When it’s dark and drizzling outside, it’s the perfect chance to spend quality time with your kiddos—especially when you’re doing activities you most-likely wouldn’t think of doing during a normal day. Bonus! These games are good for any age group and don’t require outdoor equipment—the words “no playing ball inside the house” won’t even need to come up.

Scavenger Hunt

Two kids or seven—this activity works for any number of children. The scavenger hunt starts with a list of items given to each child. If you have the little kiddos playing, pictures of the items will do. Then, each child has to find all of the items on the list. The first to gather everything on the list wins!

Pro tips!

• Give each child a basket or box to collect the items.
• Have all the items located inside the home so the kids don’t have to venture outdoors.
• Make this a teachable activity by including some items that the kids might not be as familiar with, or that require extra reading or color identifying skills, such as a ¼ measuring cup, a yellow file folder, or a blue spool of thread.
• Don't put valuables or breakables on the list.
• Be sure each item can be safely reached by even the smallest child in the home.
• Every participant has to be able to find the item—so there has to be enough available for everyone.
• Have the last item be especially hard to find, to build up the excitement.
• Be prepared with a fun token award for the winner. For example, the winner gets to choose what's for dinner.

This is a game you can easily prepare ahead of time. All you have to do is put the list in a shoe box for a last minute rainy day activity.

Tiny Town

Cardboard boxes=Children’s paradise

Add an imaginative idea plus some art supplies and props, and you can have fun with them, too. Make a tiny town with a few small boxes. Shoe boxes and cardboard jewelry boxes work great.

Set up an area in the living room as the "land." Have each child decorate one or more boxes with construction paper, safety scissors to cut out doors and windows, and markers. Arrange the boxes like a town, leaving space in between for "roads." When the town is constructed, bring in the props. Let your child use an assortment of toy people, dinosaurs, cars, stuffed animals, Barbie’s, or anything else they want to make the town come alive.

Pro tip!

• Try not to protest if your kids want to destroy the town and then rebuild. That's part of the fun!

Music Circle

Music circles are a fun activity for a rainy day, and you can make it happen even if you have no official instruments in the house. Gather a few items you won't mind getting banged on, such as old wooden spoons, pots and pans, plastic tubs, and metal spoons. Have the kids sit around in a circle. Ask one child to start and each one join in one at a time. You might be surprised at how easily a beat develops! Make the music circle even more interesting by having the kids sing or hum a tune to go along with the "instruments."

Pro tips!

• Don't bring out items that you'll worry about getting damaged.
• Be prepared for noise!
• This is a teachable activity that demonstrates how songs are created.

Balloon Toss

This is a fun rainy-day activity for teens and pre-teens. It's also a surprisingly easy way for the family to get some modest exercise. All you need is a bag of party balloons. First, remove breakable items from the room and consider moving furniture against the wall

Next, blow up several round balloons. Everyone in the family should gather around the room, either standing or sitting down. Hand out a few of the balloons and have people hit the balloons to another person. The object of the game is to keep all the balloons in the air without hitting the floor.

Pro tips!

• More balloons in play equals more fun!
• It's fun to “bombard” one person with a lot of balloons, it makes it harder for them to keep all the balloons in the air.
• To make this a teachable activity, explain how “no playing balls in the house” doesn't apply to balloons!

Story Making

Your kiddos' imaginations will come to life with impromptu storytelling. For this, all you need is time and imagination. Bring all the kids together and suggest everyone comes up with a story together. One person starts by saying one sentence of the story. Then, the person seated next to them adds one or two lines to carry the story along, and so on. Be prepared, story making with kids usually ends up with hilarious results!

Pro tips!

• It's better to have an adult be the person to start the story out, to ensure a good beginning with lots of possibilities.
• If one or more kids are having trouble coming up with good sentences, help them out so they don't feel put on the spot. As the game continues, even young ones will get the concept.
• Consider videotaping the game so you can keep the story as a fond memory of what you created as a family!
• This activity teaches story progression, characterization, and plot development.

Rainy days are the perfect time to bond with your family. With these activities, children of every age can laugh a little and learn about the importance of engaging with others. Whether you're working on a scavenger hunt, building an imaginary town, or tossing balloons in the family room—these are the times your family will remember.