Here’s some great summer activities for family fun on those rainy days you are all stuck inside, momma! You probably did many of these as a kid!
Summer is great fun!
Until it rains, and everyone is stuck inside. Literally all day long…
Then the kids are bouncing off the wall and picking on each other. And you just want to scream! 😂🤣
It’s okay momma. Take a deep breath and read this post! It’s full of fantastic ways to spend those rainy summer days!
In fact, some of these are favorite childhood memories of mine. ☺️ And you might find a trick or two that you’ve forgotten all about as well!
Rainy Day Summer Fun Key Takeaways
But…if you need the short and sweet version right now, ‘cause it’s raining cats and dogs and your kids are climbing the walls, give one of these a try:
Best quiet time idea – Have a movie marathon.
Best creative idea – Learn how to draw using YouTube.
Best idea for toddlers – Build a fort.
Best idea for preschoolers – Make homemade pizza.
Best way to get some energy out – Rearrange your child’s bedroom.
Best overall – Learn how to play string games.
There you go! My favorites. Go ahead and pin this post for later. You can come back and read all the great ideas when you have more time. 😉
How do I keep my kids entertained on a rainy day?
Stuck indoors in total despair, momma? No problem! Use the day for some downtime inside!!
{This post uses affiliate links, btw, which means I earn a small commission if you choose to purchase something using one of my links. No worries; it costs you nothing extra and helps support Making Mommas. See my disclosure policy for more info. Thanks momma!}
1. Have a movie marathon.
I don’t know about you, but we stop watching movies in the summer. That seems to be a winter activity at my house. So, a rainy day is the perfect time to snuggle up and watch something!
Valerie from The Babywise Mom has a great list of over 100 movies that have at least a sequel, to get you started!
2. Build a fort.
Sara from Sunshine Whispers has a great post on different ways to build an indoor fort, in case you need a little inspiration. 😉
3. Have a Lego building contest.
Sarah from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls challenges you… to a Lego Building Challenge! Complete with free printable challenge cards!
4. Camp out in the house.
This is one of my boys’ favorites!
We always just use a regular outdoor tent, minus the tie downs, of course. But Amazon has an awesome indoor/outdoor play tent you can purchase as well.
5. Have an indoor spa day, right at home!
Janice and Susan share ten tips for hosting your own DIY spa day for kids, over at 5 Minutes for Mom. Sorry – can’t help you on this one! 😆
All boys. 🤷🏻♀️
6. Learn how to make paper origami.
Oh.my.gosh. 😆 One of my favorite things to do as a kid! I knew how to make paper airplanes, footballs, boxes, cranes, swans, and so much more!
I even knew how to fold my notes to my friends, in all those ‘90’s fashions. 😁 (I know…that dates me…)
Here’s a few videos to get you started.
And just because I’m a dork…and loved doing this… 😆
7. Learn how to play string games.
Another one of my childhood favorites! The Cat’s Eye…Jacob’s Ladder, The Witches Broom…Tarzan’s Underwear… 😂🤣 The Cat’s Cradle was my all-time favorite though.
Oh, those were the days! 😅
8. Have breakfast in bed.
Surprise your kids and serve them breakfast in bed one rainy morning! Make it even more fun by climbing on in besides them!!
Mum’s Grapevine has 9 kid safe breakfast in bed ideas for you.
9. Play cards.
Do your kids know how to play classic card games? If not, a rainy day is the perfect time to teach them!
Anna, from We Have Kids, has 15 classic card games you can teach your kids – complete with instructions for you, in case you’ve forgotten how to play!!
10. Play a board game.
We usually reserve board games for the winter, the lake – or for rainy days! Here’s 17 of my favorites – that also teach social skills! 😉
11. Rearrange your child’s bedroom.
I used to spend hours doing this as a kid! It was just so much fun!
Jodi, from the House house, shows how she rearranged her boys’ furniture. It looked like a whole new room when she was done!
12. Play with play dough or clay.
Of course! It’s the perfect rainy day activity. Jean, from The Artful Parent, has 33 fantastic playdough ideas to get you started. 😉
13. Make DIY playdough (or clay!)
Step it up a notch by making your own play dough or clay! Paging Fun Mums has 20 different homemade play dough recipes you can try.
14. Bake something.
That’s what rainy days are for. ☺️ Taste of Home has 34 fun things to bake with your kids.
15. Make your own pizzas.
We love to do this one at our house! Peggy, from Thursday Night Pizza, has a great kid’s pizza recipe.
16. Play Telephone.
Ever play that game as a kid? Tanja from Empowered Parents has the Telephone directions for ya. 😉 And Gamesavers has 12 variations of the telephone game for you, too!
17. Learn how to draw something fun.
My boys love watching Art Hub. So much so, that sharpies and a pad of paper were the biggest wish on Ali’s Christmas list last year! 😆
Grab your free summer routine kit
The free summer routine kit is chock full of great tools to help you have the best summer ever right at home, momma, rain or shine!
- Summer bucket list printables
- Printable summer schedules
- Printable meal plans
- “Filler activities” that you can fill a boredom jar with
- Printable summer lesson planners, if you home school
And so much more! Just pop your email in the form below and I’ll send it right over to you!
Get the printables!
The Summer Routine Kit
At the end of the day…
At the end of the day, momma, the rain doesn’t have to ruin all your fun! It’s so crazy busy in the summer, that it’s nice to get a rainy day once in a while.
It can help you to slow things down and just enjoy your family. ☺️
And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Spending time with those we love the most.
Lucky you – you’re a sahm, so you get to spend the rainy day at home, snuggled up with your kiddos! 🥰
More ideas for summer fun
Fun Ideas for Playing in the Rain
Awesome Educational Ideas for Summer Learning
Fun Summer Arts & Crafts Ideas
