Some days it will be raining, or snowing, or you’ll just not particularly want to leave the house. However, your children will still want to have some fun. If you want to stop them from getting bored, there are dozens of different games you can think up to keep everyone occupied. Here are some examples of the kind of thing you can do and play. Who says wet weather days have to be boring ones?
Make Your Own Stamps
There is something about ink stamps that children just adore, so it makes sense to make some of your own. That way, not only do they get to make some wonderful art, but they can even make the tools to do it too. All you need to do is glue some old buttons to the end of some corks, and there you have it, your own homemade ink stamps. If you don’t have any ink to use, you can dip them in some paint. The patterns can be very beautiful.
Make String Art
String art is great for ensuring your child uses their fine motor skills. The string can be replaced by wool or ribbon if that’s easier and other than that all you need is some glue and some paper. Cut the string into pieces of different lengths; then your children simply need to stick that string onto the paper. If they dot and squirt the glue into different shapes, the string can be bent to fit. Once the glue is dry, the string can be painted different colors.
Play Never Have I Ever
Although Never Have I Ever is often associated with being a drinking game, it can be a lot of fun to play with the kids. All you have to do is make a statement such as ‘Never have I ever eaten chips,’ and then everyone who has done that gains a point. The first person to 10, 20, 50 (or whatever number you choose) is out and so on. If you don’t know what questions to ask examples can be found on funattic.com.
Make Bookmarks
Making bookmarks has many benefits; they can be given away as gifts to friends and family (people love receiving homemade gifts from children), or they can encourage more reading to happen in the home. Plus, they’re easy, but fun, to make. You’ll need a paperclip, craft glue, a needle and thread, and some ribbon. Cut the ribbon so that it’s long enough that it will hang out of the bottom of a book. Thread the ribbon through the paperclip, folding it over at the top, then glue the ribbon tab down so that it’s secure. You can add a few stitches here too if you want it to be extra safe. Weigh it down and wait until it dries. That’s it! The paperclip attaches to the page you’ve stopped reading on, and the ribbon sits neatly in the book. Alternatively, if your children have small hands and clip might tear the pages as they take it on and off, attach it instead to the front cover of the book – the ribbon will still go where you left off reading.
In a pinch, a few of these ideas will hopefully stave off rainy day, stuck in doors boredom…