Need some fun rainy day activities for kids? I don’t know about you but I get a little stressed trying to keep the kids busy, especially during winter months or rainy days when you can’t just send them outside to play? The nights get long in the winter and kids who are bored tend to get crabby. So, I am always looking for things to do on a rainy day at home that don’t involve non stop electronics.
The trick I have learned is to have a go to list already created with family game night ideas. This way there is no stress coming up with kids activities on the spot. Family games at home can easily be put together and you will be amazed at how much fun you can have. To make my life easier, I created a list of indoor activities for the kids. Let me share with you these easy rainy day activities for a screen free night of fun with the family.
5 Rainy Day Activities for Kids | Family Game Nights with No Screens
Balloon Game Night
The first game is Balloon Hockey – What you need: two laundry baskets and hockey sticks, kid’s golf clubs or even the cardboard from inside of a large tube of wrapping paper. The last one might be the safest. Then a bag of balloons from the Dollar Store.
Split the family into teams and see which team can get the most goals
The second game is Balloon Tennis – What you need: Paper plates, balloons, masking tape, then either plastic spoons or wooden paint stirrer (you can get these free at a Menards or Home Depot) This game is a great way to use up the last of the paper plates from a kid’s birthday party or holiday event. I used up the end of our Halloween plates the last time we played.
Tape your spoon or wooden stirrer to the back of your paper plate. Then use it as a tennis racket and the balloon as your ball. Hit the balloon back and forth and see which team can keep the balloon in the air the longest. You could also have the kids individually try to use their paddle to keep the balloon in the air.
Tip: These are great games to use at a sports themed birthday party, too. Find more fun birthday party game ideas here.
Family Game Board Night
Dust off all those games in closet, order in some pizza, and play a couple of board games together. If your looking for a fun board game try Candyland for younger kids and Monopoly or Sorry for older kids. My kids absolutely love playing Monopoly!
We also enjoy playing Jenga together. It’s a great group game with the added suspense of when will the blocks will all fall down. For trivia lovers try the guessing game Headbanz. There are several varieties to make it harder or easier depending on your kids age.
Paper Airplane Challenge
All you need is some paper from your computer printer, then have the kids fold their airplanes and decorate them. This could take a while just in itself. Then start racing them and see who’s goes the furthest or which could do tricks. You can add-on paper clips as weights to see if that makes a difference in speed or distance. (bonus science lesson)
Do you need some help coming up with different types of paper airplanes to make? Get this book with tons easy to make plane varieties. I found our kids were more excited about playing when they had a new type of plane each round.
Obstacle Course
Use pillows, small cones, hula hoops or anything you already have in your house and set up an obstacle course to run through. The kids can help make up the course, run through it and then keep changing it to make it better. After that they can play Hot Lava. Throw a couple of pillows or tape some paper to the floor that is spaced out. They cannot touch the floor (which is hot lava,) only the paper/pillows and try to make it across the room. Again, the kids can make up the course try it and keep adjusting it as they like.
Minute to Win It games
Minute to Win It are games and activities that need to be completed in one minute. They are quick and fun games to play that keep the kids interested and excited. Perfect for birthday parties and school parties too. Get even more ideas from 20 Easy Minute To Win It Games for Kids.
Cup Stacking –
What you need: 42 solo cups, that’s it.
Two kids each get 21 cups and have one minute to stack them, make a pyramid and re stack them in a minute’s time. Whoever does it the fastest wins. When the game is done let them make their own designs for fun with the cups. Add some army men, little dinosaurs, princesses and the kids can add them to the castle/pyramid structures they make.
Coin Stacking –
What you need – 50 pennies (amount for 2 players)
Kids each gets a stack of 25 pennies and must stack them up in a minute’s time. Fastest one wins.
Suck it Up –
What you Need: 50 M&Ms or Skittles, 2 Straws and 4 paper plates (amount for 2 players)
Each child gets a straw, 25 M&Ms and 2 paper plates. The kids have one minute to move all the M&Ms from one plate to the other by sucking it at the end of the straw. Whoever finishes first, wins. Bonus: kids get to eat the candy which makes this a favorite.
Tip: Many of these games would be great as a birthday party activities and as school party games. I love using Minute to Win it games at school parties, they are always a hit. Have any upcoming school parties to plan? Try these easy Elementary School game ideas.
The great part about these family game night ideas is you can adjust them to be easier or harder based on your child’s age. Don’t feel you need to do these games all the time, it’s all about balancing the screen time and family time. Start it as rainy day activities and then add a weekly game night to your schedule. Once you start this you, will be surprised how much they love playing family games and don’t mind ditching their electronics. Well, maybe not ditching the electronics forever, but at least for some nights. But hey, that’s a win too.
Make sure to put your phone away, too! I hope you enjoyed these rainy day activities. If you have another great game your family likes to play please share it with us the comments. I love hearing from my readers.
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I love the cup stacking idea. Thanks for sharing your great ideas.
Hope your kids love the game!
Hope you kids have a great time playing the game!