[mom2justynsarah]

Yuck! It's raining hard outside right now. So of course my daughter is bored. I have come up with a few ideas to keep her busy (at least until the rain stops). For example, right now she is making beaded necklaces & bracelets with pipe cleaners. It is keeping her quite occupied. I also have an easel board with paints/crayons for later. In addition, my neighbor turned me onto "Perla Beads." If your not familiar with them, check out "koolstuff4kids." They keep both kids busy for quite some time.

What other ideas do you have?

[SchmennaLeigh]

FINGER PAINTING!

It's our go-to rainy day activity!

[McNally720]

We're big fans of beading and painting....washable markers are a special treat too. It sounds crazy, but MAM also likes to clean--she's thrilled if I drag out the mop (God love her!).

She's also got a couple of "participation" DVDs--a Dora one where she dances around and uses maracas, and a ballet one where she dances--I like to pull those out on days she can't go outside.

We make tents out of blankets and furniture. I'm also teaching her a family-favorite game..."balloony"--where you blow up a balloon and then pass it back and forth around the house, not wanting it to touch the ground. My brother and I would play that for hours. Sometimes, at birthday parties, we still do.

A lot of times, it's just a matter of me pointing out a toy or bin of something (Legos, train set, blocks, little people) that she hasn't seen in awhile, and start playing with it myself....

Post-it notes and stickers are also BIG hits!!

[blessedbybug]

I hope it's stopped raining by now! Just saw this post... we live in a place where there is snow from October to March (or April or May!) so I have had to get pretty creative sometimes.

second the fingerpainting...

I make playdoh and have a big bag of playdoh related toys

baking cookies or sweet bread (or they even help me when I make my big batch of whole wheat bread)

coloring... markers or crayons ... we have a big roll of newsprint, end of the roll stuff, we got from a local printer. I will hang it up on the walls and they go for it. They have learned to "mostly" stay on the paper.

An old box and a bunch of markers provides lots of time to create a spaceship or boat

bubble bath... for whatever reason on a rainy day it's fun! I've even let them put on their swimsuits so they feel like they're swimming

We made a "town" using tape for the roads on our basement floor. The kids both play cars down there lots. Basement is unfinished so this helps. But it works great on carpet too if you only use masking tape.

chalk board and drawing

trips... I'm big into trips... library, mall, indoor playground, TRU, dollar store...

HTH! And I hope it's a sunny day today!

[lovemy2boys]

We make play doh as well...in fact, thats what we did yesterday but it was for Vacation Bible School...the kids are dying for Friday to come so I can bring it home...

Whenever the weather is yucky, we set up a tent and sleeping bag in the living room, pop popcorn and watch a movie (it's rare that we do that at home, so it actually is a treat)...it's kinda like a wierd indoor camping trip with a tv...lol

My kids also like to paint "things" so I bought a ton of those wooden ornament/type things from the craft store, and we go to town...then we keep them for the kids Christmas tree (they have their own that we set up downstairs by the fireplace).

[blessedbybug]

Originally Posted by lovemy2boys

My kids also like to paint "things" so I bought a ton of those wooden ornament/type things from the craft store, and we go to town...then we keep them for the kids Christmas tree (they have their own that we set up downstairs by the fireplace).

Never thought of this! DD would love it! And we can start as soon as the first snow hits and have her tree decorated by Christmas! Thank you!

[Stormster]

You guys are amazing! Where did you learn these things? I'm just curious did your mothers do these things with you?

[SchmennaLeigh]

Rainy (again!) today and our plans today include some coloring (Kaboose printables, google it) and making a card for his Papau B (Josh's Dad) as his birthday is Sunday. He's all about markers right now. Crayons are so yesterday. LOL

[SchmennaLeigh]

Originally Posted by Stormster

I'm just curious did your mothers do these things with you?

Gosh, yes. I remember making play doh in the kitchen of our OLD house with my Mom, so I was six or younger. We painted all the time, inside and outside. I also did a lot with my Dad. I was blessed with two amazingly involved parents who loved to make things! (Favorite with my Dad was when he taught me to make volcanoes but that's not really a toddler aged activity. LOL.)

[Stormster]

Where do you guys do the art/painting? We don't have a play room exactly but I have this idea to take our guest room which nobody uses and turn it into a project room. But there is light carpet in there so I thought I'd put down tile matts or something and then lots of art supplies!

But are the tile matts too squishy? I don't care so much about the walls....just the carpet.

Leigh you are so lucky. I can't remember my mother ever playing with me at all

PS I love the idea about the bubble baths in bathing suits. When I was at sleepaway camp on rainy days we used to go out in the rain in our bathingsuits and wash our hair in it ...kind of reminds me of that!

[blessedbybug]

Originally Posted by SchmennaLeigh

He's all about markers right now. Crayons are so yesterday. LOL

I had to LOL too. DS is miserable during coloring because Sissy gets markers and he doesn't. I got the Color Wonder for him but he knows, he knows there's a trick to them. He wants what Sissy has!!!

[blessedbybug]

Originally Posted by Stormster

You guys are amazing! Where did you learn these things? I'm just curious did your mothers do these things with you?

yes. And a whole lot more. I knew how to plant a garden, make bread and can vegetables by the time I was a teenager. And she made it all so fun for us. We didn't know she was "using" us as her helpers!

[blessedbybug]

Originally Posted by Stormster

Where do you guys do the art/painting? We don't have a play room exactly but I have this idea to take our guest room which nobody uses and turn it into a project room. But there is light carpet in there so I thought I'd put down tile matts or something and then lots of art supplies!

But are the tile matts too squishy? I don't care so much about the walls....just the carpet.

Painting in the kitchen (that has a tile floor... just be careful not to get too much on the grout) or the unfinished part of our basement. Otherwise, art is at the kitchen table. I just put out a big plastic tablecloth on the floor or table wherever they are working. They are so cheap at W@lm@rt type places. Then you just wipe them up.

[lovemy2boys]

Originally Posted by blessedbybug

Never thought of this! DD would love it! And we can start as soon as the first snow hits and have her tree decorated by Christmas! Thank you!

No problem! We give alot away as Christmas presents - the kids love picking special ones to paint for their favorite people. They literally paint for hours.

Stormster...Before we set up an art/craft area in our basement (we have a HUGE table with a booth bench that the kids sit at to paint or do play-do), we used to do it on card tables in our living room - we laid down those plastic "under the high chair" sheets, and went to town. Well, as they got bigger, the sheets got too small - lol - now we have one of those "multi purpose" floor type sheets. I think they're called Anywhere Mats or something like that. I saw one today at our drug store in the beach toy/summer supplies area...it's a blue rolled up mat...It costs about $8.00.

[Stormster]

Thanks! what is the youngest I can start doing art projects with DS and what kind?

I loved puppetry as a kid I want to make a little stage and hand made puppets but I think I'm pushing all of this since he's not even 11 months LOL

Maybe I'll just do it for me!