Ireland has the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. It is a truly stunning country. The green rolling hills, rugged coastline & bright blue waters are just a few of its strong points. The downside to the beautiful greenery is the copious amounts of rain that are required to maintain it.
While families in other countries get their shorts & swimsuits ready for the summer, here in Ireland we need several options at hand. It’s no harm to have some beach wear but along with that comes jumpers, coats & wooly hats! The Irish parents motto is: be prepared for all four seasons, every day.
With that in mind, here are 10 easy things to do on those all too often rainy days this summer when you can’t get out with the kids. You don’t need any special supplies or advanced planning for any of these ideas!
1. Go on a treasure hunt – in your own house. Having a backstory makes this more exciting. You could be pirates searching for treasure or anyone else you can imagine. There are three different ways to run your treasure hunt depending on the ages of your kiddies:
a. Hide little sweets, toys or other items around the house for the kids to search for. If they get stuck, you can do hot / cold to help them find the items.
b. Draw a simple map of your house & place x’s where the treasures are hidden. The kids then read the map & locate the treasure.
c. For older kids, you can create clues that lead them to another clue & so on until they find the treasure. You can have as many clues as you want. Each clue will lead them to a part of the house where the next clue is hidden. Eventually, they will find the “treasure” hidden in the final location.
2. No frills arts & crafts. Our favourite medium to create with is old cereal boxes. Open both ends & cut along one side to open it up flat. You can make anything your imaginations can think of with some twistables & scissors. We have made cardboard phones, tractors, watches, eyeglasses & board games. Check out this post to see our creations.
Another creative activity is making gorgeous and vibrant beaded jewellery. Why not put your beads to good use by turning them into wearable pieces? Jewellery making is an activity that lets your creative juices flow while having fun at the same time. Your creations can make great gifts for friends. Make their day extra special by giving them something you’ve personally made.
3. Have a game day at home. Dust off the board games & get settled in for some family fun. Other fun games to play include Simon says, duck duck goose & limbo. You can jazz up this plan with some nice snacks – that always makes a plan more appealing to little ones.
4. Make a Minecraft Board Game. This is a step up in difficulty from option 2. We recently made a Minecraft board game for our son’s 9th birthday party. Both the making of the game & the playing of the game is lots of fun! I like that it takes Minecraft off the tablet & into the real world. Get the simple instructions on how to make your own here.
5. Go to the Cinema or create your own cinema at home. You can go to the actual cinema which is always a treat! Alternatively, make a cinema at home. Close all the curtains in the sitting room, make some popcorn, pick out some treats & relax with your feet up. Here’s how we make a home cinema with a few easy steps to that makes it fun for the kiddies.
6. Take out the puzzles, play dough, beads or other fun toys from the closet. We have a pile of toys in the closet that isn’t out day to day. It makes them more exciting on days you play with them.
7. Build a fort. This is always fun! You can use the couch or chairs & some blankets to make a fun little tent or fort. Use your imaginations to transport yourselves anywhere in the world – you could be camping in the jungle or out at sea on your boat.
8. Have a teddy bear picnic. Before the picnic, get the teddy bears dressed up in their finery. Brush their fur, bring them to the vet for a check up & then they are ready to party. Spread a blanket on the floor & set up the teddy bears & plates. Using real snacks & drinks makes the picnic all the more fun!
9. Bake together. Kids love to help bake tasty things & then eat them when they are done. Go for a simple recipe like Queen Cakes – fast & easy to make. The kids can help stir the ingredients & pour the batter into the cases. This idea pairs really nicely with the teddy bear picnic!
10. Or, don’t let the rain stop you! Get suited up in your rain gear & head outside anyway! Our daughter love to jump up & down in puddles…thanks to Peppa Pig.
Enjoy your summer – whatever the weather brings us! What other rainy day activities does your family enjoy?
This article first featured on RollerCoaster.ie
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