Some Fun for a Rainy Summer Day!







How's the weather in your neighborhood?  In my neck of the woods, Summer is off to a rainy start!  Rainy weather may catch you off guard, but with a little creativity, fun can be had without mom doing all the work.  Even though the weather has been mild and wet, creativity is running wild at our house.  Here are some of the activities we've done with friends in our neighborhood to keep summer boredom at bay on rainy days.

Indoor Drive-In Movie - Our kids had so much fun with this idea!  
Prep Time: 6 Minutes
Activity Time: 2 hours (that includes watching the movie & cleanup)

This idea can take as much time or as little time as you and your kids want it to.  We spent 30 minutes making our box cars (some of the kids took 3 minutes and some took 30 minutes) and 90 minutes eating and watching our movie.  The snacks were things we just had laying around.

  • Gather boxes of all sizes (5 minutes).  Then assign each box to a child that can sit inside it.  If you have lots of small boxes and several big kids, you may need to use more than one box and tape them together.
  • Grab your Box of Rainy Day Tricks (30 seconds) and take out crayons,  markers, construction paper, glue, packing tape, scissors and punches.  We also found that those extra scrap-booking scraps worked great for this activity.

  • Let the kids go to town decorating their own box car for the drive-in movie!  Our kids made windshields, rear-view mirrors, head and tail lights, grills, license plates and even wheels for their cars and glued/taped them on their boxes (30 minutes).

  • After everyone helps clean up, have each child "park their car" in rows just like you would at a drive-in.

  • Let each child collect snacks from the "concession stand" to eat while they watch the movie.  Make sure you choose snacks that won't stain!  We chose crackers, chips, veggies, apples, peanut butter dip, and cheese sticks for our crew.

  • Then, On with the Show!  We watched a movie most of the kids had not seen and was appropriate for all ages.  (While the kids watched the movie, mom's got to sit and chat...that was fun!)

Remember, it's not about what the finished product looks like.  It's about kids having fun, being creative, and spending time with you.


Indoor Picnic - Get Cookin' with your Kids! 
Prep Time: 3 Minutes (finding the recipe)
Activity Time:  30 Minutes (including cleanup)

  • Start by making a fun lunch recipe that is different than the typical PB&J.  We love to make things in muffin tins like these delicious Chili Bites Popovers.  Kids love to help with these and they are easy to make.  Check out the recipe here!
  • Help everyone dish up their plates.
  • Spread out a blanket and enjoy a fun conversation and tasty meal with your kiddos!


Board Game Shenanigans - Getting Silly gets the Wiggles out! 
Prep Time:  5 Minutes (pick the game)
Activity Time:  30-60 Minutes 

One of our favorite things to do on rainy days is play board games.  Twister is a really fun game to play with a group and it also helps everyone get their wiggles out.

1.  Explain the rules to all the players.

2.  Play a practice round so everyone gets a chance to test the rules.  Then, play for real.

3.  After we have played a few rounds, we like to make up additional rules that make the game sillier or harder.  This is when the real fun begins!  With Twister, my friend's little girl decided that we should be 4 players at a time to make things trickier.  My 5-year-old suggested playing backwards so that your body faces the ceiling instead of the mat.

I've found that mom can bow out once the kids get into making up their own rules.  I step in to referee every once in awhile, but most of the time with a little nudging, I find they can solve most things themselves.

Hope you found some fun ideas to help you survive the rainy days of summer!  Post your questions or comments below!


Share |


Tags: activities  kids  play  fun  family 


Add a Comment


Your Name 

Your Email Address 

Your Web Site (optional) 


Your Comment 

Code Image - Please contact webmaster if you have problems seeing this image code Load New Code

Please enter the Security Code exactly as shown.
Cookies must be enabled on your web browser.

For all news items click here

Subscribe to Our Newsletter
News Releases
Planning is the Key to Great Family Fun!
The key to getting these great weekends is planning.  Uggh…planning, I know.  We’d all love to be the spontaneous, creative, super mom types, but it doesn’t happen without a little planning.  It‘s pretty painless all in all and I’ll walk you through the whole thing.  C’mon!
Release Date: 12/4/2022
Winter Travel Plans are in the Bag
Mary Ann's checklist for all your winter travel plans.  Prepare now so you don't get caught in the cold.
Release Date: 11/20/2022
Family Biking Fun - Summer on Wheels
Mary Ann shares her tips for safe and fun biking trips with your kids.
Release Date: 7/18/2021

Online Classes
Growing & Using Sprouts Class
Growing & Using Sprouts Class

Sprouting seeds are packed with vital nutrients, protein, and minerals.  They make a highly nutritional addition to your Food Storage. 

A Grocery Store in Your Home, e-learn
A Grocery Store in Your Home, e-learn

Basic principles that help you make smart, economical decisions about food storage.

Eat Better for Less E-Learning Class
Eat Better for Less E-Learning Class

With the rising costs of groceries, you may have noticed your budget rising, too.  Learn how easy it is to save money on groceries right now - No Coupons Necessary!

Upcoming Classes

No events scheduled at this time.

Calendar View

Featured Products
What is an Essential Oil?

Find us on FaceBook

Copyright © 2016 Mary Ann's Cupboards. All Rights Reserved. | Site designed by Market Run Solutions | Powered by WebAdmin 
Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Refund Policy | Shipping