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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What do you do with your kids…

72 replies

Shesnotreallyagirlygirl · 07/01/2023 09:54

On rainy weekends?

Dd, 4, has bags of energy, likes to be doing things most of the day. It’s raining all weekend, we don’t want to go to the shopping centre as it’s packed on days like this. We’ll try to get her out for a walk with the dog at some point during a break in the rain. She’ll probably sit a bit more calmly and maybe watch a film & have some popcorn after dinner. How else to fill the hours?

OP posts:
Catsinahat · 07/01/2023 09:55

Swimming! Excellent for tiring out little ones (and big ones!)

Girasoli · 07/01/2023 09:57

Swimming (sometimes a lesson on the Saturday and a fun swim session on the Sunday)

Church plus go to the hall after for squash/a biscuit/running around with the other children

DS2 likes going to the supermarket with DH

Visit grandma and grandpa

HerringBoneBlanket · 07/01/2023 10:02

Go out and get wet, long walk in the woods in waterproofs and wellies. Even go to the park. Then home for warm bath (lots of bubbles and play) and pop on a onesie.

Trampoline park, indoor climbing, swimming pool, soft play, museums, galleries, aquarium, farm park, libraries (ours has soft play and toys) etc all provide under cover running around space. Some expensive and some free.

Prinnny · 07/01/2023 10:03

We’re (me and DD3.5) currently watching the highway rat having a lazy morning, later we’re going to the icecream parlour and into town to get more bits for her craft box.

BodyShapeWoes · 07/01/2023 10:07

Mine are a lot older now…so they are both playing on their switches at the moment.

when they were small we used to go swimming, always had dogs so walked them even when it rained

Maybe a chilled afternoon with a movie and some crafty stuff..

soft play was my idea of hell occasionally we went to an indoor climbing place the kids loved that but was ££

angelopal · 07/01/2023 10:07

Soft play. We have some good ones near us. Also the local science center.

Newpuppymummy · 07/01/2023 10:09

Soft play, swimming, invite a friend over. Museums.

DelurkingAJ · 07/01/2023 10:09

DS2 was this age in the first lockdown so we bought all the wet weather gear and went out regardless…DS1 there were more options and we often hopped in the car or onto the train to see people.

PurplePositivity · 07/01/2023 10:10

I have teenagers now so they'll be sleeping or working most of the weekend.

When they were little we visited grandparents (DH worked weekends), went swimming, kids club at cinema or baked.

DuplicateUserName · 07/01/2023 10:10

Just go out in the rain!

Miala · 07/01/2023 10:10

Season ticket to local petting farm. Dens, baking, make your own pizza. We always had some sort of class on Sat mornings which would wear DC out a bit with minimal effort from me,and after that our energy levels were a bit better matched.

MrsSkylerWhite · 07/01/2023 10:11

Put on waterproofs and look for puddles.

TheodoreMortlock · 07/01/2023 10:14

Wet weather walk in all the waterproofs, swimming, library, baking, blow up a balloon and play indoor tennis.

JPR15 · 07/01/2023 10:16

We have a toddler and we're going out for a rainy walk around our town, lunch in town, home for a play and rest then probably to the supermarket.

I can't bear soft plays or leisure centre swimming pools.

We don't do child focused activities all the time, I think part of the time is fine but we just take ours along on whatever we're doing that day - shopping/errands etc.

We go for a long walk or a play in a park most days, even if the weather is bad.

Getinajollymood · 07/01/2023 10:16

Pain, isn’t it?

DS has his swimming lesson on a Saturday morning. Everyone loves wet walks on here but it is tricky with a toddler and parks are lethal when wet. I think we’re going to have to brave soft play <shudder> but we have done in a lot this holiday and I am soft play-d out. Might see about an aquarium or something.

RoseMartha · 07/01/2023 10:18

I have teens too now

We used to walk/scooter in the rain or go for a coffee and ice cream

Were members of a zoo/farm places that had indoor and outdoor stuff. The zoo when they were little and a farm place when a bit older. The soft play at the zoo was never as busy even in bad weather although I still avoided going in them. There was a big slide indoor thing at farm place we were members when they were age 10-12 which was much better than soft play in its true sense as i hate those places too.

Visiting family

Art and craft
Or games and puzzles

LoveAHolidayOrTwo · 07/01/2023 10:19

I used to put excess birthday and Christmas presents to one side and get one out for days like this. A new craft pack etc really helped when we couldn’t get out.
Making a camp in the house was good or building a big train set in the children’s bedroom also worked.

GregoryFluff · 07/01/2023 10:19

Some really good suggestions

I'll throw in bowling, just started taking our 2 year old, 2 games easily kills an hour and a half

AnneLovesGilbert · 07/01/2023 10:20

We’re going to the market for fruit and veg, once home and dry probably baking, play dough, reading, long mid aft bath which she thinks is very louche, general pottering.

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 07/01/2023 10:20

I'm wondering this today. My two have been poorly so have also missed school and nursery this week and have been cooped up for three days already!

I'm not sure taking them out in the rain is a good idea.

I'm hoping a grandparent offers to have one 🤣

LoveAHolidayOrTwo · 07/01/2023 10:21

As they get older mine got into gaming and then it got really easy.

AllotmentTime · 07/01/2023 10:24

Get extremely frustrated

Wait until they’re old enough for good board games / unsupervised splash parks / bowling / an interesting museum / stuff at the cinema that you actually enjoy too

Then get frustrated that they have homework to do instead

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/01/2023 10:25

Soft play, wellies and waterproofs on to feed the ducks, cinema, get the paints out at home etc.

Tacocatgoatcheesepizza · 07/01/2023 10:29

I dread rainy weekends because we are not a go out and get wet family at all.

I am taking them swimming this afternoon but this morning we are doing absolutely nothing. Most weekends they go to tennis in the morning but that’s not starting again until next week - would have been called off today anyway I expect!

Apart from that our most common rainy day activities are cinema, bowling and trampoline park. My children aren’t yet teenagers but are no longer interested in soft play.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 07/01/2023 10:30

We're sorting DDs room today, going through all her toys and bagging for bin or charity shop then I'm going to attempt to wallpaper the chimney breast.