13 Rainy Day Activities For Winter

Drizzly winters don’t have to mean dreary days indoors. Finding ways to keep youngsters entertained inside when it’s pouring outside can feel like chasing rainbows! But if you’re prepared and have a few fun rainy day activities up your sleeve, you can brighten up those gloomy afternoons in no time. 

From fort building to imaginative play, indoor kids activities​ should appeal to children’s curiosity and creativity. Need inspiration? We’re here to help you turn stormy skies into unforgettable family memories, so grab a cuppa and let’s explore some of our favourite kids indoor activities for those wet and wintry days.

Rainy Day Activities For Kids

It can be tempting to resort to screen time when the weather fails us, but we’ve got a few ideas that’ll help keep boredom at bay without the iPad…

How do I keep my kids entertained on a rainy day?

Indoor family activities to keep kids entertained on a rainy day could include an indoor obstacle course, scavenger hunt, kitchen dance party, DIY science experiments, rainbow crafts, fort-building, junk modelling, puzzling, pretend play, and board games.

13 Indoor Activities For Kids:

1. Rainbow crafts: Grab some glue, scissors, and coloured paper, then let your kids design their own rainbows to chase the clouds away! 

2. Indoor obstacle course: Use pillows, chairs, and blankets to create a fun and child-safe obstacle course to keep kids active on rainy days

3. Scavenger hunt: Hide sweet treats or objects around the house and create clues for a family treasure hunt

4. DIY science experiments: Try the Skittles experiment to make your own rainbow or have a go at homemade slime!

5. Build a fort: Use sheets and pillows to create a cosy hideout for storytime and playing games (see our den-building blog for ideas)

6. Kitchen dance party: Set up a playlist of your kids’ favourite tunes and have a family dance-a-thon in the kitchen, or play musical statues

7. Junk modelling: Gather items from the recycling bin and create some unique inventions

8. Bake off: Get the kiddies involved with a few sweet or savoury recipes, from cupcakes to homemade pizza

9. Puzzle time: Pull out your children’s favourite puzzles and work as a team to piece them together

10. Role-play: Turn your lounge into a train station, royal tea party, or musical concert for an imaginative pretend play session

11. Board game challenge: Family game time is always a win on rainy days, so gather the classics and go head-to-head with your kids!

12. Indoor camping: Set up a tent inside, grab some snacks, and tell stories by torchlight

13. Lounge picnic: Lay out a blanket and tuck into a tasty picnic lunch in your living room!

What do you put in a rainy day basket?

A rainy day basket is your secret weapon for grey afternoons! Fill it with puzzles, small craft kits, colouring books, crayons, stickers, storybooks, mini board games, and a few surprises like dress-up accessories and musical toys.

The key is to have a variety of items that keep little hands and minds busy. Ideally, have this basket prepared in advance and pop it under your bed or in a storage cupboard, then you can pull it out when needed and instantly turn a boring rainy day into an exciting one. 

What are fun indoor games for kids?

Think beyond the basics and get creative! Kids indoor games that involve teamwork and movement are often best. There are loads of games you can create yourself with items from around the house, such as sock toss, balloon tennis, indoor bowling, DIY memory games, and animal charades.

Unique Indoor Games For Kids:

• Sock toss: Scrunch up socks and toss them into the washing basket for points
• Balloon tennis: Blow up some balloons and use paper plates as paddles
• Indoor bowling: Set up paper cups or empty bottles as pins and use a small ball to knock them down
• Mystery box: Fill a box with mystery items and have your kids guess the contents while blindfolded
• DIY memory game: Draw pictures or numbers on scraps of paper and place them face down to test your children’s memory
• Mummy race: Wrap each other up in toilet roll, then race each other to the finish line!
• Animal charades: Write different animals on pieces of paper and act them out for the family to guess

Rainy Day Toys

The right toys can transform a rainy day into a chance to make fun family memories. From crafting to pretend play, these toys are perfect for keeping kids entertained indoors. 

Learn To Draw Kits

Fusing creativity with skill-building, Tiger Tribe’s How To Draw sets allow kids to unleash their artistic side and develop confidence in their drawing abilities. Take your pick from different themes, including Animals, Fantasy, Dinosaur, and more! These all-in-one craft kits come with a step-by-step guide, sketch pad, coloured pencils, a sharpener, and eraser, so they can be enjoyed at home or on the go. 

Wooden Train Set

A classic wooden train set is the perfect antidote to rainy day blues and can keep kids captivated for hours. Youngsters can design tracks, create new layouts, and send their trains off on thrilling adventures around the living room! We have a wonderful collection of wooden railway sets for all interests, from fairies and farm animals to dinosaurs. 

Bath Toys

Raining outside? Splash about inside instead! Floating boats, watermills, squeezy toys, crayons, stacking cups, and bath books turn tub time into playtime and can be an easy way to sneak in a little sensory play on a rainy day. Explore our bath toys collection to find your kiddies’ favourites. 

Kids Musical Instruments

Perform your own family concert with our range of musical instruments for kids. Browse percussion instruments for small hands, such as maracas, tambourines, and xylophones, or take it to the next level with our kids guitars and drums. These toys encourage musical exploration, while serving as a fun family bonding activity. 

Wooden Puzzles

For a calming, brain-boosting way to pass the time, puzzles are perfect! Our wooden puzzles come in a range of themes and difficulty levels, so you can find the right fit for every age and stage. We also have our House of Puzzles collection for older ones and adults. The BIG 250-piece range features extra large pieces, so these are ideal for the whole family to get stuck into. 

Junk Modelling Kits

Find some cardboard boxes or plastic bottles from the recycling bin and use one of Toyi’s award-winning junk modelling kits to transform trash into toys. Toyi has over 30 sets to choose from and each one is packed full of handy construction pieces to build vehicles, animals, robots, castles, puppets, and more.

Dolls Houses

Dolls houses open the door to endless imaginative play possibilities, inviting kids to design rooms, create stories, and bring tiny worlds to life. It’s the perfect piece of escapism on a rainy afternoon! Discover our stunning range of wooden doll houses and accessories, from doll families to miniature furniture.

Tea Sets 

Little hosts can set up their own tea party for their siblings or teddies with our charming collection of kids tea sets. We have picnic tea sets, shape-matching cake stands, biscuit boxes, tin tea sets, and more so you can create the ultimate indoor feast!

Dress Up

Playing make-believe is a fabulous indoor activity, especially with a boxful of fancy dress costumes to climb into! Our dress-up collection invites kids to transform themselves into firefighters, scientists, police officers, princesses, doctors, builders, and magicians, firing up their creative thinking and storytelling skills.  

Kids Board Games

Timeless and rewarding, board games are a brilliant way to bring the family together when the skies open up. We have a great range of traditional wooden board games, including Snakes & Ladders (a Bigjigs bestseller!), Dominoes, Solitaire, Chess and Draughts, Four In A Row, Bingo, and more.