What could be more depressing for a young kid in the summer, than a dreary rainy day like today? Summer Camp was rained out, you can’t plan a day at the beach and the thought of your child spending one more second on the computer or in front of the TV will likely be the cause of a nervous breakdown. Fear not! The sun may not come out tomorrow, but the fun doesn’t have to stop. We’ve gathered a handful of great rainy day fun activities that will occupy your little ones and even teach them a thing or two without them catching on. Roll your sleeves up, round up the little ones get ready for some rainy day fun!
Edible Play Dough
In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup honey, 1 1/2 cups peanut butter and 1 1/2 cups powdered milk. Give your kids a fork each and ask them to surround the bowl with you. Now it’s time to mix! Use the forks to mix all the ingredients until a dough begins to form. Knead the dough for a minute or so, until it begins to look like play-dough. Once ready, cut portions for each child and let them have fun creating whatever masterpiece they can dream up. Store leftover dough in a plastic container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Note: be certain that no child playing with the edible dough has a peanut allergy prior to making the play-dough.
Homemade Watercolors
Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar together in a tall container, to avoid a messy eruption. Allow time for the fizzing to stop, before adding half a teaspoon of Karo or light corn syrup and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Mix thoroughly until the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Pour into small plastic containers, or try using ice cube trays or mini muffin tins for less clean up. Next, add food coloring gels to each container to suit your children’s coloring desires. Stir each colour in using a toothpick, adding more gel if needed.
Tip: Wilton Icing Gels or Betty Crocker Gels are probably the easiest brands to purchase at most supermarkets. If you stop at Michael’s Crafts Store, Duff Goldman has a line of vivid and fun gels that kids will love! Finally, break out the craft paper and let your budding van Gogh’s get to it!
Life Size Scrabble
What could please a parent more, than squeezing a little learning into a fun activity? To play life size scrabble, get your kids involved from the start. First, have them help you clear all the furniture from a square portion of the designated room. Next, grab plenty of construction paper, some paint, magic marker or chalk. Have each child write all the letters of the alphabet on each piece of paper. Note, create doubles for each vowel and the letters N, R, S and T. (example, if three kids are playing, they should create two of each vowel per child). Once complete, shuffle the paper up to assure each player gets a fair shot. Next, each player picks a side of the square you will be playing along. Distribute seven letters per player and leave the remaining pile of letters next to the designated dealer. Store the pieces of paper in a binder or a folder to use again and again.
Tip: if you lack the patience to make 100 letters, you can substitute the paper with pre cut stencils, found at most craft stores. Michaels sells 4 inch letters for under $5 per alphabet set. Optional: Print out the scrabble game rules online for authentic board game fun.