Most of us are in the rainy season now. This may mean lots of time indoors, stir crazy kids and frustrated moms. While some of this is inevitable, and the only thing to really do is to accept it without blaming ourselves or our kids, we can still find some fun things to do. With a little bit of creativity and not very much effort, clever moms can use gray and wet days as an opportunity for some memorable moments of family fun and out of the ordinary fun activities for their kids.
BEFORE THE RAIN BEGINS
*If you are expecting a storm, have your children help you plan and prepare for a power outage. This is fun activity for kids of pre-school and school age. Of course, keep it simple. Have a discussion about the things we rely on that require electricity and come up with alternatives.
-Light: Round up flashlights and batteries.
-Heat: Get out extra blankets.
-Cooking: Plan an EASY power outage menu.
-Entertainment such as TV, movies, computer: Get out board games, books, crafts, etc.
*Before the rain starts, put out a container such as a bucket and have each child make predictions about how full it will get. Mark their guesses with a permanent marker.
*Go outside to see if you can see the rain coming. Also, check to see what direction the clouds are moving. Make predictions for when the rain will arrive.
DURING THE RAIN
*Snuggle up and watch the rain or the storm from a window. Your children will love this special time with mom. Count the time that elapses between a flash of lightening and the sound of thunder. Discuss that thunder and lightening is the same thing as the static on the clothes that just came out of the dryer. The lightening is the spark and the thunder is the snap you hear. Try this website for ideas: http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/lightning/thunder.html
*Just watching the rain fall is something that can be a fun rainy day activity for kids. Talk about the rain, where it comes from, where it goes. Talk about the water cycle. Discuss where the animals might go during the rain. Discuss why the rain is so important.
*This is also a good time to do water cycle science experiments. Try this website for ideas. http://www.mcwa.com/kids.htm#cycle
*Create a ?Family Fun band? to copy the sounds of the rain or storm. Use household items or musical instruments that you have around. For example items put in a jar or tub with a lid make rain or thunder sounds when shaken. In general, the larger the tub and items the deeper the sound will be.
*Make paper bag or sock puppets and put on a puppet show.
*Prepare for sunnier days by starting your summer garden right now. This is a great family fun activity for kids. All you need are peat pots, a bag of potting soil and seed packets. Your kids, with a little supervision, can do most of this project (filling pots with soil, adding the seeds and water). Let the plants sprout and get a good start indoors, then in several weeks you can plant them in your garden. The peat pots are planted right in the ground with the plants. This makes it so easy! It's a valuable experience when our fun activities for kids turn into productive work that contributes to the family.
*If it is not too cold, your and your children are in good health and there is no chance of lightening, consider taking a walk in the rain. Use raincoats, boots, umbrellas, have clean towels waiting for you and a plan for the wet clothes. It is also helpful to have some hot chocolate mix waiting too. This way, when mom has had enough and is ready to go inside, the kids have some incentive.
*Even if you do not loose your power, it is great family fun to pretend that you did anyway. Put a blanket on the floor and eat the ?power outage? dinner that you prepared. This simple thing is an amazingly fun activity for kids of all ages and it saves you from cooking for a day.
AFTER THE RAIN
*Go check on your bucket to see whose guess was the closest.
*Try taking a walk. You can point out all sorts of interesting sights. What animals or bugs emerge after a rain? Notice how the drops form on the leaves. Watch how the water flows down a storm drain. Watch the clouds separate and clear. These are things that we, as moms, may take for granted, but our children, who are full of wonder, delight in making such observations.
*If you are up for it, this is also great time to stomp in puddles. Moms, if you join your children and stomp in puddles too, you will create an amazing memory for them.
*Search for a rainbow. The sun needs to be somewhat low in the sky to create a rainbow, so if the rain clears in the afternoon, go outside and try to find one. Just as the sun comes out and the air is still wet look in the part of the sky that is opposite the sun. If there is a rainbow, it will be there. This is not only a fun activity for kids but is also a chance for learning. To find out more about rainbows visit our website, AMothersMinute.com and check out our RAINBOWS page.
Moms are very skilled at making the best of most circumstances, so use your imagination and your own unique talents to make the most of this very special time. Family fun and interesting activities for kids can created from any situation. All you need is togetherness and a tiny bit of ingenuity.
Every child loves to have fun. As a parent you can motivate, teach and empower children through the use of fun activities for kids. For children under the age of 10, there are many things that are fun for kids but at the same time teach them something useful or help them to explore their surroundings. A good way to do this is through using their senses.
The following activities are interesting, unique ways to help your child of any age to learn about their senses.
Exploring the Sense of Smell
For younger children, the sense of smell can be an amazing thing, something that they don't think about. The sense of smell is not just a simple sense. There are many ways to have fun exploring it. For example, blind fold a child and ask them to find a specific scent within a room. Place strong smelling items in various corners throughout the room. Let their nose guide them from place to place.
For younger children, it can also be fun to have a smelling contest where parents give each blind folded child something to smell and they have to guess what it is. Exploring the sense of smell can be a lot of fun and educational, too.
Using Your Eyes
For children, being able to see is something they take for granted. Take this away and your child is in a world that is completely foreign to them. After removing all of the harmful objects from a room, have the child close their eyes and identify certain objects. The other senses are heightened when they can't see.
For older children, purchase or find online a book of optical illusions. From moving surfaces to objects that look like others, this is a fantastic way to explain how the inner eye works and why the brain and eyes have to work together to understand the image.
Feeling Something New
There is nothing more fun than getting dirty and for this activity kids can get a bit messy. To teach them about the sense of touch, take an empty shoe box and turn it upside down, open side down. Cut out just a large enough hole in one end to allow the child's arm to reach in. Then, secretly put different items under the box and have them guess what they are. Try cold spaghetti, homemade slime and cold, round ice cubes. They are sure to be wondering just what you having them touch. This is a great way to get children to learn through play.
Hearing Something Fun
Kids learn through creative play. You can teach your child about their sense of hearing fairly easily. A fun kids game to play is to simply have them close their eyes and listen to sounds over various areas of the room. Or, head outside in a very safe area. Blind fold them and take turns calling the individual to come towards your voice. See how long it takes until they find you! Keep an eye on them to be sure they are safe, of course.
For younger children, boys and girls play can be as simple as guessing what sounds are from a recording. For older children, even teens, have the child listen to a chord of music and try to mimic the sound with their voice. Ba...ba.ba.ba....
Tasting They Will Love
Since children learn through play, a great way to help them learn the sense of taste is trying new foods. But, how do you get a child that is picky willing to taste new foods? There are several things to do here. First, invite them into the kitchen. Allow the child to help peel and cut (age appropriate and safe) and have them help with any other method of preparing meals. Encourage them to make their own foods, too. Perhaps they would like to make something with you, that they create. Good or bad tasting, they still get to see the transformation of taste in their mouths.
With older children, explore textures, too. The crunch of a carrot mixed with the softness of bread creates a unique texture in the mouth. What happens when vegetables are cooked instead of eaten raw? Explore each of these areas thoroughly with them.
Fun activities for kids can fall into that learning category, too. Kids love to explore new things and play games, especially when mom or dad gets to help them with it. Best of all, you will want to spend your time explaining why things happen the way they do. These kids fun games and projects are something you can do with your child!
Both Linda Rolufs, Mft & Ivana Katz are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Linda Rolufs, Mft has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Depression Cure and Parenting. Linda Rolufs is the mother of five children and a practicing Marriage and Family Therapist. Visit her website - - a place that celebrates the experi. Linda Rolufs, Mft's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
Ivana Katz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, E Books and SEO linking. Ivana Katz of Hey Gorgeous Kids shows you how to make parenting fun - keep your children entertained for hours with , create special memories,. Ivana Katz's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.