekend stuck inside, might just turn out to be a weekend full of joy and family fun. You can eat, drink, create, and play games with your family and friends while bringing everyone closer together. Just do a search in our blog for games, crafts, kids recipes, family field trip ideas, and fun indoor activities for kids. Stick with us, and you'll never run out of fun things to do!

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Fun Things to do in Indiana with Kids: Bounce U in Fishers ~ A Jumping Good Time

Fun Things to do Indoors in Indiana: Bounce U is a Great Rainy Day Activity

Are you looking for fun things to do with kids this summer? Maybe you have a little cash set aside for summer camp or maybe you need something that is next to FREE for those much needed rainy day activities?  Either way, Bounce U has the answers for you!  In Fishers, Indiana the Bounce U is completely renovated and under new management. I've been to many of these play places with kids. Oh yeah, I even briefly operated a play place for kids (The Play Connection, Inc.).  So, I have a pretty good idea what works and what doesn't. 

Rainy Day indoor Activities in Indiana: Bounce U in Fishers.

Here's what I LOVED about BOUNCE U:

• OPEN BOUNCE!  Come bounce for a 3 hr. session for only $8 per child. That's great huh, but wait there's more.
• SESSIONS are led by a staff member (think camp counselor). Mom or Dad or Grandparents can sit back and relax in the lounge area with FREE WIFI. From your vantage point, you can see all the action and keep an eye on your kids.  The staff keeps them entertained and safe.
• BOREDOM BUSTERS.  Bored with this play space? The staff starts in one room and moves to another room with different bounce structures and recreational games.
• SNEAKY PE!  Get your physical activity credit hours for homeschool and health while having fun!

Giant Boxing Ring complete with headgear and oversize boxing gloves.

 Oh yeah, and they get tuckered out fast! 

Inflatable Bounce Houses

Lots of inflatable jumping options in each room.

It is perfect for Summer Camp, Birthday Parties, and Playdates. 

Recommended Reading:

Ten Little Monkeys: Jumping on the Bed

Things to do in Indiana


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Pin it! Scavenger Hunt for Preschool Activities Weatherman's Day

Preschool Weather Ideas from Pinterest

Bet you didn't know there was a National Weatherman's Day (or person to be politically correct). So, when is Weatherman's Day? Tell your preschooler, this U.S. holiday is observed February 5 of each year. It recognizes people in the field of meteorology, weather forecasting, and even storm chasers. Observed for John Jeffries one of the first weather observers of record in the United States. (Wikipedia)

Weather Ideas for Preschool.

For this Pin it! Scavenger Hunt, the winning preschool activities  pin was pinned by Dawn Marelli (you knew it was) in the keyword category WEATHER for National Weatherman's Day. The featured blogger with a cute weather idea for preschool is Queen Vanna at the queen says a little about a lot of things.

Here are 3 fun ideas for Preschool Weather lessons!

Teach Preschool made rain in a jar! What an easy activity for preschoolers to learn about weather science.

Make Rain in a jar from Teach Preschool blog.

Hop over to Fantastic Fun and Learning blog for a roundup of weather science experiments for preschoolers from the Kid Blogger Network.

Fantastic Fun and Learning blog has a round up
of weather science experiments from the KBN.

After all that weather science, your preschoolers will need a weather craft. This rainy day umbrella is the perfect preschool weather craft. You can find it at Brook's Child Care on Tumblr.

Rainy Weather Umbrella Craft from Brook's Child Care on Tumblr.

Looking for more Weather Ideas for Preschoolers? Check back often for more fun posts! For more weekly preschool pinning fun ideas join our board Pin it! Scavenger Hunt.


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What are Good Outdoor Games to Play?

10 Great Outdoor Games for Kids

The days of simple parties where balloons, music, and a cake with candles were enough are long gone. In 2019, fun birthday ideas are at a whole new level. You need these 10 great outdoor games for kids to get moving and enjoy their special day.

Kim and Kanye set the bar high with a "kidchella" themed party, featuring bouncy houses, a Ferris wheel, and several music stages. While you won't have the same budget as the Kardashians, take inspiration from their intuitive ideas and create a party with good outdoor games to play.

If you're arranging a summer party for your kid's birthday bash, what outdoor games can you play? Read on for the 411 on which outside games your kids will actually love!

This post contain Amazon Affiliate Links.

Outdoor Games Kids Will Love

We all know the math. Kids + Birthday parties = Chaos!

Instead of expecting kids to sit around, drink tea, and chat like adults, prepare some cool games that will burn all their pent-up party energy. We've chosen 10 outdoor games that will have your guests giggling from beginning to end. Are you ready? Let's get this party started!

1. Hop Your Way to Victory

Try a traditional sack-race to get the kids moving. Give each child a good quality burlap bag or king-size pillowcase. Line them up in a grassy area and have them hop their way to victory down a marked path.

To mix it up a little, decorate the plain sacks. Make it more challenging and make the marked path curvy. Even if you just do it the old-fashioned way, it'll get a lot of laughs on the way, Scout's honor!

2. Make Your Birthday Party Pop

Balloon stomping is one of the best group games for parties. What's a party without balloons popping?

Before the party starts, prepare by blowing up at least one balloon per guest and a few extras just in case. Tie a long string or ribbon around the end of the balloon so that it is long enough to tie around the children's ankles.

When the party gets started, tie a balloon around the ankle of each child. The aim of the game is to pop everyone else's balloon while protecting your own. The last kid with an intact balloon wins.

3. Jump to It

Let the kids blow off a little steam before you sit down to open presents. One of the best outdoor games for kids, is an outdoor bouncy house. Hiring a bouncy house is an exciting treat for the kids! It really is fun for all ages (even big kids!)

From bouncy houses and inflatable water slides to blow-up climbing walls and bouncy bungee runs, knowing which one to choose boggles the mind. Do your research to find out more about the options and you'll find the perfect match for your big outdoor birthday bash.

4. Treasure Hunt

Treasure hunts have been around a long time, but they're still one of the most interesting outside games for kids to play. Adapt the hunt depending on the ages of the guests and the style of the party. Be sure to offer prizes and other birthday party favors for the winning team.

For instance, create a list of items in nature they have to find in a certain time limit. Give each guest some magnifying glasses, binoculars, and a treasure bag for their adventure. They can search for various bugs, pinecones, daisies, leaves, and more on a nature scavenger hunt or you can hide items throughout the yard and give them a list of riddles to solve to find the next treasure. As an alternative, hide pieces of treasure and candy for the kids to find. Give them a bucket and send them on their scavenger hunt,

5. Cool Pool Party

Fun birthday ideas for the summer usually involve water. Wet and wild games give kids the chance to get soaked and cool off. A pool prize search is one of the most fun outside games for a kid's party.

Use an inflatable pool filled with water. Hide weighted treasures at the bottom of the pool. Then, fill the rest of the pool with floating toys and balls, so that it's hard to see what's at the bottom. Give the kids a time limit and tell them to find the treasures at the bottom of the pool.

If kids are a bit older and it seems too easy, try blindfolding them. Their teammates can shout out directions to help them find the treasure.

6. Use Your Noodle

One of the cheapest outside games for kids is Pool Noodle Croquet. It's budget-friendly but takes a little bit of time to set up.

Create several pool noodle arches in your back yard and stake them into the ground. Give each child a pool noodle and an inflated beach ball. The idea is to be the first to get the ball through the course of arches.

7. Make a Splash

Another variation of a classic game is water balloon baseball. It's one of the easiest outdoor games for kids and parents because it's so easy to set up.

All you need is a baseball bat and some pre-filled water balloons. Make sure the guests are ready to get soaked!

8. A Tasty Mess

Fun birthday ideas have got to include cakes and treats, right? So why not turn your dessert into a game? When played outside, this donut game is lots of fun.

Tie dangling donuts from a high place, such as a tree or doorway. Then have a donut eating race, without using hands. Chocolate donuts make the most mess, so be ready with a cleanup team when the game is over.

9. Water Shoot

Here's another outdoor water game for you. Divide the party into two teams. For each team, string a plastic sand pails onto one end of a clothesline.

The concept of this game is for each team to work together to move their bucket along the clothesline, using only the spray water guns. Of course, if you don't have enough squirt guns for the party, you could fill up plastic bottles instead. Be sure the squirt guns are powerful enough to make the pails move!

10. An In-Tents Party

Another awesome outside party activity is camping. If camping somewhere remote is too much of a task, just set up a camp ground in your backyard.

Set up tents and a supervised fire-pit. Play some camping-themed games during the day. And when it gets dark, roast some s'mores on the campfire and tell scary stories.

Keep Calm and Party On!

We hoe you like this list of outdoor games with a twist for parties. Pick one, two, or as many outside games as you want, to make your birthday bash super fun!

What if it turns out to be a rainy day and you can't have fun in the sun? For some more games inspiration, both inside and out, check out the "Games" section of our blog.

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