by C.C. Ferguson

Created on: May 16, 2008   Last Updated: June 06, 2008

You are hoping to catch up on some work, or maybe tackle a project you've put off for too long, but the weather has different plans for you and your family. Rain. As it washes away the pollen, dust and dirt, it also seems as if it washes away your children's ability to entertain themselves.

Get ready for it... Here it comes...

"We're bored! We don't know what to do! What can we do?"

This isn't how you planned to spend your precious, scarce, oversheduled time. But wait. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. This can be a wonderful thing! This is the time to spend an afternoon bonding, learning, creating or just being with your kids. Turn off the TV, the cell phone, the computer and turn on their imagination- and yours.

A 2007 report by the Children's Trust revealed that one in ten Miami-Dade County children under the age of six are are not read to on a weekly basis and fifteen percent are not told stories on a weekly basis. [ http://www.thechildrenstrust.org/2007_survey.asp ]

So, the obvious activity is to read with your child. Rain, however, can last much longer than a standard-length children's book. So here's where imagination and resourcefulness can go a long way.

The wonderful thing about a child's imagination is that it isn't accountable to anyone or anything. It just is what it is. This requires a conscious shift in thinking for most adults, but the payoff is a rare and wonderful glimpse into the mind of a child. Here are several ways to encourage imaginative play.

If possible, turn off the lights, open the curtains and let the somber light of a rainy day in. If you can, open the windows and let in new breezes, sounds and smells. By changing a child's familiar surroundings slightly, but keeping them within their "comfort zone," you invite the child to safely explore through play.

Now here's the hard part for most adults. Put them in control. Let them set the scene, then let them elaborate. The adult role here is not to correct, but to encourage. Sometimes questions are a great way to get things started. Smile, and ask something like,

"Do you think something is hiding in the corner?"

"Did something just fly through here?"

"What was that?"

"Did you hear something?"

Let the child answer, then watch and listen to them. Most children will readily invite you into their fantasy world. Sit on the floor, in their space, and watch them as they act out and describe impossible situations, but don't correct them. Just watch them!

Sometimes props help. Flashlights can be a parent's

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