Kids love to play outside, also when it rains. Have you seen anything more joyful than a toddler jumping up and down in puddles of water on a rainy day?
Toddlers and kids are waterproof. Rainwear does exist. Still, sometimes, perhaps both you and your toddler or kids prefer to stay inside when it rains. Perhaps you just prefer to watch the rain from the comfort of your home, perhaps the kindergarten is closed, you have a small baby as well, or someone has a runny nose and needs to be inside. Whatever the reason, a rainy day can be a great way to create closeness and connect with your toddler and kids, and perhaps even get some chores done if your little one gets consumed in his or her own play.
What to do on a rainy day? We have some indoor toddler activities to suggest for you.
For those rainy days, when you and your toddler must be indoors, check out our suggestions for top indoor rainy day activities for toddlers that will keep your little one entertained.
1. Read aloud and raise kids who love books
If you are wondering how to get your toddlers and kids interested in reading, the best thing to do is to read aloud for them from an early age. This is also the best way to teach your toddler to read, to install the love of stories and books, and to bond with you over it.
You know your toddler or preschooler best and know what may or may not be appropriate and interesting for them in their development. Books should be age appropriate and developmentally appropriate for your child. Here is a general guide for books and type of books for toddlers to read.
You might wonder about the effects of reading to a baby that does not have language yet. But babies “talk” to us already from they are born, with their sounds and body language. It is our job to learn to listen to them and follow their lead.
From babies are born and up until they are 3 months they will be interested in colors, rhymes, and songs. After that, they might be more interested in books they can chew, waterproof books they can bath with. You can start reading to babies from when they are 4 months old. In this infant stage, the baby will prefer mostly colorful books, big and simple pictures which you can talk about. For example, with animals, and preferable animals that they can see for them self in real life too. You can “talk-read” to them in simple phrases and point at the pictures: “Look, it is a bird”. The bird is yellow”. “What does the bird say?” “Pip, pip, pip”. And when you see a real bird outside, you can replicate this and talk about this bird.
The effects of reading on child development are well known. Children who are being read for will learn new words even before they can talk themselves. Vocabulary they hear in books will eventually become part of their own vocabulary.
When a baby has reached 6 months old, their memory has increased, and they can recognize and recall images and sounds. Books about “what does the animals say” are perfect at this stage and if they’re hiding somewhere. Perhaps in a flap-book.
Reading for a 1-year-old is fun. A 1-year-old will be best entertained with pointing books, flap books, touching books, counting books, hide and seek books. A good interaction between parent and child is the best fundament for the child’s development. When you read to your little one, they learn together through the interaction with you. This helps to increase cognitive development and social understanding, and this is where you lay the foundation for the joy of reading in the years to come. A 1 year old might appreciate books that illustrates objects or makes animals sounds. Simple illustrations or photos and things they can recognize around them.
A 2-year-old might still think flap books are fun, but the best books to read for a 2-year-old a will slowly move towards having large illustrations, brief toddler stories and perhaps a humorous story. A 2-year-old is busy imagining their world and putting words and sentences together to make sense of the world. Perhaps he or she is already able to share his or her thoughts. You might hear them repeat new words after you.
When toddlers reach 3 years old, they’re much better expressing themselves and books can serve as conversation starters, and they are likely to ask questions about the story in the book. What can be more interesting than getting to know the thoughts and mind of your little one and to talk together? Your child might be in kindergarten and having a little life of his or her own where many situations and feelings arise. The best books for a 3-year-old would be stories about everyday life, such as kindergarten, friendship, animals, and validating feelings and experiences.
When you read aloud to a 3-year-old, make sure to talk about the story and get the toddler to take part in the story, reflect, be curious about what happens next: “What just happened?” “Did the cat hide?” “What do you think will happen next?” “Do you think the boy is happy no?” “No?” “Why not?” “Is that a happy face?” “Hm. Did she go out without rain bots?” “Uh, uh.. I think she will get her feet wet now!” “Shall we read and see what happens next?” “Will you turn the page?” You can encourage your toddler to learn more. “What do you think the penguin eat?” “Does a penguin eat bread like you?” The book you choose should be fun and encourage your toddler to take an interest. If a toddler does not show any interest, the book might no be a god fit for your toddler right now. Or it might just be boring for him or her. Have a selection of books and let your toddler choose the book.
And here is an important note for parents who read for toddlers. When you read aloud for your toddler, try to pull back on your own need for progress and a linear story. This is not the toddlers need. They are born to be explorers. The point when reading for toddlers is not merely to read aloud from page one and onwards to the end, and that your toddler listens. Sometimes reading with toddlers can mean that they would like to read a particular page, which is funny, and read that page again and again. It can be fun to giggle together over something fun or strange happening in a book. Or perhaps talk about a feeling that an illustration evokes. Sometimes the toddler might think a book is just boring and would like to change the book to another book in the middle of it. Let them lead the way and enjoy their curiosity and be curious on the choices they make. It can be annoying for parents, but the level of concentration is perhaps what your toddler has right now. And that should be enough. Things will change. When your toddler learns to bond over books, perhaps next time he or she will be able to read for a longer stretch. Or you could find shorter books with less text and talk more together.
Make it a ritual and make it super cozy. My daughters loves reading books and will often initiate and suggest that I read for her. That si because they have bee bread for since they were babies. They love the reading sessions, and we have a “reading chair” in a corner in the living room. This has become a beautiful bonding time. Even though we as parents can be dead tired in the end of a day, and we might feel that we would like the tv so be the baby sitter for a little while so that we could get a chore done. But, if I ask my daughters, would you like to watch tv or to read a book, they will often prefer to read a book. And although I might be tired, I am very happy that they prefers to bond with me and a book instead of bonding with the tv.
In the living room, my daughters have their own two bookshelves, for their books only. For birthdays and holidays, books are on her wish list. They also might get hand-me-down books from relatives and cousins, and we might have visited the library and borrowed some as well.
A few times a year we need to update and sort out the books that they no longer has any interest in, or which has become too childish. This is also an activity which you can do together and create one pile for books to keep and another pile for books to pass on to smaller siblings or to a kindergarten, friends with smaller children or similar. This way, parents can also learn from toddlers and kids, what kind of books they like and what they think is boring for the moment.
We also have books by the bed so that we can read a story by bedtime.
If you are on the lookout for the best indoor activities for toddlers, and not at least the effects on reading for child development, you should consider reading out loud.
When your child has reached 4 year old they are more curious on the world around them and can see the comedy in absurdity and reverse roles. It can also be a time to deepen the understanding of others, of empathy and on how to deal with situations. Talking together is a big part of reading for a four year old. When one of my daughters was 4 year old and she was not feeling well and needed to stay in bed for half a day, the only thing she wanted was that I read books to her. We talked a little, we read, we took a break to drink oat milk, and then she wanted to read yet another book. I was exhausted, but at the same time so, so happy that this was what she wanted to do.
Reading and creating that physical closeness can be a particularly comforting for your child if there is a new baby sibling in the house that otherwise demands your arms and time a lot.
From 4 years old, perhaps they have developed an interest in letters and finding the letters of the people closes to them: “M” is for mom, and “D” is for dad. “Do you see your letter?” Or finding the letter of the name of their friend or dog.
When your child reaches 5 years, they might explore deeper topics, but will still need the comfort of your lap and your arm around them and talk about what happens in the book. Some genres that are always safe to include is adventure and fiction, if you child is old enough. The more unique the story, the more engaged your little one might be. You can perhaps spell the title on the cover of the book and what they know about the topic of the book.
You can also track the letters that you read with your finger, so that your child can follow the sentences and how you read them. I do this with the titles for my older daughter. They read the title and I read the chapter. This way you might silently encourage your child to read as well. It is a sure way to get them to develop a lifelong interest in reading.
2. Play hide and seek
One of the best indoor toddler activities you need to try out on a rainy day is hide and seek. No child can ever say no to this game. Even though you might find it a simple activity, your toddler or kid will be more excited to play with you. Kids love simple things and playing with you is the best thing ever.
Since hide and seek can be played anywhere, you can put the entire house to good use for the older children. For the smaller ones, it might be scary if you leave the room, so one room can suffice. Also, you always have the option to change the rules up to make things extra fun or to learn in a fun way. For instance, you could get your child to recite the alphabet instead of counting to 10.
Now, you might not have any difficulty time finding your kids, but pretending you do, is the fun part. Lean back and be silly. The sillier the more fun. It is important that you take your time as you want your toddlers to feel satisfied with their hiding spots. And just let them pick the same hiding spot several times if they want to. On the other hand, you should stick to easy hiding spots if your toddler is the one looking for you. You could also hide a favorite plush toy and try to find it together. This might be good if your toddler is afraid that you leave him or her. Or, some toys have a sound mechanism that can go on and off. It can be fun to hide such a toy and listen to the sound and where it is coming from.
3. Bring Out the Board Games
Another great toddler activity for a rainy day that you might consider is playing board games. It is one of those rainy-day activities for older kids that you can never go wrong with. There are bound to be some old-fashioned board games lying around somewhere in the house, especially for older kids. But today, there are many fun board games also for toddlers which can also be educational. Whatever board game you choose, your priority should just be to have a fun time.
Games are a great way to spend some screen-free time together. Get ready to play! It can be extra fun to bring a little competitive spirit to ensure that your little ones have an amazing time. And let them win a bit. Don’t let them win every time, but don’t beat them all the time either. You are after all a grown up. They know you can do it. What they would like to learn is to master stuff themselves. And it is ok to be sorry if they lose. We get discouraged too when we lose. Don’t try to fix it too much, let them have the feeling and accept it. Yeah, it is a bummer to lose sometimes. Do you want to play another round?
4. Get Baking
Looking for a cozy rainy day activities for kids? How about some baking? It makes sense to make the most of your time inside. And the smell of freshly baked bread or rolls is worth it. You could inspire your little one to take an interest into how food is made. Also, playing with water, flour, seeing butter melt and our it in another bowl is great play for a little one. Baking can be playing. The best baking advice for parents is to have enough time and patience for your little co-chef to play with you and to allow them to do so. Yes, there will be spills. And quite possibly flour on the floor. And they might get bored mid bake. Have some crayons and paper ready so that you can finish off the baking while they get to zoom out a little bit.
You could go extra sweet on a stay at home day and make muffins. Who does not love muffins? Whip out some delicious sprinkles and top them off with all sorts of options and frosting. Your kids are going to love the activity.
You could also put some in a box and give to a neighbour kid on a regular rainy weekday and install the love of giving and sharing what you have. Packaging it up as a gift is an activity in itself. You could package it and your child can put on stickers or make a drawing.
What comes around goes around and suddenly one day you get some baked goods on your own doorstep.
Make sure to get your children involved as much as possible. The activity would teach them to take responsibility, observation, measuring, pouring, counting, and knowing what items are called. And how much is a cup? How much is a decilitre? And generally participating when working together. Find an easy and fun recipe online and try it out. With a new recipe you can have just as much fun as your little ones.
And of course, while the muffins have their 15 minutes are in the oven, it is obligatory to put on some favourite music and dance together.
5. Have a Rainy Day Dance Party
The next activity on our list of things to do on a rainy day is a dance party. Dancing also makes for the perfect exercise and dancing is a perfect way to bond. You can create a playlist together that takes everyone’s favorite songs into account.
Both adults and kids can teach each other some dance moves. You can also show them some small dance moves to ensure that they don’t feel awkward moving their body and dancing with friends.
Dancing in general can help improve children's cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and coordination. help improve children's cognitive development by enhancing their memory, attention, and spatial awareness. It can also help develop their ability to plan and execute movements and to understand and interpret visual and auditory cues. Loving to move the body can also help prevent childhood obesity and related health problems. You could also learn some new dance moves with the help of YouTube.
You can also play music that your little on perhaps would like to dance to alone. Playing music that are quieter can also be nice for kids to just listen to in the background while engaging in other play with their toys.
6. Bring the outdoors Inside
Want more indoor toddler activities? You should consider bringing the outdoors inside. That’s right! Take out those pop-up tents or make use of some blankets and pillows to build a fort. Have a camping experience unlike any other right at home while it pours outside. This can be a good way to encourage a toddler to play on his or her own. And sometimes engage in a role play.
Besides, you won’t have to deal with any rain, wet clothes, cold or mosquitoes. Perhaps the plush toys would like to camp too. This might be a good way to get your toddler engaged in his or her own play. Offer some ideas. “Perhaps teddy would like to camp too?” “Does he need to pack a blanket?” “Maybe you need a flashlight?” You could turn off the lights and put your flashlights to good use. There are plenty of camping songs that you can also play to keep the fun going. You could offer to play role play and say” I can be the mother who comes visiting you and knocks on the tent and ask you if you want to have muffins. Ok?” It will probably give you a minute or two to get those muffins out of the oven.
7. Solve a Jigsaw Puzzle
Kids love images and solving challenges. What better way to keep your little one busy than by asking them to solve a jigsaw puzzle together with you? Choose a jigsaw puzzle that is age appropriate and with an image that generate interest. By solving the puzzle together, you can talk about shapes, how shapes go together, what is the best way to start a puzzle and why? Your toddler can learn solving challenges and learn cooperation and collaboration skills.
8. Truth and Dare
“Truth or dare” is considered mostly a game for teenagers, but it can also be played by other age groups. With adaptations. All you must do is come up with interesting questions and dares to get your little ones excited. Ask them about their friends, interests, and food. The more you ask, the better. However, you must be prepared to have your kids dare you to try out all sorts of silly activities. Give it a try and if some suggestions are not appropriate you just set a limit and teach them how you set boundaries. If you use an empty bottle to turn, it can be more fun on who shall do it next.
It can be fun to get your toddler out of their comfort zone. That means you should go with dares that require a degree of boldness. You could dare them to taste a food item that they have not tasted before. A black olive. Salad leaves. A piece of avocado. Or wear a wool sweater that they have refused to wear.
9. Dress up
Have a toddler who loves dressing up? You play dress up and find old and fun clothes and hats to play with. Even some glitter from an old Christmas tree will do. It’s all for fun and being silly together.
10. Watch a Movie together
This is for the older kids. Please mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics* warns that watching too much too early can create attentional problems and possible language delays if children are under two years old. Research finds that they do not seem to learn much of it either. Even educational programs have “negative effects” or “no benefits” on children under the age of two. So even though you need to make food or do laundry, using the screen as a babysitter for children under two is not ok. Then it would be better to get a real babysitter to play with your child for an hour.
For older kids, it is ok to have limited screen time, preferably together with you, so that you can talk bout and interpret together what you are watching.
Pick something that will allow you and your little one to bond. Make sure that the movie or show is age appropriate. Probably your kid have their own preference, but you can also suggest things you think might be healthier to watch than other things.
11. Let your child help you with those chores
This can be fun and have huge benefits both for learning new skills, understanding how stuff works and expanding a vocabulary. Putting soap in the dishwasher and pressing the buttons. Taking clean cutlery out of the dishwasher, for example putting the spoons in their rightful place. Or putting clothes in washing bags when they should be washed. Spraying the table and clean it can be fun. Spraying on stain remover can be fun.
My daughter, when starting in the big kids’ part of the kindergarten at 3 years old, tended to stay close to a female day care teacher when she started. The day care teacher one day spilled something and stained her sweater. When she later told me about the situation, she said that she had said “Uh, uh, I spilled on me”. My daughter then said, “Don’t worry, we can go and find a stain remover and wash your sweater”. The
12. Crayons and paper
Nothing beats drawing and painting and being creative for a child. Get ready paper, crayons, paint, children’s scissors, stickers and let them unfold their creativity. Drawing has many benefits you might not thing about. It helps developing fine motor skills as drawing involves holding and controlling a writing utensil or crayon, which helps fine motor skills necessary for activities like writing, cutting with scissors and tying shoelaces. It also helps self-expression as drawing allows children to express themselves and communicate ideas visually, which can help them boost their creativity and confidence. Drawing also helps cognitive development by enhancing their focus, concentration, and problem-solving skills. It can also help develop their spatial awareness and ability to understand and interpret visual information.
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