100 Rainy Day Activities for Kids (Screen-Free Ideas by Age)

Set up stations kids crawl under, hop over and balance along. Time each run and let kids redesign the course for round two.

You need: Cushions, chairs, a blanket, painter's tape

Safety: Push sharp-edged furniture out of the way and keep it off hard floors.

Play upbeat songs and pause at random. Anyone still moving when the music stops does a silly pose before the next round.

You need: Music

Bat a balloon between players and count how many hits you get before it touches the floor. Add rules like "elbows only" to make it harder.

You need: One balloon

Safety: Balloons are a choking risk for kids under 8, so pop and throw away broken pieces right away.

Line up ten empty bottles at the end of a hallway and roll a soft ball to knock them down. Kids can practice counting by tallying the score.

You need: Plastic bottles or cups, a soft ball

Tape a hopscotch grid on carpet or a hard floor and toss a sock instead of a stone. Painter's tape peels off without leaving marks.

You need: Painter's tape

Race across the room as a crab, bear, frog or penguin. Little kids love calling out the next animal for everyone else.

You need: None

Write or draw a list of things to find, such as something soft, something red or a spoon. Older kids can solve riddle clues that lead from room to room.

You need: Paper and pencil

Roll clean socks into balls and build pillow walls for cover. It burns energy without anyone getting hurt.

You need: Rolled-up socks

Mix silly moves with real exercise, like "Simon says do five star jumps." Let kids take turns being Simon.

You need: None

Tell a story where every animal or place is a pose, such as a tree, a cat or a mountain. It moves the body but calms everyone down.

You need: A mat or towel

Zigzag yarn across a hallway and challenge kids to cross without touching it. Add a bell to the yarn so touches make a sound.

You need: Yarn or crepe paper, tape

Open both ends of a few delivery boxes and tape them into a crawl tunnel. Hide a toy at the end for little ones to find.

You need: Big boxes

Glue cotton balls into a cloud shape and hang blue paper raindrops below it. It's a perfect first craft for a rainy morning.

You need: Paper, cotton balls, glue, blue paper strips

Color stripes of a rainbow on half a plate and glue cotton clouds at each end. Talk about the order of colors as you go.

You need: Paper plate, paint or crayons, cotton

Draw with glue, cover it with salt, then touch a wet brush of watercolor to the lines. The color spreads along the salt like magic.

You need: Glue, salt, watercolors, cardstock

Turn empty rolls into owls, robots or monsters with markers and paper scraps. Make a whole family and give each one a name.

You need: Paper rolls, markers, scraps

Draw on a rainy window with washable markers while watching the drops race down. It wipes off with a damp cloth.

You need: Washable window markers

Tape threads to a table and teach a simple braid or knot pattern. Kids can make a set to give away when friends come over.

You need: Embroidery thread, tape

Draw a face on the bottom flap so the mouth moves when a hand goes inside. Put on a show once the puppets are finished.

You need: Paper lunch bags, markers, scraps

Hand over boxes, lids and tubes and see what kids build, from robots to rockets. There's no wrong answer, which makes it great for mixed ages.

You need: Clean recycling, tape, glue

Paint faces, ladybugs or patterns on stones collected on a dry day. Line them up in a garden or on a windowsill.

You need: Smooth stones, acrylic paint markers

Crumple foil into a long snake, slide it into a tube, add rice and seal both ends tightly. Tilt it slowly to hear the sound of rain.

You need: Paper towel tube, foil, rice, tape

Safety: Tape the ends well so rice can't spill out near babies or toddlers.

Color filters with markers, spray them with water and watch the colors blend. Pinch the middle with a clothespin for wings.

You need: Coffee filters, markers, water spray, clothespins

Fold paper into a little book and draw panels for a story. Kids can invent a hero who saves the day from a giant storm.

You need: Paper, pencils, colored pens

Build a mound around a cup with play dough or foil, add baking soda, then pour in vinegar with a drop of dish soap. Do it on a tray for easy cleanup.

You need: Baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, a cup

Fill every other cup with colored water and bridge the cups with folded paper towels. Over an hour, the colors climb and mix in the empty cups.

You need: Six cups, paper towels, food coloring

Top a jar of water with shaving foam as the cloud and drip colored water on it. When the cloud gets heavy, it "rains" color into the jar.

You need: Jar, water, shaving foam, food coloring

Guess whether a spoon, a grape or a crayon will float before dropping it in. Sort everything into sink and float piles.

You need: A bowl of water, household objects

Safety: Stay with young kids around any water.

Mix two parts cornstarch with one part water. It feels hard when you punch it and runs like liquid when you hold it.

You need: Cornstarch, water

Drop raisins into a glass of fizzy water and watch bubbles lift them up and down. Ask kids why they think it happens.

You need: Clear soda or sparkling water, raisins

Make a bridge from one sheet of paper between two books and test how many coins it holds. Folding the paper changes everything.

You need: Paper, coins, two books

Tuck a bean into a wet paper towel inside a sealed bag and tape it to a window. Kids can check for roots every day.

You need: Dry beans, a zip bag, wet paper towel

Rub a balloon on hair or a sweater, then use it to lift paper bits or bend a thin stream of tap water.

You need: A balloon, small paper pieces

Safety: Keep the balloon away from children under 8.

Cut the top off a bottle, flip it into the base as a funnel and tape on a ruler. Set it outside and measure the rain each day.

You need: Clear plastic bottle, ruler, tape

Safety: An adult should do the cutting.

Drape blankets over chairs and clip them in place. Add a flashlight and books to turn the fort into a reading cave.

You need: Blankets, chairs, clothespins, pillows

Pitch a sheet tent, roast pretend marshmallows over a paper fire and tell stories by flashlight.

You need: Sheets, sleeping bags, flashlight

Kids write a menu, take orders and serve the family. Older kids can add prices and practice making change.

You need: Play food or real snacks, paper for menus

Set up a clinic where kids check heartbeats and wrap paws. It's also a gentle way to prepare for a real doctor visit.

You need: Stuffed toys, bandages, a box

Hang ribbon strips from a box opening and drive toy cars through. Add a sponge station for a full wash.

You need: A box, ribbon strips, toy cars, a damp sponge

Kids write and decorate letters, stamp them with stickers and deliver them to every room.

You need: Envelopes, stickers, a shoe box

Turn a box into a rocket, count down and blast off to a "planet" across the room. Collect moon rocks from the couch.

You need: Boxes, foil, a flashlight

Raid the closet for silly outfits and walk a runway down the hallway while someone announces each look.

You need: Old clothes, hats, scarves

Hang a sheet over a table edge as the stage and let kids perform a story for the family.

You need: A table, a sheet, puppets or socks

Dim the lights and read under blankets with a flashlight. Take turns doing voices for the characters.

You need: Books, a flashlight

Work on a puzzle together, or split one in half and race to finish your side first.

You need: A jigsaw puzzle

Borrow an audiobook from your library app and listen while drawing or building. It's a nice screen-light break.

You need: A free library app

Race raindrops down the glass, count lightning flashes from a distance and listen for different rain sounds.

You need: A window

Start with "The rain would not stop…" and let kids finish the story. Read the best ones out loud at dinner.

You need: Paper, pencil

Give a challenge like the tallest tower, a bridge for toy cars or a house for a toy animal.

You need: Blocks or LEGO

Mix glitter glue and glitter into warm water and seal the lid tight. Shake it and breathe slowly until the glitter settles.

You need: Jar, warm water, glitter glue, glitter

Safety: Glue the lid shut so little ones can't open it.

Start with an easy fox or cup and work up to a jumping frog. Free step-by-step diagrams are easy to find at your library.

You need: Square paper

Look through baby photos and family trips together and let kids ask questions about each one.

You need: Old photos or a phone

Mix 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup salt, 2 tablespoons oil and about 3/4 cup warm water with a few drops of coloring. Knead until soft, then play.

You need: Flour, salt, oil, water, food coloring

Set out plain cookies with icing and sprinkles and let everyone decorate their own. Eating the results is the best part.

You need: Plain cookies, icing, sprinkles

Each child builds a pizza with their favorite toppings before an adult bakes them.

You need: English muffins or pita, sauce, cheese, toppings

Safety: An adult should handle the oven.

Thread soft fruit onto straws or blunt skewers to make patterns. It counts as snack and activity.

You need: Fruit, blunt skewers or straws

Safety: Cut grapes into quarters for young children.

Older kids can mash, measure and mix while you handle the oven. The house smells great on a gray day.

You need: Bananas, flour, eggs, sugar, butter

Stir everything together and roll into balls. Chill them for 20 minutes before eating.

You need: Oats, nut butter, honey, raisins

Safety: Swap the nut butter for seed butter if anyone has a nut allergy.

Set out marshmallows, whipped cream and cinnamon so everyone can build their own cup.

You need: Cocoa, milk, toppings

Safety: Let drinks cool before giving them to young kids.

Pour dry rice into a bin with cups, spoons and toys to bury and find. Put a sheet underneath to catch spills.

You need: Rice, a bin, cups and spoons

Safety: Supervise children under 3, who may put small items in their mouths.

Stand a toddler at the sink on a stable step stool with cups, funnels and bath toys.

You need: A sink or tub, cups, a towel

Safety: Never leave a child alone near water, even for a moment.

Tape bubble wrap to the floor and let little ones stomp, jump and roll across it.

You need: Bubble wrap, tape

Safety: Remove it before it gets torn into small pieces.

Spread foam on a tray or table and draw shapes, letters and faces with fingers.

You need: Shaving foam, a tray

Safety: Use a fragrance-free foam and keep it away from eyes and mouths.

Freeze toys in a container of water the night before, then let kids free them with warm water and spoons.

You need: Small toys frozen in ice, warm water, spoons

Tape tubes to a wall and let toddlers drop pom-poms in the top and watch them fall out the bottom.

You need: Paper tubes, tape, large pom-poms

Safety: Use large pom-poms that can't fit in a child's mouth.

Tape contact paper sticky side out on a wall and hand over paper shapes to press on and peel off.

You need: Clear contact paper, tape, paper shapes

Fill a bag with hair gel and a few toys, seal it, and tape it to the floor for squishing during tummy time or play.

You need: Zip bags, hair gel, small toys, tape

Safety: Tape every edge so it can't open.

Hand out pots, lids and homemade shakers for a kitchen band. March around the house playing along.

You need: Pots, wooden spoons, containers of rice

Teach Go Fish, Crazy Eights or Spit and keep a score chart on the fridge all afternoon.

You need: A deck of cards

Write animals, movies or jobs on slips and act them out without talking. Little kids can play with picture cards.

You need: Paper slips

A classic for a reason. Set clear rules about which rooms are off limits before you start.

You need: None

Pull out every board game in the house and play a quick round of each. The winner of the most games picks dinner.

You need: Board games

Design the board, rules and pieces from scratch, then play it as a family to test the rules.

You need: Cardboard, markers, dice

One person thinks of an animal or object and everyone else gets 20 yes or no questions to guess it.

You need: None

Fold different designs and see which flies farthest down the hallway. Measure and record every throw.

You need: Paper, tape measure

Lay cards face down and take turns flipping two to find matches. Make your own cards with drawings for little kids.

You need: Pairs of cards or drawn cards

Draw a map of your home with an X where a treat is hidden and let kids follow it.

You need: Paper, a small prize

Pick one simple trick, practice it in front of a mirror and then perform it for the family.

You need: A deck of cards

Pick a topic, interview a sibling or grandparent and record a short episode. Editing it is a bonus project.

You need: A phone

Let a teen plan, cook and serve dinner with an adult nearby. They pick the menu, you do the dishes.

You need: A simple recipe

Measure the bedroom, sketch a new layout and move furniture if everyone agrees.

You need: Paper, tape measure

Start a simple scarf or square while following a beginner tutorial. It's a calm skill that lasts for years.

You need: Yarn, needles or a hook

One family member writes puzzles and hides clues, and the rest have 45 minutes to solve them and "escape".

You need: Paper clues, a lockable box

Pick a question, such as which paper towel absorbs the most, and test it with a fair method and a chart.

You need: Household items

Write real letters to grandparents or cousins. Getting a reply in the mail makes it worth it.

You need: Paper, envelopes, stamps

Plan streets, buildings and a park, and keep adding to it on every rainy day.

You need: LEGO or boxes

Suit up and find the biggest puddle. Measure splashes or see who can make the highest one.

You need: Rain boots, a raincoat

Safety: Head inside at the first sound of thunder.

Fold boats and race them down a gutter stream or across a puddle.

You need: Paper or foil

Safety: Stay away from storm drains and fast-moving water.

Drip paint on paper plates and set them out in light rain. The drops make their own art.

You need: Washable paint, paper plates

Rain brings worms to the surface, so go look for them, count them and gently put them back.

You need: A container, a spoon

Safety: Wash hands well afterward.

Walk around the block listening for rain on different surfaces, like leaves, cars and puddles.

You need: Umbrellas, rain boots

Draw on wet pavement for bright, bold colors, then watch the rain wash the art away.

You need: Chalk

One child closes their eyes and counts while everyone else moves to a corner. The counter calls a corner and those kids sit out.

You need: Four labeled corners

Seven kids tap seven heads-down classmates, who then guess who tapped them.

You need: None

Students pass a soft ball without talking. Anyone who talks or drops it sits down.

You need: A soft ball

Split into teams and take turns drawing words while teams guess.

You need: Whiteboard, markers

Play walking-only freeze tag in a cleared area so nobody runs into desks.

You need: Open floor space

The teacher draws a simple animal step by step on the board and students copy each step.

You need: Paper, pencils

Play a short dance or movement song so kids can shake out their energy before the next lesson.

You need: Music

Ask silly would-you-rather questions and have kids move to one side of the room for each answer.

You need: A list of questions