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color over the whole paper so none of the color below is visible. Then let them scratch off the top dark layer and reveal the colors below. They could use a fingernail, a mechanical pencil with no lead in it, a pen that no longer writes, the cap of a stick pen that has an extended part for a clip or another blunt object that can scrape off the crayon, but isn't sharp enough to be dangerous to the child or to damage the paper.

Make melted crayon stained glass pictures. Give your children pieces of waxed paper, a crayon sharpener and pieces of crayon that are getting too small to color with easily. Have them sharpen the crayons. The crayon curls can then be arranged on the waxed paper in a design. The next part should be done by an adult or older teen. Heat an iron to low heat. Place the waxed paper sheet on a stack of newspapers to protect the surface you are working on. Place another sheet of waxed paper on top of the sheet with crayon curls. Gently iron the two sheets of waxed paper together. Slowly increase the heat of the iron if the crayon curls are not melting until they melt. The crayon should be melted and the wax paper without crayon curls should be stuck together. This picture could be framed and hung in a window to enjoy.
Create puppets. Puppets can be made from paper lunch bags or from socks. Eyes and a nose could be colored on the bag or drawn with markers. Where the bottom of the bag folds a mouth can be drawn. Ears could be cut out of paper or craft foam and glued on. Yarn can be glued on for hair. Socks can have foam or felt eyes, ears, nose, tongue, etc. glued or sewn on. Yarn hair can be glued or sewn on.
Save big boxes for such a day. Refrigerator, stove, or other major appliance boxes could be turned into indoor playhouses. Draw a door on the box, cut around two sides, then lightly score the third side so the door can open and close or the flaps of the box could be used as doors. Cut out windows. The kids may just want to play in the box or they may want to color furniture on the inside walls and shutters and flowers and trees on the outside walls. They may want to take a pillow inside and may find it a fun place to hide away and read. Smaller boxes may be turned into a car or let your kids decide what it could be. My daughters and I turned shoe boxes into a doll house. We made a room out of each shoebox. Wallpaper scraps could be glued to the walls. Carpet remnants could be glued to the floor. Windows could be cut out as desired. Cloth curtains could be cut out and glued above the windows. Furniture could be made out of small boxes, bottles and other containers. Let imagination rule.
Make a racetrack with a couple of sheets of poster-board taped together. Draw the track and indicate the start and stop point. Then let the kids race their toy cars around the board. Let them create a town or city with the poster-board, putting on the streets, houses and whatever else is desired.
Creativity and imagination are the key to having an enjoyable rainy day with your children, but you don't have to wait for the next rainy day. If something sounds fun, do it now.

Learn more about this author, Jenalee Larsen.
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