Warm weather means one thing – summer has arrived! Summer is the perfect opportunity to spend time with family but living in the sunshine state doesn’t mean it’s always sunny. In our part of the state, the majority of days are sunny as but as the days progress, the humidity tends to rise before eventually spilling out it’s warm rain drops over a day or two.

Last week during a particularly lovely day, we heard a sudden clap of thunder followed by a downpour. My daughter and I took advantage of the hot day and warm rain to dance ourselves silly outside. Unfortunately, playing in the rain isn’t always an option and even if it was, its not the cleanliest of pastimes. So after a few minutes of play, and even longer cleanup, we found ourselves stuck inside for the day.

As you can imagine, it wasn’t long before I was staring down the barrel end of a bored preschooler so it had me asking what are some great rainy day survival tools activities? 

10 Rainy Day Activities for Kids This Summer

DIY Finger Paints

We created this DIY Finger Paint a couple of years ago and it’s still a big hit. Thankfully, most of the ingredients can be found around the house including cornstarch, food coloring, sugar, salt and water. You can also Make Your Own Play Dough – It’s easy, requires only household ingredients, and takes just 10 minutes. Plus, its long lasting and non toxic.

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Play Dress Up 

One of my daughters favorite mother-daughter activities is painting each others nails. It’s such an easy way to pass the time and a great way to bond. She also loves an afternoon spent dressing up while mixing in Mom’s necklaces and shoes. 

Make a Collage 

Last year for Mother’s Day, my daughter and I made this fun Monogram Photo Collage. You could make it even easier by simply doing an 8×10 collage and put it in a photo frame or take it up a level for a one of a kind shadow box depending on how crafty you want to be. 

Go Bowling

One of our favorite rainy day activities is a friendly game of bowling, plus, most bowling alleys have specials on weekdays. 

Get Crafty

The internet (and Pinterest) are crawling with all sorts of craft ideas, even if your crafting closet contains meager supplies. Our Lady Bug Craft only requires paint, a paper plate, pipe cleaner and some construction paper. 

Coloring Books and Crayons

Numerous studies have shown what coloring does for relaxation and imagination. Plus, it requires very little effort! 

Have a Treasure Hunt

Keep the kids entertained with a real life treasure hunt. Make a set of clues for everyone each leading to the next. Draw pictures for the little kids and write rhymes for the bigger kids. Whoever solves the clues first and finds the treasure—a toy, quality time, an extended bed time or an IOU for a movie —is the winner. Better yet, have everyone work together to discover the treasure! 

You can specialize this activity to cater to your child’s interest. How about a Fairy Scavenger Hunt?

Create a Blanket Fort 

Who doesn’t love a good blanket fort? Break out the pillows and blankets to create yourselves a nest. Add popcorn and your favorite family movie then cuddle up for some quality time and maybe even a nap! 

Go Camping Indoors

Have an indoor camp out with sleeping bags, a tent, board games and s’mores!  We love this Camping Activities Printable Bundle because you can use it just about anywhere  – not just when you’re on a camping trip.