The sun’s been shining relentlessly and the temperatures have soared high into the 30s on an absurdly regular basis – quite simply, this summer has been incredible. But don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. July and August may have heralded the hottest summer since 1976, but as September looms, expect the British weather to return to its usual grey self sooner rather than later, bringing the rain with it.
Whether it’s a Saturday afternoon or the tail end of the holidays, preparing for this change in weather is essential if you don’t want a house full of grumpy, bored children. Plan ahead with rainy day activities for the kids and you’ll make sure the little ones aren’t fed up when they can’t go outside as often. To help curb the boredom before it begins, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite activities you can do at home with your children when the rain starts to fall.
Learn new skills
Gather your little ones on the sofa and pick a new skill you can all learn together – you never know, it might just stand them in good stead for the future. Baking is a fun way to spend time with the kids, an incredibly useful skill for them to master, and there’ll always be a tasty treat at the end to reward your hard work. Let the kids browse the recipes in a cookbook to find one they’d like to try, then head to the kitchen to get started. Your future Bake-Off stars can have a go at everything – from measuring and mixing, to decorating their treats when they’ve cooled from the oven.
Alternatively, get your children sewing. Bring the family together by having everyone work together to create a patchwork quilt to drape over your sofa, or make some unique new covers for your scatter cushions. Choose a fabric that matches your sofa, and let their imaginations run wild. If you have older children, you might even want to try learning a new language together. Whatever you choose, the most important thing to remember is that you need to make it as fun as possible, helping them pick up the skills even quicker.
Get competitive
There’s nothing more enjoyable than adding a bit of competition to your rainy day activities. Break out the old classics for an afternoon of retro enjoyment – introduce the kids to a Snakes and Ladders showdown, a Monopoly championship or Cluedo contest. Alternatively, give kids the competitive advantage when you take them on at their own game – swapping dice for controllers. Gather everyone on the sofa, hook up the consoles and go head-to-head. And try not to be too alarmed when the kids inevitably enjoy an easy win.
Be creative
Kids love to create, so giving them the opportunity to express themselves can lead to an afternoon well spent, and help to keep them occupied in the face of bad weather. Bring out the whole craft box and pull together anything else from around the house that they can use to get their imaginations going.
Buttons, bottle caps and toilet roll tubes can become anything in the hands of an excited kid. Transform old orange cartons with paint and pipe cleaners to make robots, create figures from feathers, stickers and pens, or mould anything you can dream up with a few pots of plasticine. Not only will your little ones be able to showcase their creative side, but you’re likely to get swept up in the artistic atmosphere too.
Gather everyone on the sofa
After an action-packed day of activities, get everyone snuggled up for a night of chilling out in front of the TV. Of course, snuggling up as a family will mean you need to get the dream sofa first and foremost. If you’re planning on watching films, the Maya is the ideal sofa for sinking back and viewing in total comfort. The deep seats mean you’re supported, while adding a footstool gives you even more space to put your feet up– perfect if you’ve spent all day keeping the kids busy.
Another great family sofa for cosying up on is the Collins. Crafted from soft natural leather or durable microfibre fabric, this stylish sofa has ratchet headrests to help you get really comfy for an evening of relaxation. A rainy day is ideal for spending some quality family time together doing tonnes of fun activities at home.
