101 Ways to Have Family Fun at Home

It was a rainy southern Saturday, and we were spending the day at grandma’s house, aka “Greems”, wondering what to do with the cousins for the day.

It was supposed to be a day of backyard splashing and relaxing poolside {kiddie pool, that is!}, when it started to rain and the monsoon showed no sign of stopping.

Brainstorming with my mom and sister, we came up with 101 rainy day activities that will keep kids of any age entertained, but most of all make beautiful memories. We tried many of these ideas that rainy afternoon, and our cousin playdate was a success!

So let your next rainy day be a day full of laughter and memories, as you try a few of these fun activities!

Don't let boredom get the best of your family! Here's 101 creative ways to have fun at home. These boredom busters will guarantee fun for all!

 

Games

1. Go fish

2. Charades

3. Win, Lose, or Draw

4. Tic-Tac-Toe

5. Hangman

6. Hide & Seek

7. Make a treasure hunt around the house

8. Simon Says

9. Hopscotch grid out of tape

10. Ball toss into buckets or pots

11. Musical chairs

12. Hot potato

13. Memory

14. Clothespin drop

15. Red light, green light

16. Make an obstacle course

Make believe/fantasy

17. Have a tea party

18. Put on a play

19. Dress-up in adult clothes

20. Play doctor

21. Make a fort

22. Play grocery store

23. Play beauty shop

24. Play school

25. Have a pretend birthday party

26. Play spa day (complete with beauty treatments)

27. Pretend to be superheroes

28. Pretend it’s a holiday, such as Christmas, and do activities accordingly

29. Play bank

Car & Truck Fun

30. Make a track out of a pizza box

31. Put masking tape on the floor for a road- Sammi from Grounded & Surrounded

32. Use cookie sheets to make ramps

33. Make a garage for the cars out of a box

Indoor Water Fun {Yes, seriously!}

34. Wash dolls

35. Play with Aqua-Doodle from Melissa & Doug {This is a family favorite!}

36. Take a bath with bath paints

37. Wash farm animals

38. Put the cars through a “car wash”

39. Fish for items in the bath tub using string and sticks

 

Have Fun at Home

Art Projects

40. Sculpt with clay

41. Paint

42. Stamp with fruit and other objects

43. Make sculptures out of recycled goods

44. Make a snow globe with water, glitter, and a jar

45. Play with Kinetic Sand

46. Draw a self-portrait

47. Make goo or slime

48. Play in shaving cream

50. Have a coloring contest

51. Paint with empty toilet paper rolls

52. Make masks out of paper plates

53. Create a marshmallow tower with toothpicks and marshmallows

54. Make a bird feeder with a milk jug

55. Make rain catchers with recycled yogurt containers

Technology

56. Find a new game app

57. Make a home movie

58. Make an interactive collage using Thinglink.com

59. Record a music video

60. Have kids record themselves reading aloud their favorite book

61. Get silly with Dubsmash

Food/Baking

62. Make microwave s’mores

63. Have fun making ants on a log (peanut butter, celery, and raisins)

64. Cut out fruit shapes and make kabobs

65. Make popscicles

66. Have the kids make their own pizza

67. Make flavored popcorn

68. Create your own ice cream sundae

69. Make your own ice cream

70. Have a cookie decorating contest

Creative fun

71. Cardboard box challenge- what can the kids make with a few boxes?

72. Play with flashlights

73. Make shadow puppets

74. Have a talent show

75. Karaoke

76. Do a science experiment

77. Make up a family story

78. Play indoor bowling

79. Have a homemade photo booth

80. Make your own instruments

81. Have a Lego challenge

82. Let them decorate an old tee-shirt with markers and designs

83. Do puzzles

Acts of Kindness

84. Make a surprise party for Dad

85. Make thank you cards for community helpers

86. Call a relative you haven’t talked to in awhile

87. Make a care package for a soldier

88. Sort toys to give to charity

89. Plan a family service project {great ideas found here}

90. Create a surprise for your neighbor

Exercise

91. Dance party

92. Child yoga

93. Put on rainboots and march through the puddles

94. Play follow the leader

95. Contest- who holds the family record for the most____? (sit-ups, push-ups, etc…)

Education

96. Have a “letter” scavenger hunt around the house, searching for items that begin with a certain letter

97. Sort and count the items in the pantry

98. Make a map of your city or state using food

99. Count and roll the change in the house

100. Write a new ending to a favorite story

101. Make a thunderstorm current to study weather

What are your favorite ways to keep the kids busy on a rainy day?  

17 Comments

  1. This is wonderful since it rains in Chicago almost everyday so far this summer! Thank you!

  2. What fun ideas! I will have to save this link for later bc there are some moments that my mind just goes blank while stuck in the house with a 5 yr old girl who won’t stop singing “let it go”! SO this helps! Thanks!

    1. I know how Let it Go can grate on your nerves after awhile! In a pinch, I can never remember what fun things I had planned, so I must write them down or even better, pin them to Pinterest!

    1. Flash light tag is a blast and your kids will love it! Enjoy it!

  3. I love this list, Sarah Ann! It makes me miss having littles.

    It sounds like you’re having a fun summer!

    Blessings to you and yours, my friend.

    1. Thank you for your sweet kindness, Heather! We are having fun and enjoying each other!

  4. This is a fabulous list! I’d love for you to stop by and share at the Summer Family Fun party with us. You have some great family fun posts on your blog.

  5. So many fun ideas! I know we will have plenty of rainy days this spring to try a few of these out. Blanket forts are always a hit here. I think we need to try flashlight tag next time!

    1. Have fun! It sounds like you already have a handle on what your kids love to do to have fun! Enjoy!

  6. I’m 3 weeks post partum with 4 school age kiddos at home for summer break so our going outdoors is limited. I know this is a rainy day list but it works great for mamas in my situation, too! Thanks so much!

    1. Sarah Ann says:

      Have fun, Celeste! I pray your transition with a new addition to the family goes well!

  7. SO many options! I plan on using quite a few of these now that the weather is getting cooler. Thanks for sharing!

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