by Angela Russell

Created on: October 17, 2007

"Moooooom, I'm borrrred!" Mothers across the world have heard those words from the lips of their offspring for ages. A rainy day does not have to be a day of boredom for your kids. Read on for great ideas at beating boredom on rainy days.

A great place to start is a rainy day box. Purchase an inexpensive tote with a snap on lid to keep your rainy day kit in. This box will become your best friend on rainy days. Let your kids decorate the box with markers, paint, or stickers. They can design it anyway they like. If you have more than one child, let each child personalize one side of the box.

Inside the box, keep your rainy day boredom busters. Coloring books, crayons, stickers, scissors, glue, craft supplies, egg cartons, and material scraps are a few ideas. Once your box is stocked with goodies, store it away for a rainy day. When your kids are bored on a rainy day, pull out the box and let them go to work.

Another great idea is to turn your den into a movie theater. The size of the television doesn't matter. Pop some popcorn, and create a movie theatre. Have your children make admission tickets to the movie; let them purchase a ticket to the movie they wish to see. Create a concession stand in your kitchen, offer popcorn, drinks, or other healthy snacks. Take it one step further and usher your child to their movie theater seat. Close the blinds dim the lights and let the movies begin.

Bring your kids into the kitchen and have a baking contest. Allow them to do everything themselves. Have them bake cookies or brownies using a recipe from a cookbook. Stress the importance of following the recipe and measuring the ingredients themselves. Once their creations are complete have a blind taste test to see who followed the recipe the closest. The winner gets out of cleaning up the mess. Be sure to provide the correct supervision for your child's age level.

Board games are always a favorite. Everyone has a Monopoly game in the closet. Pull it out and allow your child to be the banker. He or she will be responsible for counting the money, receiving payments and making sure the money is correct. This will reinforce math skills and the kids will love being the banker.

Create a fort using your furniture and blankets. Pull your kitchen chairs into the middle of the den and drape blankets over them. Let your kids bring toys into the fort and crawl through the maze of chairs. This will keep them entertained for quite some time.

You can always rely on reading a good book. Read with your child. You may even wish to take turns, reading a page or chapter then allowing your child to read the same. Ask your child questions about what you've read. Allow them to express their thoughts about the book.

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