Indoor Icky Weather Fun for Summer

What do you do when summer storms strike? Or when it’s too hot to go out, how do you keep your kids occupied?

Rainy days don't have to be a drag. With a little creativity and these fall-themed activities, you can turn indoor days into opportunities for laughter and learning. So, embrace the rain, heat, or both, and make some memories together – rain or shine!

Bake with the Flavors of the Season

Nothing caps off a cozy, rainy day quite like the aroma of freshly baked treats wafting through the house. Gather your kids for an afternoon of baking. Your kids can measure, mix, and decorate to their hearts' content. Bonus points for using seasonal ingredients like stone fruit, berries, or produce from your garden.

Have a Rainy Day Summer Camp

A rainy day can be a welcome excuse to relax and chill out. But a few of them can make parents go a little nuts over being pent up in the house. Instead, try a structured summer camp day in your own home.

Go on an Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Turn your home into a treasure trove of excitement with an indoor scavenger hunt. Create clues that lead your kids from room to room, incorporating seasonal elements like leaves, pumpkins, or even Thanksgiving dinner items. Hide small prizes or treats along the way to keep them motivated.

Express Your Inner Artist

Rainy days are the perfect excuse to get messy with arts and crafts. Gather paints, markers, construction paper, glue, magazines, watercolors, and other supplies and let your imaginations run wild by making some rainy day art. Join in with your kids and freely create masterpieces inspired by summer. They could be inspired by a summer memory, their favorite activity, or colors of the season.

Story Time with a Twist

Time to get creative! Forget traditional storytime. Instead, let your kids take the reins and create their own stories! Provide prompts like "where rain comes from " or "what thunder and lightning really is." Help them brainstorm characters, settings, and plot points. Then, sit back and enjoy as they become the authors and illustrators of their own literary creations, sparking their creativity, but also building communication and literacy skills.

Break Out the Sticker Books

If you’ve been saving activity books for a rainy day, this is it. For some quiet time, sticker books, activity books, and puzzle books are a great way to practice fine motor skills and enjoy some independent playtime.

Dance Party in the Kitchen

Shake off those rainy day blues with a spontaneous dance party! Crank up some upbeat tunes and let loose in the living room. Encourage your kids to show off their best moves and create silly dance routines. Dancing is a natural mood booster, not to mention energy burner!

Camp Out in the Living Room

Making a blanket fort is a core childhood memory. Transform your living room into a cozy campsite for an indoor adventure. Build a blanket fort, set up sleeping bags, read together, and tell spooky stories by flashlight. You can even make s'mores in the microwave for a fun treat. This is a surefire way to create lasting memories and make the most of a rainy day.

Learn a New Art Technique

A day indoors means uninterrupted time to spend working on a rainy day art project. Open up your newest box from Outside the Box Creation! Each box contains a new art technique to explore, complete with supplies, video tutorials, illustrated guides, and a coordinating book, designed by an art educator to foster your homeschooler’s love of learning.