My top 10 little boy activites for a rainy day

Lucas started it with a stomach bug last week. I thought the rest of us could escape, but now I'm sick. Thank goodness it hit me on Sunday when Scott was home, but today I was on my own when he headed back to work.

Because I was sooooooooo grumpy on Sunday, I didn't want that to carry over to a new day. I wasn't looking forward to taking care of two energetic boys all by myself. So I pulled out some favorite "rainy day" activities. I know I am always looking for new ideas, so I thought I would share my time tested rainy day/ sick day/ just-stuck -inside day ideas.

 

1. Make your own bubbles: Both my boys love to do this and it is easy to set up/clean up. Make your own bubble solution with 1/4 cup dish soap and 1 cup water. I store our bubble solution in a mason jar so we can use it any time. Pour a little on a plastic plate, give each boy a straw, and let them have at it. Both my toddler and preschooler love this and it usually keeps them entertained for about 20 minutes - which is awesome at my house. (Find more ways to play with bubbles here.)

2. Sensory tray in a box: Let me preface this activity with a warning - it will get messy. I have to mentally prepare myself each time. My boys love to play in several of the sensory bins we made this winter. So far, they've played in rice, aqua beads, and flour. I keep a few special toys that stay with those boxes. For example, the aqua beads have a couple little cups and fish. The flour has a bunch of cars and stacking cups. And the rice has buried valentine candy (I have to restock each time) and plastic airplanes. Then we usually get out a bunch of random kitchen stuff, including jars, a funnel and scoops. When we are done, I just pop on the lid and tuck them back up on top of my fridge. Each is stored in a $1 plastic container from Walmart. I'd like to add a shaped pasta box soon. The clean up time is worth the time I get to do dishes while they play...until they start chucking it at each other. I also like this because Soren is a picky eater and it is related to sensory issues.The more he can play with different textures, the better for him with trying new food.

3. Oven bake clay: This is a new interest of theirs. They've always liked play doh - but not loved it. However, baking your clay creation and then having it to play with permanently is pretty awesome. They prefer the oven bake clay over play doh now. I like it too, because it gives me a chance to have fun making little random things for our fairy garden.

4. DIY Catapult: Soren and I found this idea here on pinterest. They give direction for how to build it, but all it really takes is hot glue, clothes pins, popcicle sticks, recycles juice lids and a dipaer box. Both my boys had LOVED launching things across the room. We would gather all sorts of random items around the house to test out. Our favorites are: coins, legos, lego guys, super heroes, fuzzy balls, buttons.


5. No Mess Painting: We just love painting anything, but the no mess kind is fun because you can tape it to a window. Just fill a ziploc bag with 3-5 paint colors. Tape the top shut and then tape to a window. My boys like to mix the colors and try and draw shapes (Soren is old enough to draw letters and robots).

6. Baking Cookies or Bread: I don't do this when I'm sick, but it is fun on a rainy/snow day. My favorite thing is to make bread dough and divide it up into smaller portions. Then I let them shape it however they want on a cookie sheet. I brush each bread creation with butter and top a mixture of cinnoman and sugar. Usually they bake in about 12 minutes at 350F.

7. Just Dance on the Wii... or you're own dance part: We have to get the wiggles out, including me.

8. Make a Fort: I store a bag of "fort clips" in my pantry for such an occasion.

9. Movie and Popcorn: My boys love to help make popcorn in my air popper. Then we share a big bowl on the couch to watch a favorite movie of theirs. Right now, they love Wall-E, Cars, Toy Story, Aladin, Lion King, etc. We like movies.

10. DIY Volcanoes: I thought only my older boy, Soren, would like this, but then I saw Lucas doing it one day at the BYU-Idaho Toddler Lab. So now we all do it. There are different ways to set it up, but I prefer to pour piles of baking soda on a cookie sheet. Then I pour vinegar in several small bowels. I let them help me add drops of food coloring to the vinegar. Each boy has a medicine dropper to make volcanoes on the cookie sheet. This is another one that never fails to entertain for a long time (in toddler/preschool time).