Family activities for a rainy day

Everybody is familiar with the situation: It’s pouring with rain outside, it’s the school holidays and the children are going out their mind with boredom, driving you out of your mind in the process! So what kinds of simple and affordable activities are there to keep them entertained and stimulated until bedtime?

• Play a game: Traditional games will never go out of fashion, so use the opportunity afforded by the rain to have some fun as a family. If the kids are feeling particularly raucous then go for a more energetic game such as Twister or Charades, which involves a lot of shouting and gesticulation. On the other hand, if it is nearing the evening and you want to quieten them down a little then jigsaw puzzles are a nice, soothing family activity. One of the great things about jigsaw puzzles is that everybody can take part, whether it is sorting pieces of constructing certain sections.
•  Watch a film: Today we are spoilt for choice with the range of family-friendly films available. Whilst you would not want your children to be slumped in front of the television screen every day, watching a film together is an easy and cheap way to while away a couple of hours.
• Paint pictures: If you can’t take your family outside then it’s an ideal opportunity to get the easels out. Painting is a great activity for kids as it encourages them to be creative – but do remember to supervise them otherwise you could end up with a bit of a mess on your (or their) hands.
• Set challenges: It requires a little effort, but one of my favourite things about rainy afternoons when I was a child was when my parents would put together a treasure hunt for my brother, sisters and I. You can make this as elaborate as you want – if the rain doesn’t look like letting up all day then the core complicated the better! Also, it needn’t cost you much as you can make the clues yourself and the ‘treasure’ can be whatever best suits your children’s preferences.
  
  

Go on a day trip: Of course, you don’t have to stay in the house to avoid a downpour. If all else fails and you have the time or money, take your family on an outing. If you want to go for something educational, then find out about nearby museums of galleries. On the other hand, if you just want them to use up their energy, or they are too little to have the patience for these kinds of places, then take them to a place such as a bowling alley or indoor swimming pool.

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