“Mummy, it’s just drizzling. Can we go to the park?”
“Mum, we’ve not been to the park for many days already.”
“Another rainy day?”
I get this a lot from my 2 boys especially during the rainy season when it rains almost everyday. I can totally understand their frustration and disappointment.
It happens all the time. Just when they’re about to step out of the house, they hear the sound of rumbling thunder. The disappointment on their faces when I have to say no really makes me feel heavy-hearted.
There are times when I’ll let them play in the rain if there’s no sign of thunder or lightning. They put their wellies on and I give them child-size umbrellas. Oh my! Their giggles and laughter are enough proof that they are having fun despite the rain.
It reminds me of my childhood; I loved the rain, especially if there was a minor flood. Children would be playing in the rain and floodwater barefooted — what a delightful scene!
My boys are very active and they need plenty of physical activities to expel their energy, which is why I will make an effort to include such activities for them everyday.
Here are 5 activities that I use as a backup plan whenever the weather does not go my way:
SENSORY TUBS
This activity never fails to engage my 2 boys. I’ll have the sensory tub setup so that the boys can play standing up, as this allows them to move freely around the tub. Sensory play has been proven to be beneficial to children’s physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social development. I can’t emphasise enough how both my boys have benefited from sensory play.
New to sensory play? Here is more details of what is sensory play is all about :
http://zoeysiow.com/2018/10/27/what-is-sensory-play/
Learn how you can setup your own sensory tub in 3 easy steps through this video:
https://youtu.be/SU0p1BiGwYY
HOPSCOTCH
I’ll either use chalk to draw a hopscotch on the car porch or use masking tape to create the outline indoors. This game provides endless fun because children just love playing hopscotch.
DIY BOWLING
Grab some paper cups and a ball…tadaa!…You have just created a simple game! Discuss the rules of the game with older children, or you can even come up with your own set of rules and scoring chart. After all, children just want to have FUN!
TUNNELS & TENTS
Setup a tunnel and a tent and the children will intuitively know what to do with them. Let their imagination go wild! My 2 boys even setup their own tunnel on a sofa and use it as a slide.
YOGA WITH CHILDREN
I introduced some yoga poses to my boys and they loved it! Every yoga pose is named after an object in nature and represents the object’s physical form (cobra pose, mountain pose, etc.) Both my boys absolutely love doing yoga. I have a deck of yoga cards with illustrations, which has been useful in helping me to introduce the various yoga poses to my children.
All the activities that I have mentioned really help to expel my children’s energy. That is my ultimate goal! They will be tired and hungry, and will wipe their plates clean in no time. As a bonus, they will also go to bed early. And the best part? Their bedtime is my ME time!
Did you find this helpful? What activities do you do with your kids on rainy days? Share your thoughts on our ibu Family Facebook Page or join one of our playgroups or support groups to connect with other stay at home moms.