Is there anything worse than being cooped up in the house with the kids on rainy days in the middle of summer break? It doesn't matter if you’re staying at home or you’re on vacation somewhere. If you’re dealt several days of non-stop rain, it’s time to come up with some rainy day summer activities.
At Home
Use the occasional rainy day at home during summer to relax and recharge. Snuggle up on the couch, read, watch a movie, catch up on your favorite TV show or play some board games. Permit yourself to just rest and relax. Take a guilt-free nap.
That’s all good and well, but once you’re stuck in the house for several days, it’s time to get a little more creative. This is particularly important when you have kids at home. They go stir-crazy pretty quickly.
Build a fort, get out the art supplies, run a movie marathon, create an obstacle course through the house, make homemade pizza together, bake some cookies, or encourage the kids to put on a play. Find a theme for the day (i.e. William Shakespeare Day where you encourage your older kids to read one of his plays, fix English food, and end the day watching Romeo and Juliette), and make the entire day about that theme.
Out And About
Just because it’s pouring down rain, doesn’t mean you can’t head out and have some fun. You just have to find indoor activities that you can easily drive to. Museums are great for rainy days and many have special exhibits during the summer months. Spend a rainy afternoon exploring art or local history and end it with lunch or early dinner at a favorite restaurant.
If you and your kids need to burn off some excess energy, head to the local aquatic center or indoor pool. Visiting an indoor playground is another great option, as is a trip to the mall, or your local bowling alley.
Last but not least, don’t forget to check local movie theaters and regular theaters to see what performances are playing. Are there any IMax movies playing at a local museum? Sometimes they have great movies where you can be entertained and learn at the same time and usually there are options for all ages.
Visit Your Local Library For More Than Just Books
Have you been to your local library lately? Not only is it a great source of books, perfect for summer reading, but libraries also have so much more to offer these days.
You know it’s important to encourage your kids to read as much as possible during the summer. It’s one of the best ways to ensure their minds stay active and that they retain much of what they’ve learned throughout the school year. But getting the kids to sit down and read is another story.
Almost all libraries host summer reading challenges for kids of all (reading) ages. Head on over to yours with the kids and get them signed up. These challenges usually involve a reading log and the kids can win some sort of prize. Many libraries will also host kick-off parties and various events throughout the summer to get kids into reading.
Speaking of events, your local library may be just the spot for some fun and frugal entertainment. Speak to your local librarian or check out the website to see what kinds of classes, activities, and performances your local branch offers during the summer. Many offer various things for kids of all ages and even adults. From book readings and crafts to movies and magic shows, you never know what you might be missing unless you check the calendar.
Encourage the kids to pick out a new book or two on the way out. Getting in the habit of reading daily and being curious about books and the information and imagination shared in them is one of the best gifts you can give your kids.
Before you leave, explore everything else your library has to offer. Most will let you rent movies and audiobooks in addition to regular books. And let’s not forget about digital files. Got a kindle? You can download kindle books and digital audiobooks to your eBook reader or smartphone via the Library website. Check with your helpful local librarian for more information.
Get Crafty
Have a craft tub ready for those rainy days. With just a few basic supplies everyone can get creative together. There are sock puppets to make, finger paintings to create, and macaroni necklaces to make. For older kids make cards and then have them send them to someone special. They will enjoy making cards and the people receiving them will enjoy it as well.
A Summer Scrapbook
Take pictures throughout the summer, save ticket stubs and other mementos and turn them into a family scrapbook that records everything you’ve done this summer. Once a week, or whenever you get back from a fun event take a minute to make a few notes about what you want to add to your book about that memory. On rainy days take time to assemble your book and write something up about days you don’t want to forget. Add some detail to it so that when you read it 10 years from now you will still remember that day.
Get everyone in the family involved. Have them share pictures, drawings, mementos, and their favorite memories about each summer trip and activities. Print pictures and create the scrapbook pages together. Even if you’re not much of a scrapbooker, you’ll enjoy putting this memory book together.
As time goes by, your summer scrapbook will become a family treasure you’ll go back to again and again to relive those summer days.
Make A Family Memory Box
If the idea of a scrapbook doesn’t appeal to you, consider making a memory box instead. It’s similar to the summer vacation scrapbook, but instead of collecting images, stories, and ticket stubs in an album, everything goes into a box. Old shoe boxes work very well for this.
You can decorate the outside with drawings, pictures, or paper that reminds you of summer. Then stick various things in your box. The big advantage of a box is that it can hold three-dimensional items that won’t fit into a scrapbook. You can add a special rock or seashell your kids picked up for example.
Like an album, the box will be something you’ll fondly open from time to time to remember this special summer. Create one every year and make sure you label each box well. It also helps to have a few notes about what you did and a box’s inventory.
Fun Digital Options
Since we live in a digital age, I thought I’d include a few productive digital rainy day activities as well, for older kids and adults. Create a series of quick video interviews with each family member about a certain topic; their favorite memories from the summer, favorite vacation memories, etc.
Dive into your family history with your kids by interviewing older family members. Topics could be: What life was like when they were kids, their first job, or their first car, the possibilities are endless and this creates a record that can be cherished for years with seeing them and hearing their voices. This also gets the older and younger family members working together on a project, and spending quality time together.
You can take pictures and create a digital scrapbook that you can have sent to your home. You can get your kids involved by helping choose pictures and making notes about pictures or pages. If this is something you want to do for a rainy day activity check out snapfish.com or shutterfly.com. You can make a digital scrapbook pretty easy at both sites.
Another fun option is to create a family blog that chronicles your summer adventures. Set up a free blog where you share what you’re up to each day or week, along with pictures and videos. Not only is it a nice way to capture your memories for yourself, but you can also share it with family and friends who would love to see what you’re up to all summer.
No matter how you choose to spend your summer, make sure that you make memories that will last a lifetime. With a bit of creative thinking, even a few rainy days can become an enjoyable summer experience.
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