fun on rainy summer days

3 Ideas for Fun on Rainy Summer Days

We picture summer as a sunny and hot time of year. Our kids spend a lot more time outside, and they get in lots of active play. So a rainy day or several rainy days can bring all of this activity to a halt. In this case, we parents are likely to hear the dreaded “I’m bored!” complaint. So without the standard summer activities available, we need a few backup ideas to help our kids with indoor summer activities. Let’s look at 3 ideas for fun on rainy summer days.

Build an Obstacle Course

Challenge your kids to build an obstacle course with their toys, or even with other items around your house. Help them choose a good open area to set it up. Or maybe even move things around to make space for them to set up an obstacle course. They could set up a zig-zagging running course with furniture, pillows, or toys. For another activity, they could make two short stacks of books and lay a yardstick or a broom across them for a little jumping challenge. To make it more interesting, you could add a few more books after each jump until they can no longer clear it. Then they could belly crawl under the kitchen table. See how many fun challenges they can come up with on their own too!

While you’re gathering and placing household items for your obstacle course, you can use signs from the Home section of our free signing dictionary.  There you can find signs for chair, books, broom, sofa, and several other household words.

Set up some active games indoors

Have your kids set up a hopscotch game with masking tape and use toys to mark the places. And it’s always fun to play hide-and-seek. You could play Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, Sharks and Minnows (if you have space), or Fruit Basket Upset. And there’s always the classic Duck, Duck, Goose. Maybe you can think of some other fun games, or your kids have a favorite. Games are quick and easy ideas for fun on rainy summer days.

In our Signing Time Classic Collection show My House, Rachel and the gang (and their frog Hopkins!) teach the signs for things in our houses. But they also have learning modules to have fun practicing with Game Time and the original song “I’d Love to Play a Game.” It’s a great way to practice signs that go along with games and fun in our homes. You can access all of the Signing Time Classic shows with a My Signing Time digital subscription. If you don’t have a subscription, you can try one out with a 14-day free trial right here.

Do some art

A rainy day is a great time to pull out the art supplies. Play dough is always a hit and provides plenty of sculpting and molding delight. Watercolor crayons are a brilliant way to enjoy painting without the mess. Or break out the paints and have a blast. Coloring books, foam pieces, oven bake clay…there are so many fun and simple art activities you could do on a rainy day. And of course we have some signs that can help you as you work on your art projects. Check out the Creativity Section of the Signing Time Dictionary.

My Signing Time

Our series Rachel & the TreeSchoolers has a free episode called A Rainy Day. So if you are all worn out with your games and activities, take a break and let your kids watch A Rainy Day. They will enjoy the silly TreeSchoolers while they learn about the scientific method and why it rains.

What will you try with your kids on a rainy summer day?

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