Easy Rainy Day Activities for Kids When Outdoor Plans Are Off
Indoor ideas for rainy days, heatwaves and cancelled plans
You had plans.
Maybe there was going to be a park trip, a picnic, a garden play, a day out or at least a bit of fresh air.
And then it rained.
Or there’s another heatwave.
These rainy day activities for kids are for those days when everyone is stuck inside, plans have gone sideways and you need something new that does not involve a full craft cupboard.
If it is too hot to play outside, the NHS has useful advice on keeping children safe in hot weather.
In this guide
- Make a rainy day snack café
- Build a den with a purpose
- Try a five-minute indoor hunt
- Make the weather part of the activity
- Turn TV time into a proper cinema moment
- More rainy day activities for kids with Busy Things
1. Make a rainy day snack café
Rainy days are a good excuse to turn snack, lunch or pudding into a tiny event.
It does not have to mean proper baking. It could be funny face toast, fruit kebabs, decorate-your-own wraps, biscuit faces, pancakes, mini pizzas, smoothies or a teddy bears’ picnic on the floor.
Add a few café details if they are enjoying it:
- make a menu
- take orders
- give the café a name
- set up the table
- make paper money
- rate the creations out of 10
- invent a “special of the day”
Give them a job they can manage safely, whether that is spreading, chopping soft fruit, measuring, mixing, writing menus or plating up snacks.
You might also like our Bake a Funny Face recipes for a ready-made rainy day kitchen activity.
2. Build a den with a purpose
Dens are a rainy day classic, but they usually last longer when they have a purpose.
Instead of just “build a den”, try:
- a reading den
- a teddy hospital
- a secret club
- a cinema
- a campsite
- a toy hotel
- a dragon cave
- a calm corner
Then add extra ideas to give keep the play going:
- cinema → make tickets
- campsite → eat a snack inside
- teddy hospital → make patient cards
- toy hotel → check the toys in
- secret club → invent a password
- reading den → choose three books
- dragon cave → make a warning sign
It gives them something to do with the den, rather than building it, crawling inside for thirty seconds and then asking what to do next.
Try it on Busy Things: Children could use Busy Publisher to make a sign, ticket, menu, patient card, poster or warning notice for their den.
3. Try a five-minute indoor hunt
This is one of those rainy day activities for kids that can be made easier or harder depending on their age.
Give children a short list of things to find around the house.
Some examples:
- something blue
- something soft
- something round
- something tiny
- something that makes a noise
- something with a pattern
- something that smells nice
- something beginning with S
- something that could be treasure
- something a pirate might keep
- something that could belong to a fairy
- something that looks like it has a secret
- something that could be used in an invention
For younger children, stick to colours, shapes and textures. For older children, make it a bit more interesting.
When they are fed up of finding things, turn it round and ask them to make a hunt for you.
Try it on Busy Things: Children could continue the hunting theme with Hen Hunt on Busy Things. Can they find the chicken hidden in the maze? Watch out for the monsters in the later levels.
4. Make the weather part of the activity
If the weather has ruined your plans, you may as well get a few minutes of entertainment out of it.
Try one of these weather ideas:
Raindrop races: Choose two raindrops on the window and see which one reaches the bottom first. That is it. Strangely compelling.
Weather reporter: Ask your child to do a dramatic weather report from the window. They can describe the sky, decide whether it is drizzle, proper rain, “absolutely chucking it down” or too hot to move, then say whether they would recommend going out in it.
Rain sound challenge: Listen carefully and see how many rain sounds you can hear. Is it tapping, splashing, dripping, rushing, pattering or thudding? Can they recreate the sound using hands, voices, paper, cups or cushions?
Puddle prediction: Before you go out later, look through the window and guess where the biggest puddle will be. Bonus points if someone remembers to check.
Hot weather taste test: If it is too hot to do much, turn snack time into a quick taste test. Try cold fruit, yoghurt, ice cubes in drinks, frozen grapes, cucumber sticks or whatever you already have in. Vote for the most refreshing one.
These ideas are small, but they turn the weather from “plans ruined” into something to notice, talk about or play with for a few minutes.
For more weather-themed ideas, you might also like our spring activity ideas blog.
Try it on Busy Things: Children can try the Weather Report activity on Busy Things, then make their own dramatic forecast from the window.
5. Turn TV time into a proper cinema moment
Rainy days and films go together. Same for afternoons when it is too hot to do much. No guilt required.
If you are going to put a film or programme on, you can make it feel a bit more special with almost no extra effort.
Try:
- choose the film together
- close the curtains
- bring the duvets down
- make the best, comfiest cinema seat
- raid the cupboard for movie treats
- make quick paper tickets
- press play at a set “showtime”
- after the film, give it a star rating, write a review, draw the best scene or act out a favourite bit
And there you go. You have turned a grey afternoon, or a too-hot-to-move one, into something that feels a bit more special.
More rainy day activities for kids with Busy Things
Busy Things is full of playful activities for children aged 3-11, including creative projects, puzzles, quizzes, printables, music activities, drawing tools and games.
It is useful for rainy days, heatwaves, quiet afternoons and those moments when everyone is indoors and nobody knows what to do next.
For a limited time, families can get 2 months of Busy Things for the price of 1.
Busy Things works best on a tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
More rainy day and indoor activity ideas
You might also like:
- Make a Summer Bucket List
- 100 Fun Drawing Prompts for Children
- 7 Easy Space Activities for Children to Try at Home
More Busy Summer guides
This post is part of Busy Summer, our collection of simple activity guides for real summer holiday moments.
Try another guide:
- “I’m bored!”
Boredom-busters for when everyone has run out of ideas. - “Are we nearly there?”
Travel activities for long journeys, waiting around and holiday downtime. - “What can I make?”
Making, drawing and craft ideas that do not need a huge set-up. - “Can you just play nicely for five minutes?”
Ideas to help children play together with a bit less refereeing. - “I just need ten minutes”
Independent activities for when you need a short breather.