We’ve all heard what they say about April and showers, but a little rain should never stop kids from having fun! Here at PopUp Play, we think spring-time fun should be had in all types of weather. So, we have some great ideas up our sleeves to help you and your kids have the best rainy-day fun imaginable.
Get Creative By Making Your Own Stickers
Don’t let the grey skies get you down! Your child can brighten up a gloomy day by coloring his or her own masterpiece and turning it into a sticker that sticks to just about any surface. PBS Parents has an easy recipe for a quick sugar-glue kids can paint on the back of their own drawings to create custom stickers. Kid-friendly and mom-approved, DIY stickers are a great way for a child to express her artistic side and get experimenting with creating her own non-toxic glue.
Explore Engineering With DIY Parachutes
Hands-on fun doesn’t end with stickers, though. With just a few household items, your kids can get engineering and build their very own parachutes. You’ll need some small paper cups, coffee filters, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and tape. All Done Monkey has a simple list of instructions for setup. Kids can have fun building their very own mini parachutes, and launch them inside off a couch or staircase.
Add an extra element of science-related fun to the activity by having your kids make predictions about which designs will work best. Then, they can test those predictions to see if their hypotheses were correct! For a great video on how parachutes work, check out this video from mocomi.com.
Experiment In The Kitchen
Sometimes, a rainy day calls for a tray of warm cookies and milk. What better way is there to spend an afternoon than whipping up something delicious with your little chef? Baking together is a great way to spend some quality time with your children–and you all get to reap the benefits after, too! Kids love the hands-on opportunities baking provides, from mixing in chocolate chips to rolling out the Biggest. Cookies. Ever.
Cooking is also a great chance to practice math and fraction skills with kids. Even the youngest kid can help count out the number of spoonfuls of ingredients you need. So, find your little chef’s favorite cookie recipe and get baking. Don’t forget to lick the spoon!
Build The Ultimate Blanket Fort
We PopUp Play Big Kids love a good old-fashioned fort. In fact, old school cardboard box forts were a big part of the inspiration for PopUp Play! When the weather is yucky outside, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as cozying up with blankets and pillows indoors. Your child can stretch their brain by figuring out the best way to make the ultimate fort in their bedroom. Once everything’s set up, he can host storytime or even give a private concert to his special stuffed animal audience in the fort!
What are your favorite things to do on a rainy day with your kiddos? Let us know in the comments!