Rainy Day Toddler Activities for Those Days You’re Stuck Inside

Just because the weather is bad, doesn’t mean kids won’t get bored. Here are countless rainy day toddler activities for the day you’re stuck inside.

I’ve made the mistake more times than I’d really like to admit.

The weather is coming down in buckets, and/ or my kids have colds, and somehow I think, “It’s okay, we’ll just take it easy today.” With a ten-month-old, this is actually a safe thought. With a toddler? Not so much! Even a horrible cough, or a runny nose, the world is still their oyster and a lack of stimulation leads, at least in my household, to unbearable whining and seemingly incessant boundary testing.

So, I like to have as many rainy day toddler activities up my sleeve. Here are some of my favourite rainy day toddler activities ideas to occupy kids, on days we can’t go out and play!

Rainy Day Toddler Activites: Simple kids activities for play-based learning fun!

Wine Cork Stamping Process Art

What you need

• Wine cork (s)
• Tempera paint
• paint smock or old t-shirt
• Poster board or any sizeable paper

What to do

1. Place different colours of paint on a plastic lid or plate.
2. Let them have at ‘er!

Sensory Sink 

I got this idea when my friend, Kristin – mother of three, shared a blog post with me on Sensory Sinks. It has been a wonderful way for my toddler to be stimulated while I take some very rare time for myself to dry my hair or paint my nails!

What we use

• A large mixing bowl placed on the kitchen floor/ in the bath, or a sink accessed by a stool
• A little bit of Jello mix to give the water both a scent and colour
• Foam shapes
• Glitter
• Glow in the dark any other type of rocks
• Little People and other bath toys we already had

The best part of this activity is all you need is a general idea, your own imagination, and resourcefulness.

Play and Create with Cardboard

Now, the stipulation with this idea is you need to already have a box or somehow find one. But if you do, oh the fun you can have! Our most recent one started as a train and ultimately became a house.

For a box fort, you  will need:

• A furniture box
• Serrated knife to cut door
• Crayons or markers to decorate
• Stickers
• Existing toys to use in the “house”

For a box dollhouse, click the image below!

For a car race track, click the image below!

Rain Puddle Adventure

Despite what your grandmother may have told you, going out in the rain won’t give you a cold or more of a cold. In fact, I look at our adventures finding puddles as a natural humidifier when the kids are a little congested.

What you need

Homemade Jello Play Dough

Play Dough is an incredible medium to stimulate the imagination (you can really create anything the mind can dream up) and it’s excellent for working the muscles needed to learn how to print (check this out for more info on how Play Dough can develop fine motor skills).

What we use

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 3 oz pkg of no name Jello
• 2 tbs cooking oil
• 2 tbs cream of tartar
• food colouring optional

This is an adaptation of a recipe that can be found here.

For great ways to play with play dough, click the image below.

Make Cookies

With the help of a small step-ladder, my two-year-old loves dumping ingredients into a bowl. She also very eagerly samples throughout the entire process!

What you need

• 2 cups whole wheat no additive flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter or non-hydrogenated margarine
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1 egg and 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup crushed pecans

For instructions, click here.

Additional Rainy Day Toddler Activities

Erupting Car Wash

Balloon Tennis Gross Motor Activity

Coloured Cloud Dough Sensory Play

Shaving Cream Marbled Paper

Make Slime with Contact Solution

Coin Sorting Montessori Activity

DIY Lava Lamps

2D Shape Painting

Free Printable Insect Play Dough Mats

Penny Cleaning Science Experiment

Coffee Filter Sun Craft

Alphabet Sensory Bin

Q-Tip Painting with Water Colors

Clothes Pin Car Roads

Fine Motor Pom Pom and Pine Cones Activity

Crayon Resistant Process Art

Easy Bubble Art for Toddlers

Golf Button Game

8 Science Experiments Using Salt

Sensory Mosiac Wall Art

Edible Silly Putty