Rainy Day Activities With Toddlers (Indoor Activities, Zero Planning Required)

Stuck inside? Use these rainy day activities for toddlers to keep them busy and entertained. These easy, indoor activities are perfect for moms of young kids because they require zero planning! Thus, make use of what you have around the house and keep your toddlers (or preschoolers) busy inside

While getting outside in the spring is fun (check out these outdoor activities for toddlers), the weather doesn't always make it possible.

This is why having some reliable, indoor toddler activities on hand is crucial (have you ever tried a book scavenger hunt??) even if you're not a great crafter (though if you are, check out the best paper cutter to make your life simpler!).

The Qualities Of Rainy Day Activities For Toddlers

• No preparation
• No money
• Easy to put together
• Fun!

I never really understood why mamas struggled with rainy days before I became a mom myself. But they are terrible.

And It’s not even rain! We live in Canada and have like eight months of winter- so we’re stuck inside a lot! And while I love staying active outdoors, this past year my second babe was a newborn... so she couldn’t really go out in -30!

So, stuck inside with a two-year-old and a newborn. I got why mamas were pulling their hair out.

Thus, I came up with a list (because lists are what I do best haha). These indoor toddler activities seem simple (because they are) but they also help us save our sanity.

 

Rainy Day Activities: Pillow Forts

This one is pretty much gold- my toddler loves it. Stack pillows put blankets on them. Tadaa!

Likewise, we make up imaginative scenarios about the pillow fort (or last time- the space tunnel) and it occupies a good thirty minutes.

It doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact, my fort-making skills are kind of crap. But this rainy day game is normally a win.

Tinfoil Boats

I’m going to assume that you have tinfoil in your house.

Well, rip off a piece, twist the ends and voila, you have a boat!

The boat can sail in the bathtub or just a bucket of water. Sometimes, our boats carry things. It’s all very exciting stuff.

Cup Stacking

You know all those cups you have left from kids’ parties (or drinking, let’s be honest). Well, win!

This is essentially just making a giant card house but with cups (easier for little hands and whatnot!)- which means it totally counts in the rainy day games department.

Plus, you can have contests as to who can build a higher castle. Have fun knocking them over. Get different sizes if you have them and try to match them.

This is #momlife at its finest.

EO Couch Jumps

Okay, this one gets a bit dangerous- I’ll be the first to admit it!

And I’ve no idea why my daughter calls it “EO” but here we are.

Take the cushions off the couch and angle them on the floor and the couch, creating a “slide”. I put mats down at the bottom (I’m fancy).

Then, let your toddler climb, slide, and bum bounce down the cushion (carefully! Seriously mamas, supervision is required on this one :P)

Sock Puppet Attacks

Grab a pair of socks, put them on your hands. Name them. Pretend that the sock puppets are tickle monsters and tickle attack each other.

Sticker Play

This rainy day game can actually be pretty educational depending on how you swing it.

Grab a piece of paper and draw outlines, shapes, circles etc.

Then, have your toddler put the stickers in specific areas (all stickers in a row up the line or getting the sticker into the circle).

Fun With Straws

We always have a bunch of paper straws around for my food photography- and baby bear loves them!

We make swords out of the straws (putting two together) or sometimes we make “straw necklaces” ß they’re beautiful, I promise!

Or, if we have a lot, we play a square stacking game and see how high we can get!

Baking/Bowl Emptying

I love cooking on rainy days but the girls are not always overly helpful.

They do, however, love to pour!

So instead of letting them help with my recipe, I give them their own. They each get a bowl, then there are three ingredients (all ingredients can be eaten raw lol): oats, nuts, and almond flour (or whatever the hell you have on hand).

In each ingredient is a measuring cup or spoon and they must scoop the ingredients into their bowls.

Does this make a huge mess? Yes. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make 😛

When they’re done, I normally combine whatever the hell is in their bowls into some sort of cooked oatmeal or smoothie (no waste!)

Tracing

Tracing is a funny skill, one my three-year-old is just starting to enjoy.

We take random objects and trace them onto paper. Our hands, feet, the baby’s hands, cups. Literally anything. To me, this is a craft 😛

Rainy Day Activities For Toddlers: Paper Airplanes

When I’m desperate, I opt for paper airplanes (I suck at making them). Plus, we make a bunch, draw a color on them, name them, and get flying!

Kids Yoga

A great way to get the kids moving while also following along to a story.

While I guess this is technically Cosmic Kids Yoga a screen, I feel it's worth it. Plus, it is geared towards littles and has themed mini yoga sessions.

She acts out stories (from trolls and other movies) and names all the yoga poses something fun. My kids LOVE these sessions.

Floor Racetrack

Grab some paint (painters tape works best but masking tape works too!) and make an outline on your floor. The outline is the race track.

Then, grab some toy cars and have the zoom around the track!

Sorting Games

This indoor activity is great for preschools but my toddler still likes to play.

Grab a couple of small ingredients (three kinds of cereal, different kinds of nuts, etc) and toss them into a big bowl.

Have your toddler sort them all out into different piles. Likewise, you can then scoop them, trace them, build or stack with them or even use a mini mallet to smash them.

Dance Party

Find some space, put on some Disney tunes, and get dressed up! Join in the fun with your kids and have an impromptu dance party.

Not only does it get everyone moving but it provides a ton of laughs and they get to do it WITH you!.

Painting

Of course, painting is always a great way to pass the time too (if you can stand the mess haha). Rock painting especially is something different to try and kiddos love it!

Don’t forget to pin these rainy day activities for toddlers!

The truth is, nothing has to be complicated with a toddler. My issue with crafts is that they distract my daughters for about eight minutes and then they’re done, and the cleanup is annoying.

Instead, we rock these indoor activities. The ones that keep them bouncing or entertained. Similarly, we crawl, climb, and go a bit nutty- but that’s part of the fun. Right? RIGHT?!