Rainy Day Activities

We've had a week of rainy days here in the DC area, so we buckled down for some creative indoor fun.

I remember my mom making playdough when we were little.  I found an easy recipe here:

Uncooked Playdough
Materials

• Bowl
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Tempera paint or food coloring
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. In bowl, mix water, salt, oil, and enough tempera paint or food coloring to make a bright color.
2. Gradually add flour and cornstarch until the mixture reaches the consistency of bread dough.
3. Store covered.

Ours was a little sticky, so we had to use extra flour.

The boys loved it!  They spent the rest of the afternoon "making cookies."

The next activity we did was a rainbow collage.  Ben got bored pretty fast, and preferred to color his rainbow, but Abraham stayed at it a long time and said over and over, "Isn't this a fun art project, Ben?" 

 

We also had a fun "music time," where we got out our music instruments (including the parents, which made it more fun for everyone) and played away for a while. 

Here you can see Ben lounging with a recorder in the back and Abe "selling music" from behind his desk.

We also had a friend introduce us to a fun new nature center in our area, equipped with a dugout canoe, cave slide, indoor fish pond, and kid's play room.

I hope a couple of these ideas helps you get to the next sunny day!  What are some of your favorite rainy day activities?