If the weather isn’t cooperating and your kids are anxious, it’s time to find some indoor games that can be done on a rainy day. Depending on the age of your child, there are many rainy day games to choose from. Games that promise to keep your child interested as well as bonding time for all of you. When choosing from the wide range of indoor games, make sure it’s something everyone will enjoy doing. It’s also great if you can find one that also incorporates a learning experience. Our first instinct may be to turn on the TV or put on a DVD, but this really isn’t in anyone’s best interest. Stick with something interesting and creative. Rainy day games promise to keep your kids’ boredom at bay, while also having loads of fun.
Some popular indoor games to play with your child or children are board games. Board games have been played by people throughout our entire history. With many variations like checkers, chess, Monopoly, Scrabble, Life, Risk, backgammon just to name a few. Rainy day games like these allow your child to learn to follow the rules, wait her turn, and see what’s best for her next move. Board games are usually played with a pre-marked board and various pieces to move around the board. A set of rules must be followed and each player tries to achieve a certain goal. Games like these promise to keep your kids interested for hours. Or at least until the sun shines again!
Another indoor game that everyone will enjoy is ping pong or table tennis. Table tennis originated back in the 19th century in Great Britain. Known back then as wiff whaff, it was played only by the upper class as an after-dinner activity. The game’s popularity began to skyrocket. Manufacturers then began to market the game. The name “ping pong” was registered in 1901 in Great Britain. Soon after, the trademark name was sold to the game’s manufacturer, Parker Brothers. After that, ping pong took off in the United States, even being recognized as an Olympic sport in 1988. Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is played with two to four players. Each player hits a light ball back and forth. It is played on a table with a net running through the middle. When someone loses a ball, the opposing team scores a point. Table tennis may be a small investment, but once you see the hours of fun it provides for everyone in your family, it’s well worth the cost.
Another one of the rainy day games that deserves a mention is the games that can be played with items already in your home. A great suggestion is to start with an idea box. This could be a shoe box, a coffee can, an empty cereal box, etc. Get your kids to think of all the things they can do for fun when they’re in lockdown. Write each one separately and put them inside the box. First you have an internal game for now and a list of ideas for future internal games. It is also a great interactive game to allow your children to study it for five minutes. Then leave the room and put on or take off something that was not there before. Go back into the room and have your children guess what the change was. Depending on the age of your child, everyone can play. This game promotes awareness skills and study skills. Children also love to discover things! A final suggestion that encourages motor skills and the five senses of your children. This game consists of blindfolding them and placing something in their hands. As they feel the object and incorporate their five senses, have them try to figure out what it is. This is one of those insider games that can get you a lot of laughs. Especially when something “strange” feeling is placed in the hands of one of them.
The rainy day blues can be overcome. It just takes a little time, patience, and ingenuity on everyone’s part. Even if the sun isn’t shining, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a lot of fun in your own home. Pick one of these, all of these, or make up your own. The main thing to focus on is having fun together as a family.
