by Rachel Mcclain

Created on: December 31, 2007   Last Updated: July 03, 2011

Rainy days don't have to mean days filled with your kids following you around the house, repeating, "We're bored." Shed a little sunshine on their rainy day blues with these fun activities.

Get cooking

Instead of shooing them out of your way in the kitchen like you normally might when you're fixing the evening meal, think up a rainy day feast. Get the kids involved and cook up some fun. Mixing batter, adding ingredients, measuring, stirring and plopping goop on cookie sheets are all fun.

Have a holiday

If it's been raining for days on end, break up the monotony by declaring it someones unbirthday, Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, or Valentine's Day. Break out the decorations and maybe even wrap up one of their own toys. Everyone will have a blast decorating the house and celebrating.

The indoor Olympics

Who can hold their breath the longest? Who can jump the highest? Who can make it all the way across the kitchen with an egg balanced on a spoon? Come up with a handful of events and be an impartial judge. Figuring out the entire scenario, competing, judging and awarding medals that they can make themselves will take all day.

Video day with a twist

Hunker down and watch some favorite videos but add a twist. Think of a secret word that you know they'll hear, like "monkey," in Curious George and decide together on some funny action that everyone has to play out when they hear it. Maybe everyone has to hoot like a monkey, or get up and trade seats. Or, assign everyone a different word and police one another to make sure they perform their designated action. Make it a game.

Get physical

Pull out your old aerobics tapes and teach your kids some goofball moves. You'll look ridiculous and they'll love it. Or, better yet, teach them your silly dance moves that you thought made you look cool when you were young. Turn up the music and go wild.

Art projects

Coloring books won't cut it on a rainy day. Break out the newsprint and tape it down to the kitchen table because you're going to want to get messy. Let them paint and Paper Mache until their hearts are content. The bigger the project, the longer it will take; meaning the less time they'll have left in the day to complain of boredom! Make a globe. Make an erupting volcano. Plans are readily available on-line.

Teach them something new

If you've always thought there wasn't enough time to teach them something complex, like sewing; now is the perfect time. Pull out the machine and some scrap material and get to it. Even a boy might be interested in making a bag for his blocks, even if he keeps it hidden in his closet.

Board games

Just don't let them become "bored" games by plopping them on the table with your kids and walking away. Play with them. Enjoy them. Laugh and have fun!

Mad libs

They are ridiculous and always fun. And, they're surprisingly educational. Every kid who's ever completed one seems to walk away knowing the difference between a verb and a noun; even if his sentence comes out vaguely being about farts.

Go outside anyway

Just because it's raining doesn't mean you can't put a raincoat and some rubber boots on your kids and let them splash around in the mud. They'll love it. And, if it's cold, bundle them up and let them make snow angels. Just be cautious of frostbite and that they don't stay out in the wet weather too long. But, there's certainly something to be said for enjoying Mother Nature, even in the worst of weather.

Bad weather doesn't have to make for bad days. Kids pick up gloomy attitudes from us, not from the weather outside. Greet the morning with a smile and your kids will follow suit.

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