Fun on rainy days for the whole family

Nothing can dampen spirits like a rainy day. Kids aren’t the only ones who get cranky when they’re locked up. So to stop that rainy day gridlock before it happens, check out these 9 great rainy day ideas.

1. Get out the board games. In an era where X-Box and PlayStation rule, the joy of playing board games has fallen by the wayside. These types of days are perfect for taking out the Scrabble board or the Bingo cards or even the Candyland game for the little ones. Crazy Eights anyone? Everyone will get so caught up in the games that they won’t even notice the gray sky outside.

2. Have a rainy day party. Let everyone dress in their best clothes and serve lunch or dinner on that fine china you never use. Someone can DJ and everyone can dance to dissipate their discontent. Celebrate the rain. You will find that you are less afraid of future rainy days, just like your family.

3. Walk. Yes, outside in the rain. They all get dressed in their rain gear and then head out for a tour of the neighborhood. Splashing in puddles is allowed! Getting wet won’t hurt anyone, unless she’s that witch from the Wizard of Oz, and it will be a great stress reliever. In fact, his children will be so surprised that they will probably stare at him in amazement for the rest of the day, and even better, forget about complaining of boredom.

4. Create a family time capsule. Putting together a time capsule is always a big hit with family members of all ages. Even teenagers will put down their iPods and have fun making a time capsule. Set the time to take it out at the same time, next year, or even a rainy day a month from now. You’ll have to help the younger kids, of course, but imagine their excitement when they see the time capsule a year from now!

5. Start a rainy day scrapbook. Let everyone design and create their own pages. Drawings, magazine clippings, and photos will fill the pages. It can be an ongoing scrapbook or just one for this particular rainy day. A continuous rainy day scrapbook has the advantage of being a rainy day activity that you won’t have to plan again and will give everyone in the family something to look forward to the next time it rains.

6. Visit a museum. Museums offer a wide variety of activities for people of all ages. For starters, they are generally reasonably priced and charge less on weekdays. They’re also great learning experiences and something your family doesn’t do every day, so they’re something special.

7. Give each family member an hour to be in charge. For an hour, you can be the rainy day king or queen and create an activity for everyone else. This allows everyone in the family to feel important and to do what they enjoy the most. You’ll need to set some ground rules, of course, but letting everyone have an hour to be in charge will keep them busy not just for the hour, but for much longer as they make their plans.

8. Write letters and make cards. To distract everyone from their disappointment with the rainy day, ask them to think of others who are not so lucky. A good way to do this is to have everyone in the family, including mom and dad, make cards for people in the hospital or write letters to soldiers or people in a foreign country. You can find online sources that will ensure your cards and letters are delivered anywhere in the world. This is also a good opportunity to teach children and teenagers what it is really like to live in some countries.

9. If all else fails, load up the car or minivan and head to Grandma’s. Chances are she too is suffering from rainy day blues and she will be delighted to see you. It’s also a free place to go where everyone feels comfortable just the way they are. Just a note though: you may want to call first. Grandma could be out on a rainy day tour of her own neighborhood, and you don’t want to miss it.

Copyright 2006 Karen Fusco