Rainy Day Ideas Kids Actually Enjoy

By Cassie Monroe, Lifestyle & Routine Editor | Daily Life Column | Childcare Standards Council

Let’s be honest the Great British weather doesn’t always play ball. One minute you’re planning a park picnic, the next you’re watching the rain bounce off the windows with a restless child (or three) underfoot.

But rainy days don’t have to mean boredom, screen time overload, or chaos. With a little creativity (and a pinch of patience), wet weather can be the perfect excuse for fun, cosy, memory making activities that your kids will genuinely enjoy and you just might too.

Here’s a list of realistic, low prep rainy day ideas that strike the right balance between cheerful and calm. Whether you’ve got toddlers, school aged children, or a mix, there’s something here for every age and every attention span.

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1. Indoor Obstacle Course

Turn your lounge into a mini adventure zone with cushions, blankets, chairs and whatever else you have lying around.

Ideas to include:

• Crawl under the dining table

• Jump over rolled up towels

• Balance on a line of socks

• Climb through a tunnel of cushions

  
  

Add a timer if your children enjoy a challenge, or turn it into a co op mission where they work together to “rescue” a teddy. It’s active, imaginative and burns off that cabin fever energy.

2. Baking Together (Yes, Even the Messy Kind)

A rainy day is the perfect excuse to slow down and bake something warm and comforting. Kids love being hands on cracking eggs, mixing batter, or decorating biscuits.

Choose simple recipes like:

• Fairy cakes

• Chocolate chip cookies

• Flapjacks

• Mini pizzas on pitta bread

  
  

Let your little one choose the toppings or get creative with icing. And remember: a bit of flour on the floor is all part of the fun.

3. Craft Box Challenge

You don’t need fancy supplies to spark creativity. Grab a cardboard box, toilet rolls, cereal boxes, glue, and any bits and bobs you’ve saved from the recycling then set a challenge.

Some favourites:

• Build a rocket, robot or animal

• Create a miniature city

• Design your own board game

  
  

Add some pens, scissors and washi tape, and let the imagination run wild. Bonus points if the creations double as toys for the rest of the day!

4. Cosy Indoor Picnic

Lay out a blanket in the living room, make sandwiches and snacks, pour juice into reusable cups and call it a picnic.

Add a stack of books or an audiobook playing in the background, and you’ve got an easy, low effort activity that feels novel without needing to leave the house.

Make it more magical with fairy lights, a pop up tent or even a teddy bear guest list.

5. Themed Dress Up Day

Choose a theme pirates, jungle explorers, space travellers, or a royal tea party and build the day around it.

You could:

• Dress up using what’s already in the wardrobe

• Make props out of cardboard

• Invent a story or act out a short play

• Make themed snacks (banana boats, rocket toast, etc.)

  
  

Children love imaginative play, and it’s a great way to fill an afternoon with laughter and storytelling.

6. Kitchen Disco

Got five minutes and a speaker? You’ve got a kitchen disco.

Stick on a family playlist, turn down the lights, grab a torch for a “disco ball” effect, and have a dance party right in your kitchen. It’s a brilliant way to lift everyone’s mood, especially when the rain’s been falling for hours.

Try freeze dance, copycat moves, or even let the kids DJ. It’s joyful chaos in the best way.

7. Rainy Day Reading Den

There’s something lovely about leaning into the cosy side of a rainy day. Build a simple reading nook or den using cushions, throws and a few fairy lights.

Pile in with books, torches and maybe a few snacks. Whether it’s a classic picture book or a new chapter story, reading together is the perfect mix of calm and connection.

For independent readers, you could even turn it into a “book club” with hot chocolate and a little chat afterwards.

8. Family Movie Afternoon

It’s a classic for a reason. Choose a film everyone can enjoy, make popcorn, dim the lights, and snuggle up on the sofa.

To make it extra special:

• Let the kids design tickets

• Pause halfway for an “interval snack”

• Have a chat after the film about favourite characters or scenes

  
  

Try not to feel guilty about screen time if you’re watching together and chatting about it, it becomes a shared experience, not just a passive one.

9. Puddle Play (If You’re Brave!)

Sometimes, the best way to handle a rainy day is to embrace it.

Pull on the wellies, waterproofs and go splash in the biggest puddles you can find. Walk to the park, jump in puddles, float leaves in streams, or simply dance in the rain.

There’s something liberating about letting go of the idea that rain = stay indoors. A wet child is a washable child and the giggles are absolutely worth it.

10. Simple Science Experiments

Bring out their inner scientist with a few easy, child friendly experiments using things you likely already have at home.

Try:

• Vinegar + bicarbonate of soda volcano

• Rainbow skittles in water

• Oil and water lava lamps

• Ice cube melting races

  
  

There are lots of safe, mess free activities online to try and they’re fantastic for learning and curiosity on a grey day.

Final Thoughts

Rainy days might keep you indoors, but they don’t have to keep you from having fun. In fact, some of the best family memories are made when the world outside slows down, and you’re all a bit more present with each other.

Whether it’s baking, dancing, puddle jumping or building dens, these little moments of connection are what your children will remember not the weather outside.

So next time the skies open up, take a breath, make a brew, and dive into a rainy day with a few fresh ideas in your back pocket. It might just become your favourite kind of day.

Stay warm, stay dry, and most importantly have fun.