7 rainy day doings

Where I grew up we were sent out to play in the rain. To be fair, in a hot, dry climate a rainy day was a novelty. Tea sets were brought out of doors and tea pots filled to the brim with rain water (lest we waste precious tap water filling them)!

With the recent cold, wet and snowy weather, (and appears set to stay for Easter), a list of 'rainy day doings' may just come in handy. These are a few things I have learnt about keeping cabin fever at bay on rainy days... 

Camping - indoor, of course! Those bed sheets can be taken off the beds and draped over dining or sitting room furniture to form a tent. Lunch of finger foods (carrot sticks, cucumber chunks, sliced cold meat, cheese, grapes, etc) may be served in the tent or around the campfire (read: scrunched up newspaper/magazine pages/recycled paper, with a red towel/cloth or red paper on top). 

Dancing - play some energetic music loud and dance the morning away!! I have some Latino tracks that Miss, Master and I love dancing to, but any dance music radio station or you tube clip will do. Play it loud and join in the dancing; try keeping a regular beat with your legs and arm movements that mimic specific behaviour for your Miss/Master to copy. Some mimicking moves might be 'window washing', 'picking apples', 'pointing to the stars', catching butterflies' - the only limit is your imagination. My children usually have more energy to burn than me so I also use a DVD of a group called "The Wiggles". They perform 'old favourites' with 'new moves' to aid physical development, while other songs have lyrics that teach about healthy eating, animals and so on. 

Cooking - I can almost hear the gasps as you read this, but stick with me. Find something quick and easy to make and bake so as to stand the greatest chance of holding your Master or Misses attention. I have an all in one cake which is so easy to make, quick to bake and is a tasty (albeit sweet) cake. Alternatively, try pizza with your choice of base (eg. English breakfast muffins, home made bread, wrap etc) and put out some Miss/Master friendly toppings they can add to their own pizza. There are many delicious possibilities: chopped toppings such as chorizo, ham, pineapple, peppers, olives, spinach, broccoli; and grated toppings such as carrot, zucchini, cheese.

Reading - some children just do not like to sit still, so this is best tried after some vigorous activity (see dancing, above). For a twist perhaps try acting out some of the scenes? This will spend some energy, teach Miss/Master role playing and offer the opportunity to demonstrate imagination with props and their interpretation of the story. 

Play doh - there is no need to buy this stuff; you probably have all the ingredients you need in your kitchen cupboards. You can make almost anything, miniature animals, cut out shapes (cookie cutters come in handy) or roll it out flat and compare the tracks left by toy cars, animals, anything!

Jigsaw puzzles - you may have these at home already, but if not, try making your own (another rainy day activity, perhaps?). Tear out pictures from a magazine or newspaper (or perhaps a 'well loved' book that is no longer in one piece), stick it onto a cereal box (or similar) and cut them up according to the skill level of your Miss/Master. 

Dress ups - when I was a girl we did not have fancy shop-bought costumes, (my own mother's words are echoing in my mind "When I was a girl..."). Without such props your Miss/Master is encouraged to use some imagination. Perhaps you have some clothes that are not quite right for donation but not quite ready for the rag pile? Laddered stockings make great tails when stuffed with recycled paper or tea towels. Old socks make great paws, puppets and superhero wrist bands...

What are your favourite rainy day doings? Please use the comments to share...

Next time: that age old question... 
(If you are following my blogs closely you will have noted this blog's 'promotion'; it is all down to the weather, of course)