by Eileen Geiger

Created on: December 26, 2009

Children tend to have a short attention span at the best of times. Rainy days can be long and painful when there are young children involved. There are many available activities that don’t cost a thing. There are also options with minimal outlay.

Activity Centers

Due to the lack of attention span, it is possible to set up activity centers for the children to go to one after the other. Having different types of activities set up through the house will help children to use different parts of their brains and to participate in different types of play.

Types of Activities

Depending on the age and gender of the children, have a number of their favorite activities out and available for the children to take part in. It is usually best to set up a variety of activities so that when the child gets bored with one, there is a different one ready to go. Having cars and a car/road mat on the floor, blocks in another area, bowling or a dance mat somewhere else and also a couple of fine motor activities- beading and drawing/coloring or painting at a table somewhere gives the children a variety of activities to do while the weather isn't great. Also having dress ups and doll play will promote imaginative play.

If beading or doing activities with tiny pieces isn't an option because of younger children, have some string and raw pasta for the children to create macaroni/pasta strings and necklaces. This is easy and cheap with most houses having the necessary items.

Another option is to have an area for dramatic play. Have a mat on the floor, take the children on a magic carpet ride or go on a safari. This will give the children a chance to extend their imagination and foster creativity. This could also lead to children going from dramatic play to drawing and coloring something they saw during dramatic play.

Make the most of breaks in the weather

A rainy day isn't necessarily rainy all day. When there is a break in the weather, make the most of it. Go outside with the children and run around and play to burn excess energy. If there is a park nearby, go to the park and let the children play on the equipment. If it starts to turn bad again or gets cold, return home to activity centers.

Don't be afraid to get involved

Parents tend to be very busy, with full time jobs or more than one child to look after and don't always have the time or the inclination to indulge in their children's requests to play together. Playing games and doing activities with children can give a lot of insight into where they are at on many levels. It can also be very entertaining, especially when imaginative play is concerned. Spending quality time with children is always a positive thing. Make the most of a rainy day and think of ways to promote children's imagination and thinking outside the square.

Remember that children will be as disappointed as adults about the weather not being so nice. Try to get excited about activities that can be done inside. Make things into a game so that the children will think that whatever task they are offered seems fun and exciting.

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