What to do with the kids on rainy days in the school hols - we need your ideas!

Do starfall on the computer

Empty a bag of rice or lentils into a tupperware/ big cardboard box to make an indoor sandbox for trucks. Keeps small children occupied for ages

Make Playdough

Baking/ decorating cookies

Build dens/ tunnels

Indoor obstacle course

forgot -the dressingup box is a vital part of the summer hols.
gather up a load of silly hats and clothes form charity shops- the sparklier the better- i got a pile of stuff from freecycle recently
get them to organise a play- if they are older they can write it themselves or little ones can act to you reading out a favorite book
dressing up is great.

well my dd has been on holiday for a week already and has spent most of that week either trashing the house or watching tv while i sleep..... but as i am pregnant i almost have an excuse

when i do get off my bum though they love playing outside even if it's bucketing, just watch them from the door while they run around and get soaked.

playdates! nothing entertains a kid better than another kid.

puzzles, dd is addicted to them atm so she can spend hours doing them quite happily.

teach them the joys of lying in in the morning

lots of cuddling on the couch with books.

making forts and castles with furniture and sheets.

board games if they're old enough, most kids love a good monopoly session, invite a few friends around, provide them with snacks and they'll be entertained for hours.

let them 'garden'. give them a plot amd some trowls and forks and let them dig for worms, plant twigs and rocks and generally make a mess.

haha yes dd of from yesterday here in ni.
2 months of glorious rain no doubt
here goes:
always take public transport on days out.it takes twice as long as the car and can be more entertaining if a train journey is involved. go with another mum and children if poss.
have a picnic at the ready at all times so if the sun does come out you can go and have a picnic somewhere pretty and fly a kite
dispatch child to a summer scheme for at least one week of the hols
go to the library a lot
go to a local museum a couple of times .ask at reception for a quiz to fill in on the way round or write your own
have 1 child in rotation have a friend over at least once a week( chances are he or she will get a play date out of it)
go to pound shop and acquire supersoakers and water pistiols for hot days
get dh to take them camping and fishing for one night on his own(hahaha)
stick to one paid for activity per week- ie cinema,bowling.iceskating,pool
put up a tent in the back garden or build a den or tree house
go to a bookshop (second hand if poss) and give them a couple of quid to choose something
employ all relatives to look after them for 1 day each.
do painting, cutting out and craft or baking in the afternoons for an hour before teaso you can dunk them in the bath straight after.
buy some blackout blinds so they can get to sleep early.
mumsnet if running out of ideas

treasure hunt round the gdn and house with easy clues leading to prize. Have to do as team....

Go to stony beach when not nasty weather. collect stones for use when rainy. paint n varnish. Good G'parent presents....

Buy terracotta plant pots from ikea... or wherever. Decorate.

woodland walk with an 'identify' kit. ie has red leaves with five fronds on each etc etc

We have made a "plan of action" for the summer holidays. I asked dd1 (11) and dd2 (9) what they would like to do. So far we have "learn to knit", "paint our bedroom" (we are going to do a seascape mural), "take part in Team Read" (the library summer reading challenge, go along to your local library to find out how to take part). I am sure the list will get longer!

Also - we will be baking, drawing, painting, sewing, playing with the little ones (2 boys under 3 as well as the dds).

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Raincoats and wellies, puddle jumping!

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I'm guessing CBeebies isn't the right answer!