Rain Day Homeschool Ideas: Fun and Engaging Indoor Activities

A large part of why we chose to homeschool our children was because we loved the amount of family bonding time provided and time spent in nature. Experiencing a rainy day (or several during the spring) can disrupt outdoor homeschool plans, field trips, activities, sports, etc. Being stuck in the house doesn’t often sound like much fun, however this a great time to get creative and enjoy some hands-on learning indoors! I have put together a list of our favorite indoor activities to do on rainy days that are fun for all ages and learning styles.

1. Hands-On Science Experiments

   –Rain in a Jar: this is a fun activity to help teach the water cycle with a simple shaving cream and food coloring experiment. https://pin.it/2Zl4Srsi2

   –Static Electricity Fun: have some spare balloons around? blow them up and use them to explore static electricity

   –DIY Tornado in a Bottle: this one is a fun weather experiment that tends to wow the littles, simple yet very cool and fun to do. https://pin.it/djfvJSqD4

2. Cozy Read-Aloud & Storytelling

   -Create a “reading fort” with pillows and blankets. Grab some flashlights and have a run time exploring stories in your secret hideout from the rain.

   -Pick a classic or seasonal read-aloud book and have a family story time! There are also tons of free read-alouds on YouTube that are very fun and engaging also.

   -Encourage kids to create their own rainy-day stories either by writing them down, telling them, signing, them, or even acting them out.

   
   

3. Indoor Obstacle Course or Movement Games

   -Set up a simple obstacle course using pillows, chairs, and tape. You could create a “the floor is lava” variant or a jumping from pillow to pillow type of game. Allow their imagination to run wild as you create your indoor obstacle course with in-home objects.

   -Play movement-based games like “Simon Says”, “Animal Charades”, “Red Light, Green Light”, and “Duck, Duck, Goose”.

   -Try a kid-friendly yoga or dance break. Here is our FREE Insect Yoga activity.

Insect Yoga.pdf

Download PDF • 1.35MB

4. Creative Art & Craft Projects

–Rainy Day Painting: use watercolors to create rain-inspired art

–DIY Weather Chart: Teach weather patterns with fun hands-on activities. check out these FREE printables to create your own https://pin.it/1UDK7W1Zo

–Nature-Inspired Craft: collect leaves, sticks, and flowers before the rain, dry them out and store them in a plastic bag to use them for crafts https://pin.it/6UDnvM2Fh

5. Fun Indoor Math Activities

–Dice Games: practice addition and multiplication with rolling dice

–Cooking & Baking: measure ingredients to practice fractions and following directions

–Board Games & Puzzles: great for logic, counting, and problem-solving practice

6. Virtual Field Trips & Documentaries

-Visit online museums, zoos, or aquariums. You would be surprised at how many attractions offer free virtual tours and field trips

-Watch an educational documentary about weather, animals, or history

-Use interactive learning websites for fun, engaging lessons. Khan Academy Kids is a favorite in our household.

7. DIY STEM & Building Challenges

–Build a Rain Shelter: use blankets and chairs to design a “storm shelter” and discuss the safety concerns and procedures affiliated with storms

–Lego Challenges: give your littles a theme or a task to complete (build a bridge or tower, or a dinosaur farm, or mini town)

–Marshmallow & Toothpick Engineering: encourage your littles to build structures with simple materials, like marshmallows and toothpicks, and see what kind of structures and shapes they can come up. practicing 3D shapes is fun this way

Rain days don’t have to be so dreary. They can be just as fun and enriching as our outdoor homeschool days. Be sure to encourage flexibility and creativity in your homeschool routines and encourage adaptability throughout.