Don’t let a little rain ruin your day! Find fun activities to try with your family on rainy days
Try a new recipe
A rainy day is the perfect time to try a new recipe! Cooking together is a wonderful way to learn new skills and enjoy delicious food. There are plenty of kid-friendly recipes to make from gummy worm dirt cakes to a yogurt parfait.
Break out the board games
Board games are perfect for kids (and adults) of all ages! Whether you prefer a short and sweet game, like Uno, or a more complex game, like Catan, there is something for everyone! And check them out from a local spot with Madison, Middleton, or Sun Prairie locations, or in Fitchburg.
Build a pillow fort
A pillow fort is the best way to experience the “great indoors”. Gather blankets, sheets, chairs, and of course, pillows and start setting up camp! Stay cozy while watching a movie or reading a new book in your fort!
DIY crafts
Time to break out the glue sticks, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes! Use leftover craft supplies to make a new masterpiece! There are dozens of fun crafts for kids to try while stuck at home. You can also follow a drawing example, or just print out some coloring sheets.
Scavenger hunt
Parents can hide items around the house for their kids to find! Use a checklist for the kids to keep track of what they’ve found. For older kids, try writing riddles or leaving clues for them to find the hidden objects. My kids love looking for stuffed animals, especially when there's a prize (that is often another toy they had forgotten). There are plenty of free clue generators and templates to use and adapt.
Make slime or play-doh
Anyone can make these squishy toys using ingredients you likely already have at home! To make play-doh, all that's needed is water, flour, salt, cooking oil, and cream of tartar. Homemade slime only needs three ingredients: shaving cream, glue, and contact solution! Add food coloring to turn your slime colorful!
Stay Active
Screen time doesn't have to mean couch potato time - they can help stay active (without destroying your house) Video brain breaks (my kids love any with their favorite characters, Mario, for example), themed kids yoga, and plenty of dance videos
Get out locally. You can still get out, and stay dry - check out great drop-in local places
- Children's museums in Black Earth, Madison, and Sun Prairie
- WiscoKidz play center (East) and open play at Play N Wisconsin (Middleton)
- The Sensory Zone - with something for all kids
- The Curious Crafter - affordable, and you can either make in their shop or take home
- Local libraries and their summer reading programs
- Book shops, stay local at Lake City Books or Mystery to Me, and Barnes & Noble has a great kids area east or west.
- Marcus Theaters offers $3 movies for kids during the summer
- On the UW campus, the geology museum, and the physics museum (with lots of hands-on experiments/experiences) are both free, and Union South has cheap bowling, games, and climbing.
- Restaurants and Cafes with free kid activity areas
- Java Cat
- Crema Cafe
- Daisy Cafe
- Yola's Cafe
- Jacknife (kids eat free Sunday)
- Fitchburg Chocolate Shop (as if an ice cream shop needed ways to be more fun)
- And many more - let us know what we missed!
