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Home › Articles › Activities › It's Raining, It's Pouring

It's Raining, It's Pouring

That Doesn't Mean It's Boring!

By Debbie Friedman

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At first, it's fun to pull out the rain boots and umbrellas. For toddlers, the change in weather can be very exciting. By day two, the novelty wears a bit thin and the inside of the house seems to be shrinking by the hour. On day three, the children are restless and want to see the sun again. The weekend weather report predicts more rain. What is a parent to do?

For parents of young toddlers, these rainy, stormy, winter weather days can be especially challenging. In a child's mind, the weather presents no limitations. Rain, sleet or snow these little bodies are up and ready to go.

Elizabeth Pantley, an iParenting expert panelist and author of Perfect Parenting, The Dictionary of 1,000 Parenting Tips, says, "Look at the bright side. There is beauty in being trapped in the house with no escape. Honest! This can be a wonderful time to strengthen your family relationships. In other words, make lemonade out of lemons!"

Typically, toddlers are not old enough to understand how to use their own creative energy without some help. Pantley has some wonderful ideas when boredom is lurking, the kids are antsy and the bickering has begun:

kid in tent

  • Have a dance contest. Move the furniture aside, turn up the music and dance 'til you drop. Give awards, dress up and make a stage if you are feeling creative.
  • Enjoy an indoor picnic. Pack a lunch and spread a blanket in a rarely used corner in the house. The more unusual the location, the more fun the picnic.
  • Let the kids build a mega-fort using tables, chairs and blankets. Keep the fort up for days and let them play in it, eat in it and sleep in it too!
  • Have an "Easter Egg" style hunt. Hide small toys all through the house and let the kids hunt for them. Be prepared to re-hide them many times, as kids really enjoy the hunting process.
  • Have a game-a-thon. Bring out the board games. Order pizza for dinner and relax. You might even pull out the sleeping bags and have a camp-out in the family room.
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