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

Recommended:

Easy Non-Toxic Face Paint Recipe

Get Fairy Lights on Amazon

Games for Kids from Kids Creative Chaos

Cool Socks for Kids

Do Cool Dr. Seuss Theme Activities on a Rainy Day

Summer Homeschool Projects to Get Your Kids Outdoors

Outside Projects for Homeschoolers

When the days are warmer and longer, the beautiful sunny weather makes homeschool lessons more and more difficult to do indoors. Why sit inside and stare at textbooks when you can teach your kids some lessons in the great outdoors? We've got summer homeschool projects to get your kids outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. Read on for homeschool activities you can do outside with the kids!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Whether you’re teaching homeschool science, math, or life skills, we’ve compiled a list of some homeschool projects to get your kids outside and learning at the same time!

Grow a Kid-Friendly Garden

Gardening with kids is educational and a good mental and physical workout. Not to mention, digging around in the dirt and planting some flowers with your kids is just good old fashion fun! The internet is full of all sorts of different gardening lesson plans, and you can make this homeschool project as simple or complex as you want.

Photo by Nikoline Arns on Unsplash

However, sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to get your kids engaged in a project. Start by building a raised garden bed that is all theirs. If they’re old enough, have them help you put the bed together. This gives them the opportunity to explore their carpentry skills! Next, plant some easy-to-grow vegetable seeds or starts such as beets, potatoes, tomatoes, green onions, beans, and kale.

When the time comes to harvest your plants, you’ll be able to teach your kids a bit about the food industry, and they’ll make the connection that all the vegetables and fruits they eat have to be grown from seed before they make it to their plate!

Education-Based Nature Hike

Hikes are one of the best parts of summer. They get your heart pumping, work up a good sweat and the view at the top of the mountain is always breathtaking. While hiking will definitely fulfill your kids’ PE requirement, it’s also a great time to explore your area’s local climate! Depending on where you live and where you choose to hike, there will be a few different homeschool lessons you can teach. Check out this list of ideas to get started!

Do a Beach Treasure Hunt

As a kid, you probably remember going on a field trip or two to the beach to look for seashells and hermit crabs. The beautiful weather is a great excuse to go do a little hands-on marine biology lesson!

Photo by Manki Kim on Unsplash

Create your own treasure hunt and have your kids explore the area to find everything on the list. Not only will they learn more about your local environment, but they’ll burn off all that energy by running around trying to collect all their items!

Outdoor Art Projects

Your kids love art projects. They’ll love them, even more, when they get to do them outside! There are a variety of different art projects that utilize plant material to create something beautiful. Some tried and true classics include painting rocks, sun prints, and nature sculptures.

Visit Some Local Historical Landmarks

Who says history lessons have to be taught out of a textbook? Take your kids on a trip to some local landmarks to teach them a little bit about your town’s unique history.

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash

Get in touch with your local museum to see what programs they have going on for kids during the summer. Or, take a day trip to your state’s capital or nearby national or state parks.

Tried and True Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano

Sometimes the classics are hard to beat. Kids love watching stuff explode, but having to clean up the ensuing mess may be a turn-off. Take the mess outside and teach them a little bit about chemical reactions with a baking soda and vinegar volcano. There are hundreds of tutorials on the internet, and this project can be as simple as using a 2L bottle or as complex and crafting a paper mache volcano to go along with the experiment!

Build a Compost Bin

I didn’t realize it at the time, but when we built a compost bin in my 7th-grade science class, I learned so much about building healthy soil and the benefits of compost! Not only will building a compost bin give your kids some experience with woodworking, but they’ll have the first-hand experience of watching kitchen and yard waste turn into a valuable soil additive.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Finish off the lesson by having your kids add your homegrown compost to the garden and observe how the plants respond. Have them predict ahead of time what they think will happen and then help them keep a log of the plant growth and changes.

Bird Watching and Identification

During lunch, take the opportunity to sit outside and do a bit of bird watching! Install a few bird feeders around your yard and you’ll be surprised to see how many of them flock to the seeds. If you can get close enough, you can even make a project out of identifying them. Find a local bird guidebook and have them check off all the different species they find. Or, get out of the house and visit a bird sanctuary.

Take Your Regular Lessons Outdoors

Sometimes getting out and enjoying the outdoors is as easy as taking your regularly scheduled lesson plan outdoors! Establish an outdoor area that your kids can study at without baking in the sun. Consider installing a hardtop gazebo and building a high-quality outdoor table that your kids can comfortably study at.

And when the school day is over, that same gazebo and table can offer your guests a place to hang out on those long summer nights. In the rainy season, you can still use that outdoor space to complete messy projects that you don’t want to do indoors.

What projects are you planning for your kids this upcoming summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Bio: Leigha Staffenhagen is the managing editor of Insteading.com, a homesteading and sustainability site focusing on everything from gardening and raising chickens to tiny homes and off-grid living.

Recommended:

Get Outdoor Games for the Family

Homeschool Projects and Activities from Kids Creative Chaos

Our Favorite Homeschool Books

Indiana Field Trip Activities

Refreshing Your Interior Decor: A Guide

Tips to Refresh Interior Decor

Interior Decor got you singing the blues? As a busy homeschool mom, life can become monotonous. Give your life a little boost just by refreshing your home's interior. There’s a difference between a house and a home, and one of the major differences is the personal touch that you’re able to add to it. This personal touch could be anything from a heart-warming family photo to a stuffed animal that you’ve had since you were a teenager that you put in your bedroom. From time to time, however, it can be a good idea to change up your interior and give it a new look. If you don’t have a decorating bone in your body, the thought alone might give you slight anxiety.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

On the other hand, perhaps you’re a pro at it and want a few ideas to give you the inspiration you need. Find ideas on refreshing your interior decor in this guide.

Decide What You Want to Change

Before you refresh your interior décor, you first need to think about what you want to chance. Refreshing means different things to different people, so for some, it may mean a complete transformation while for others, it could be a slight tweak. Take a look at your interior and make a note of the things that you don’t like, are tired of seeing, or need to be disposed of. A hint is to add color, texture, and pattern to give it a different feel. You can then think about where to start when you want to figure that out.

Deep Clean Your Home

Once you’ve decided exactly how you’re going to refresh your home, you can then start by giving it a deep clean. Whether you’re sticking with the same interior or decide to go for something slightly different, if your home is sparkling clean, it can make the changes you make look a lot better. There are a few specific areas to focus your cleaning on mentioned below.

Flooring

No matter what flooring you happen to have, it could do with a deep clean. Whether wood or tile, using the right cleaning products could help it look shiny and glossy. If you have carpet, on the other hand, consider a company like My Technicare as carpet is something that can be tougher to clean.

Windows

Often, when cleaning it’s easy to neglect the windows. However, cleaning it the right way could make the exterior of your house look significantly better. To clean your windows, try getting a good glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Before you spray the window, make sure you sweep away any dirt. When you spray the window, wipe one side of the glass horizontally and another vertically.

Furniture

Most people have at least a few pieces of furniture in their home. If you don’t want to end up replacing it in the near future, include this in your deep cleaning too. You can get sofas cleaned by a professional and dust other items with the right products.

Change the Paint

You’d be shocked at how much of a difference simply giving your home a touch up by painting it will make. You could decide to paint on your own or contract the job out to someone else. If you opt to paint yourself, try to avoid uneven painting, not prepping and using the wrong kind of paint.

Replace Worn Items

If you have a breathtaking sofa and it’s littered with throw pillows that are falling apart, it could dampen the entire look. For this reason, replace any items that no longer fit into your overall interior and replace them with new ones. You can usually get discounted items if you look in sales or clearances, so you don’t have to overspend to do this.

The interior of your home should be done up to your taste. If you use some of the above tips, you should find your house becomes your favorite place to be.

Recommended:

Ideas to Refresh your Interior Decor

Fairy Lights for Kids Rooms

Whimsical Decor for Kids Room

Art Activities for Preschoolers

Easy Preschool Art Activities

Preschool art activities don't have to be all finger painting and paper plate crafts. We've collected some art activities for preschoolers that include sensory fun. Read on for easy preschool art activities that are destined to become mini masterpieces.

This post contains affiliate links.

Art activities for preschoolers.

Bubble Painting is a fun, sensory way to introduce your preschooler to art. They can experiment with color mixing, layering, and layout. Scoot on over to Kelly Noel's Living the Dream blog for more details.

Bubble Painting Preschool Art Activity from Living the Dream.

Another fun way for preschoolers to experience sensory art activities is to let them play with food coloring and shaving cream. Skip over to our post on how to paint with shaving cream. 

Coffee Filter Mobiles. All preschool teachers adore coffee filter crafts. Remember the days of the milk carton crafts? Wonder what we'll all switch to when coffee filters become a thing of the past? These coffee filter and cardboard paper towel tube painted mobiles are self-explanatory. We found them posted here but are sure they originated somewhere else. Please leave a comment if you know the original source.

Coffee Filter Mobile Preschool Art Activity.

Art, like sensory play, develops critical thinking skills and hand eye coordination. Click here to learn about how art can aid in brain development.

Handprint and footprint art is a staple in the world of preschool. Introduce your preschoolers to Pointillism with these beautiful fall handprint trees from Arty Crafty Kids.

Handprint Tree Preschool Activity from Arty Crafty Kids.

The Jammy Jigsaw offers up an art activity for preschoolers that serves double duty as a science project. This salt dough bone necklace is the perfect companion art project for a lesson on dinosaurs.

Salt Dough Bone Necklace Art Activity for Preschoolers from The Jammy Jigsaw.

Looking for more art activities for preschoolers? Visit our Pinterest Board, Preschool Scavenger Hunt.

Recommended:

Homeschool and Preschool Companion Book Activities

For activities and games to play with preschoolers check out our Circle Time Handbook on Amazon.

Visit Telescope Indiana: IU Link Observatory

Homeschool Science Field Trip: Visit the Link Telescope


If you are looking for something different to do in Indiana, visit the IU Link Observatory Telescope between Mooresville and Martinsville, Indiana. It's a one tank trip from most places in Indiana, and it makes a great homeschool science field trip. Psst... It's not just for homeschoolers and science junkies. Architects, historians, and gardeners will love it too! Keep reading to find out why.

The Link Observatory is a magnificent piece of architecture in a beautiful setting. It sits atop a hill adjacent to a Daffodil garden. Completed in 1939, for Dr. Goethe Link, the domed structure is made of local wood from the property. The dome swivels for a panoramic view of the night sky. Until the 1980's the observatory was used for astronomical research. However, as the the city lights of Indianapolis grew, it made star viewing increasingly difficult.

The adjacent Daffodil garden is the perfect setting for a family picnic, to catch up on reading, to walk your dog, or to paint the gorgeous landscape. The day we visited, an artist was painting a lovely watercolor painting of the dome.

And this happened in 2018, Indiana native, David Wolf, electrical engineer, medical doctor, and astronaut, joined the Link Observatory Space Science Institute staff as Chief Science Officer. Dr. Wolf works with the Institute on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) educational programming, public engagement, and fundraising.

Link live events take place at area libraries. You can also invite them to do a program at your school, camp, or other event. Check the Link Telescope Event Calendar for activities at the observatory and within the surrounding communities. The Link Observatory is free to the public on the 1st Saturday of each month for night sky viewing and the 2nd Thursday of each month from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm for daytime tours of the telescope and facility.

We visited on a free Thursday. The docent was full of fun facts, science humor, and shared the interesting history of the observatory. It seems Mrs. Goethe planted and cultivated the Daffodils. There are several different species, still blooming after all of these years. 


Tips for your Visit:

Don't expect anyone to greet you at the door. Just walk in and head up the steps to see the telescope.

If you visit during the day, pack a picnic lunch. You can tour the facility in under 20 minutes, but be sure to let the guide share the telescope's history with you. We even got a demonstration of the dome pivoting around its track.

When you're done, head over to Martinsville to visit the Martinsville Candy Kitchen or the Martinsville Farmer's Market.



Recommended:

Indiana: Between Camby and Moorseville on State Rd. 67 visit the Dr. Who Store and Museum

For more one tank trips and family friendly vacation ideas follow us on Instagram or check out our  Things to Do on Vacation page.

Click here to find some cool kids telescopes.

Trip Ideas: Terre Haute Indiana 10 Things to Do

Field Trip or Vacation 10 Things to Do in Terre Haute

Planning a trip to Terre Haute, Indiana? Perhaps, you are or have a student attending Indiana State University, Rose Hulman, or Saint Mary of the Woods. Terre Haute is full of secret treasures for your field trip, one tank trip, or vacation to Terre Haute, Indiana. We've compiled a list of 10 trip ideas and things to do while in Terre Haute. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Here's a list of Trip Ideas Terre Haute

Clabber Girl Baking Company Museum and Bake Shop
This is a great place for a sandwich and a cup of coffee. The museum is free and tours are self-guided. The Hulman Company owned the Clabber Girl Baking Company. You may be familiar with the Hulman name, they own the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They are also the Hulman name behind Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

Things to do in Indy in May

Clabber Girl  Baking Company Cafe, Terre Haute, Indiana.

Fun photo op at Clabber Girl Museum.

Coffee Bean car in the cafe.

When you sit in the second dining room, you'll see this car decorated with coffee beans. You can also watch coffee grinders at work. The seating areas are full of memorabilia- like a mini-museum.

Clabber Girl Museum, Saloon. 

Smith Labyrinth
The Smith Labyrinth is located in Hawthorn Park. It's a floor plan of an actual labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. This one is surrounded by a wildflower garden and hiking trails. Jake walked the labyrinth while we sat in a swing and watched. 

Be sure to check the time on the sun dial.

Candles Holocaust Museum
Candles Holocaust Museum was founded by Eva Kors, a Holocaust survivor. This is a very small museum tucked away in the heart of Terre Haute. At first glance, it doesn't seem like much but it is full of history! Eva was recently the Grand Marshal of the Indianapolis 500 parade.

Eva Kor's Candles Holocaust Museum in Terre Haute.

During the Holocaust, twins were used in cruel experiments. Eva had a twin sister. The focus of the museum is Eva's experience as an Eugenics Twin. This would make an excellent topic for a homeschool research paper.

Eugenic twins, Eva and Miriam Mozes.

Eva and other holocaust survivors worked with Steven Spielberg to record their story. These stories were filmed at different angles with state of the art technology. This process allows you to talk to a holocaust survivor. You can ask them a question and the computer generated image will answer it as if you were sitting together.

Talk with a Holocaust survivor hologram.

Eva Kors on set, filming her oral history story.

More Field Trip Ideas and Things to do in Terre Haute

Swope Art Museum
See an original Edward Hopper or Grant Wood painting at Swope Art Museum. The museum is also downtown Terre Haute.

Did you know Art helps develop critical thinking?

Indiana State University
ISU is located in downtown Terre Haute. Stop by to get a picture with their most famous Alumnus, Larry Bird. Click for a virtual tour of Indiana State University.

Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
Visit the beautiful campus just outside the city limits.

Dobbs Park Nature Center
Learn about Indiana wildlife, and check them out in the wildlife viewing center. There's also a Native American Museum here.

Clark-Lansdbaum Holly Arboretum in Deming Park
When you visit the 177 acre Deming Park, you'll find awesome playgrounds, an Arboretum, a golf-course, and tennis and basketball courts.

Terre Haute Children's Museum
This children's museum is full of interactive exhibits about science and technology.

500 Museum of Wheels
This car museum is located in an old auto parts store in the heart of downtown Terre Haute. Thirty-five cars and other race memorabilia are on display.

Cool Restaurants in Terre Haute.

Field Trip or Vacation Things to Do in Terre Haute.

Recommended:

Things to do in Indiana with Children

Indiana Road Trip Tee

Indiana Historic Trip Guide