35 Boredom-Busting Indoor Activities for Rainy Days

Sure, summer may be here, but there's no guarantee that we'll have blue skies and hot sun all season long. Having a list of indoor activities for your kids up your sleeve means you won't be caught hanging when the heavens open.

For the days when you need to keep the children entertained, try some of these easy-to-set-up indoor ideas to keep the boredom at bay. From nerf wars to sock puppets, to dinosaur cookies, we've got it all!

Miniature beach playset

When you were dreaming of the beach but the weather isn't playing ball, this DIY playset means you can build sandcastles anyway. You can find the instructions here.

Bunchems

For slightly older kids, these squidgy shapes are great for igniting creativity. You can buy a big pack here and let their imaginations run wild. Find out how we got on here.

STEM stacking challenge

on a small table are a collection of polystyrene cups and colored popsicle sticks built into a tower — Source: Hands On Teaching Ideas

Older kids will love this STEM challenge that isn't only fun but will also hone their problem solving and practical skills. Set it up as a competition and siblings will love trying to build the most impressive tower.

Laundry basket skeeball

a boy kneels in a living room throwing a ping pong ball at a cardboard box. A christmas tree is in the background — Source: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

If knocking things over is more your kids' style, this skee ball game is played with ball pit balls, cardboard boxes, and laundry baskets. It's easy to prep and quick to get going. Perfect for a rainy afternoon activity.

Put on a talent show

a girl in a dress stands on a stage holding a small toy guitar — Source: Shutterstock

Kids love showing off in front of friends and family. If you're stuck indoors and struggling to think of things to do then why not set up a makeshift stage and get the whole family to showcase their talents? From impressions to sing-alongs, it'll be loads of fun!

Indoor snowballs

A child in a green shirt carries an armfull of woolen snowballs — Source: A Parenting Production

This one takes a little more prep, but there are benefits. You can make the snowballs out of wool as a separate activity, and they'll last for ages once you've created them. Find out how from A Parenting Production.

Make playdough

3 balls of dough, one red, one green and one orange sit on a white background — Source: Netmums

Playdough is a great activity for all ages. Younger children will love mashing it around, and older children will love unleashing their creativity. There's an easy recipe for you here.

Table hammocks

a child hangs from a hammock made from a sheet tied around the table — Source: House of Kent

Pinterest is a weird and wonderful place, but it can yield some fun ideas for entertaining kids. House of Kent found these table swings and gave them a go with great results! Find out how from their site.

Learning magic

two hands hold an ace of clubs and an ace of hearts in front of a black background — Source: shutterstock

If the talent show has whet your appetite for performance, then you can spend your time hiding from the weather learning the power of illusion! Try out one of these magic sets and hone your skills.

Tape roads

a pale laminate floor is covered in tracks made from colored tape. 2 children are pushing cars along the tracks — Source: Parents.com

If you've got a large empty area and some low-stick tape then why not encourage your kids to dabble in city planning? They can make their own roads, car parks, suburban estates, anything they like and then spend hours playing!

Learn yoga

3 children sit on purple yoga mats cross liegged with their hands in prayer pose — Source: shutterstock

Yoga is a brilliant way of keeping fit and supple yourself, but it's also really beneficial for your children too. It can help them with anxiety and calm them down if they're overactive. Cosmic Kids is a brilliant online yoga service that matches its moves to popular kids cartoons and themes.

Cardboard houses

in a kitchen is a geodesic dome made from cardboard and blue tape — Sourec: Tales of a Monkey, a Bit, and a Bean

If you're anything like me then you have a pile of cardboard laying around from deliveries and shopping each weekend. Turns out, it can be pretty useful for keeping the kids busy when they can't go outside. Something like this geodesic house will go down a storm.

Nerf target game

a boy aims a nerf gun at some balls balanced on toilet rolls — Source: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

If you've got slightly less cardboard in at the moment then this nerf game is an easy DIY game to put together. Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls has all the instructions.

Dance party

a man, a woman and a young girl dance in a birght and airy room — Source: Shutterstock

The simplest way to fill some time (and use up some energy) is to switch on some tunes and dance the afternoon away. Play your favourites, or introduce your kids to some retro tunes.

Marshmallow toothpick buildings

a boy holds a pyramid made from toothpicks and marshmallows — Source: The Idea Room

Mini marshmallows are tasty, but they can also be great to use for building materials. Grab a handful of toothpicks and a bag of the white fluffy morsels, and work out how you can build the most complicated structure. This is better for older children. Find out more from The Idea Room.

DIY terrarium

4 glass terarriums sit on a shelf. They are half filled with moss and flowers — Source: Martha Stewart

Sometimes you need a project that is going to entertain and hold interest for longer than 5 minutes. This terrarium is a great way of doing that on a rainy afternoon. Find out how to make your own, and how to care for it here.

Origami frogs

Fancy some fake amphibians to decorate your new terrarium? These cute little origami frogs are a fun activity for a rainy afternoon. You can decorate them with all sorts of things that you might have laying around the house, and then stage your own frog races!

No mess marbled painting

a hand pushes into a plastic covered pile of green and purple paint with glitter — Source: Inner Child Fun

Now, I try my hardest to be a fun and creative parent. But there are days when I really don't want to have to clean up lots of paint and glitter from my kitchen table before dinner. This mess-free marbled painting activity from Inner Child Fun is the answer to my problems. No dirty hands but tons of colour!

The floor is lava!

a girl and older woman jump on a grey sofa with arms outstretched — Source: shutterstock

If you've never played The Floor is Lava then what were you doing in college?! Seriously though, this game requires no set-up, no prep, no materials, and only a quick scan around the room to see if anything breakable needs moving! You simply walk into the room and shout "The floor is lava!" Everyone must jump off of the floor onto anything they can find. The last one to do so is out.

Dinosaur fossil cookies

on a dinosaur napkin is a plastic palm tree, a plastic dinosaur and a cookie — Source: Three Kids, Three Cats, and a Husband

Cooking is one of the best ways to while away the hours hiding from the storm. These dinosaur fossil cookies are great for budding palaeontologists and hungry children. Find the recipe here.

DIY fluffy slime

a hand pushes into a pile of yellow playdough — Source: Shutterstock

Are you sick of chemically packaged slime (and finding it around your house)? This DIY recipe from Mom Life Made Easy doesn't contain borax and is super simple to make.

Giant nail salon

two children kneel on a black tiled floor coloring in large hand shapes drawn on a sheet of cardboard — Source: Happy Toddler Playtime

Another fun way to use up some of your cardboard is this giant nail salon from Happy Toddler Playtime. Not just for toddlers, you can let your budding beauty nuts try out the nail art skills on these giant hands.

The donut game

hands hold a group of pens inside a cardboard donut shape — Source: Playtivities

We love this super simple donut game for beating boredom when the weather isn't playing ball. Even better, it doesn't cost a thing! Find out how to play with our easy-to-follow guide.

Pom pom wall

With a little bit of creativity and some sticky tape, you can be the "fun mom" with all the good ideas. No one needs to know that you got them all from us! This pom pom wall is great fun for all ages, as you can make it as complicated as your kids can handle. For hours of fun, head to Toddler Approved for the instructions.

Giant name art

4 children are sitting on a sheet and painting their names on pieces of paper taped to the wall — Source: Toddler Approved

SOmehow, putting things up on walls makes them more fun! Your little ones can imagine that they are the next Michaelangelo with this giant name art idea from Toddler Approved. Paper, paints, brushes, and maybe a sheet to save your floor are all you need.

Balloon-powered LEGO cars

2 lego cars with deflated balloons attached to them — Source: Mombrite

This fun STEM activity from Mombrite is another clever way of using those LEGO blocks you're always stepping on to explore physics. Find out how to make them and the experiments you can do with them on the site.

Indoor spy obstacle course

a girl crawls under a table which has balloons dangling from its underside — Source: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

If you've got a little more time on your hands, and some space indoors, then you can run your very own spy camp! Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls lays out the instructions to build your obstacle course and put your children through their paces.

Balloon tennis

When you're all stuck inside energy levels and frustrations can peak. Get your little ones running around with this active game for rainy days. Find the instructions here from Little Bins Little Hands.

Cardboard marble run

A boy in a blue shirt stands in front of a wall that has toilet roll tibes taped to it — Source: Little Bins Little Hands

I told you there was no end to the magic you could weave with cardboard! This marble run is easy to put together from cardboard tubes and tape. The more creative the design, the better.

DIY wooden balance beam

a close up shot of a boy in jeans standing on a wooden beam — Source: The Kavanaugh Report

Little ones love practising their balancing and climbing skills. But when the park isn't an option, you can use this balance beam to help them hone their abilities. Find out how from The Kavanaugh Report.

Sock puppets

The ultimate in easy-peasy crafts, our sock puppets are perfect for encouraging creative storytelling. Check out how our tales developed here.

Coloring

Sometimes the simplest activities are the best, and coloring is an easy and foolproof rainy day activity. You can use books, printable sheets, or just draw your own. Hours of fun for all ages.

Family game night

scrabble tiles spell out "Game night" and various board game pieces are scattered around — Source: shutterstock

Or afternoon, or morning, or any time of the day really. Family board games are versatile, fun, and teach important skills like turn-taking, fair play and strategy. Pick old favourites or scour the internet for new creations.

Scavenger hunts

against a background of a forest is a pole. Attached to it is a blackboard sign saying "scavenger hunt this way" — Source: shutterstock

Sure, you can run scavenger hunts outdoors, but there are some great indoor options as well. We pulled together a list of summer scavenger hunts here, with a few indoor options for when the weather isn't your friend.

Get off the couch!

Burning off energy when it's raining outside will involve getting off the couch. So, if you're still stuck for ideas after our long list of fun, these 5 Get Off The Couch games will get you going! Prepare to get a stitch from laughing so much!