3 easy indoor activity ideas for a rainy day by @littlesofmine
Toddler | Development | | Claire
When the rain is pouring and you’re cooped up indoors, it can be quite the challenge to keep your little ones entertained for the day.
Fortunately, we’ve teamed up with the lovely @littlesofmine to provide you with three easy activities for you and your littles ones to take part in, to make those rainy days that little bit brighter.
I was over the moon when HiPP asked me to write a blog and share some of my tips for parents with growing little ones.
With a three and a five-year-old, I know just how challenging it can be to find activities to keep toddlers both engaged and entertained - especially when you’re cooped up inside. I have found that rainy day activities don’t need to involve much time, equipment, or ‘new’ things to do. Sometimes something simple is just what they need. I have decided to share three of our favourite indoor activities to stop the kids (and you!) from climbing the walls during those rainy days. Best of all, these indoor activity ideas are entirely screen-free.
Flower Jar Vase
We are big on recycling and reusing. We had so much fun making this Flower jar vase using a used HIPP jar. It is a super simple craft that you can try out from the comfort of your own home. These pretty little vases are perfect for Mother’s Day, birthdays or just to celebrate springtime. And you can whip them up in no time.
To make these vases, I grabbed some fresh flowers and gardening twine from the shops. If you don’t have twine don’t worry, any string or wool will do. We started by preparing our empty jar and removed all the labels using warm soapy water. I cut some twine and the children helped wrap it around the top of the jar and I tied a bow.
Next, I trimmed the flowers and the children helped place them in the jar. Once that was complete, we filled up the jar with some fresh water, and then it was done. This really is a fun and simple craft, so you don’t worry if you’re not creative at all, keep it simple and enjoy!
Sensory Table
We had so much fun setting up this simple DIY sensory table. Sensory tables demand fine motor skills as children must use their hands to interact with objects. I find the children will play with whatever is on the table. They will handle objects, pour sand, mould clay, and grasp spoons and many other objects. Playing with a variety of different objects excites them and prompts some funny questions.
We chose a spring theme for our table, but it can be anything you want. We made everything out of recyclables from our home, so it costs absolutely nothing and saves valuable space in the recycling bins. We used paper plates to make the chicks, used egg cartons to make the eggs and used shredded paper to make the hay. Sensory activities don’t have to be difficult to set up either and you can find most sensory recipes using common kitchen cupboard ingredients (such as rice, pasta and beans). While there is no wrong or right way to make a sensory table, here are some tactile items that your child can play with:
1. Rice
2. Pasta
3. Sand
4. Shredded Paper
5. Leaves
6. Marbles
7. Pebbles
8. Feathers
9. Beads
10. Buttons
Craft a hat
Hats are great fun for little ones and can be made at any time of year. As it was Easter, we wanted to make an Easter bonnet. Scrolling through Pinterest I found lots of wonderful ideas. We chose a simple paper plate-based hat.
Both of my children just love all the sticking involved and could have easily gone wild with all the paint and sequins. If you have little ones that loves dressing up, then this is a must!
Method:
1. Take the paper plate, fold it in half and cut into 8 sections.
2. Fold back the triangles.
3. Draw some flowers on some cardboard (We use a cardboard box at home) Cut them out and add them to the crown.
4. Add some buttons or sequins.
I really hope you enjoyed my rainy-day activities, and I hope they make your rainy days a little bit brighter.
