What do you do with your kids…

[Shesnotreallyagirlygirl]

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?

right now we are:

DD napping
DS5 lego - usually at Stagecoach but starting next week
DS7 PlayStation - gutted that his first football training session was cancelled

Will try and take them to the woods later maybe but will be sooooo muddy!

Crafting, drawing, baking, playing with toys.

bowling, swimming, ice skating, soft play or a combo if desperate (all under one roof locally to us). cinema.

We have a climbing wall session booked for tomorrow!

It's not so much the rain I mind in winter, but the wind! We either have hills or the seafront to walk on and sometimes it's hard for me to walk in let alone the 2 year old 😄

Mine are older now, 17 and 18 and the youngest is 11. We are going to do some baking in a minute (me and the 11 year old), then go and drop some of the final product off to grandparents. Will probably stop in there for half an hour or so. Come home for a late lunch and then he’ll probably be happy on his gaming stuff and we will all play a board game or similar together later on.
Other than that, the older ones have college/uni work to avoid, dd1 is working this afternoon and dd2 should be revising for her theory test which is on Monday.
boring saturday but quite glad as it’s been manic since getting back from holiday Monday and then work/school Tuesday.
id love to take ds swimming more (although I loathe it completely) but he gets ear infections so easily and he just got over one he picked up in December when we went swimming twice in two weeks 😭

I always find it difficult on rainy days. Indoor play can be expensive and they really need to burn off some energy.

My dc would happily stay in all day playing video games, but I know by the late afternoon they will be arguing and annoying each other.

Today we will go for a walk and dry off when we get back. I will encourage them to play with some of their Christmas toys that they haven't looked at since Boxing Day

@TheChosenTwo Putty Buddies Original Swimming Earplugs

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Thanks @WhatHappenedToYoyos i did think about these. But, when ds and I go swimming what I mean is we just go and lark about in the pool, playing etc and we talk to each other constantly - I don’t think he’d be able to hear me! He’s up and down under and out of the water catching and throwing water balls etc.
by the way it sounds like we’re really annoying to be around however it’s usually quiet but we go during the family swim sessions anyway and if there are other families there they’re usually doing the same!

We have the most brilliant attraction for rainy days. The Deep, in Hull. On your first visit you get the option of a FREE one year pass. So you just pay for one visit then can go as often as you want in the next 12 months. It's an innovative aquarium where you can see the most incredible fish, walking amongst them, watching feeding etc. Excellent for rainy days. Every city should have one.

Swimming
Class/activity
Softplay
Trampoline centre
Museum or similar
Playdate
Visit to friends/family (pref who also have kids the same age).

And at home:
TV
Craft
Playdoh
Baking
Puzzles/board games

And lots of not being entertained and just left to play with their toys.

@Murdoch1949 more places should do the ‘pay once, come back all year thing’. I know there are lots that do but it should be more common I think!

Everything is just SO EXPENSIVE. I always feel very guilty that our weekends inevitably end up being one day at home then one day at various shops that we need things in. We have the odd trip to the cinema thrown in and swimming 1/2 per month. I just could not accept spending £50+ every weekend for days out.

When mine was that age, a film, making blanket forts, cooking, crafting, soft play when desperate or, my favourite, local friends with similarly aged children and wine while children went feral.

Today we spent the day with family.

Other times I agree swimming is a good one - we have a membership of a pool so it’s not a cost each time.

They have their weekend hobbies which are indoor.

Some screen time is fine. Or with younger ones encourage them to play with all the toys they doubtless have- Lego especially good as always. Sometimes baking but I’m not a huge fan of it!

Cinema or trampoline park for a more expensive one on occasion.

Crafts, pop up ball pit with tunnel (can buy fold down ones on ebay fairly cheap), play doh, kinetic sand, water play like set up some toys for them to wash, building blocks, dress up, disco party, movie day, go to local soft play, local arcades (we live by the beach so got some amusement places nearby, that's indoor), painting, face painting. Or just set up toys they play with around the room and let them go wild. After 7 years and many rainy days, this is what I can think of off the top of my head that's also age appropriate for you.

Oh! Also, board games, mini trampoline, can even get indoor slides and swings. And swimming, if it's not too busy or cold.

Combing the nits out of DD’s hair, usually. Library. “Helping” make lunch and “helping” clear up (she’s three and it’s no such thing). Rampaging stir-crazy around the house. Crafts. Baking. Going out in the rain and jumping in muddy puddles. Combination of playing with her, her playing while I do stuff like put away clothes, and ignoring her and she entertains herself chuntering away.

Go to IKEA as soon as it’s open (before it’s busy) - very good for burning energy as it’s enormous, and we chose some cheap frames for DS’s room and then framed some of his preschool art for his room.

Wellies on and jumping in puddles the minute the rain stops.

Though he spent most of the rest of the day annoying the cat…

puddle jumping...art attacks(pintrest great)cleaning spree(perfect size for skooosh water n wipe solid surfces,play at shops...dressing up...pamper days-bubbly baths shampoo etc...dance routines...saucepan drumkit..

Walk in the rain
Walk to the shops
Bus or train journey out somewhere
B & Q or other large shop
Museum / gallery
Library
Swimming
Visit family
YouTube kids exercise video or Just Dance
Play favourite music and dance

My two are older now but I'd stick their wellies on and coats and go for a lovely wet walk jumping in puddles! Great fun and it's free!

We often just play at home. Yesterday they did some painting, played with their Playmobil and dressing up, we went for a short walk in the rain and watched half a film in the afternoon.

During lockdown I used to do themed days for my daughter who was 3 at the time. So if we did a farm day I would put out all our farm related books, puzzles, set up some farm animals on the tuff tray, print out a farm colouring or spot the difference, maybe get out stuff to do some themed craft. It would keep her busy most of the day and give us some focus.

Soft play, crafts, swimming, play dates, baking

We don’t really have any ‘kid’ type entertainment places nearby.

If it’s raining we tend to do some baking at home, craft, or head to someone else’s house for a change of scenery. Maybe go out to cafe for breakfast. Otherwise use it as a day for general chores and playing at home, supermarket trip.

It generally doesn’t rain all day, so if it dries up for an hour or so we head outside.

Am I the only one who just let's mine chill and play with their toys? Mine did nothing yesterday (5 and nearly 2). Spent all day in their pjs playing with their toys. They're never bored and have great imaginations.

Birthday party and visiting family today.

We go out if it eases off for a bit. We are lucky as we have plenty of outdoor space nearby. Mine always get soaked so we have more than one coat and pair of wellies each I’d we go away from home.
Indoor football with a very soft ball
baking
crafting
get some different toys out
sticker books/colouring

I hate this time of year with small children, it’s so much easier when it’s warmer and drier.

We love the Deep...it's amazing!! Although it's a few hrs drive from us so necessitates a hotel stay too.
We went for the first time in October half term. Just booked to go back for DDs 2nd Birthday in a few weeks. Can you recommend anything else to do within an hours drive or so or in Hull itself as we'll have a couple of days to fill. Any good swimming? We're driving down from the North East.

Potion making! Obviously the baking soda, vinegar and food colouring. But also just get everything out the cupboards, lots of bowls and things to mix in and just leave them to it. We have had many many fun hours doing that.