Activities at home with children for rainy days 2026

There are times when for one reason or another it becomes impossible to leave the house with the children. Either because it's very cold and rainy, because the little one is sick, or simply because he doesn't feel like being outside. Maybe we are also thinking about saving and looking for a plan that does not involve spending a lot of money. And... what better than spending the day at home?

There are a lot of activities for children that will help us overcome boredom and, doubly, we will also improve their cognitive development. In addition, it will be a very good opportunity to spend time with family.

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Thinking about some educational or different options for children to distract themselves is a perfect alternative. That's why we bring you a selection of leisure activities at home for those days when it's a little difficult to take the kids to the park. In addition, they also learn to entertain themselves at home without having to resort to outdoor spaces. Show them that they can also have fun without having to organize expensive plans or with many people!

The good thing about these possibilities is that, in addition to being entertaining, they are extremely educational. Sensory crafts with which to enhance their senses, memory games, prepare an ingenious escape room, live a country adventure without leaving the room or develop their motor skills with a maze of obstacles... The list can be endless with a little imagination and children will go from having a boring afternoon to having a great time.

And if any option is good on its own, you can also combine several... Dare to make the house your favorite play area! And the thing is, children are used to being busy with classes, with homework, with extracurricular activities, playing in the street... That's why when the day comes when they have to stay at home with nothing to distract themselves, they accumulate a lot of energy, causing them to insist over and over again to mom and dad, asking them for something to do or seeking their attention.

Prevent them from feeling bored and frustrated with these leisure ideas for children at home. They will be delighted!

Sensory play: sensory bottles

With this activity we will stimulate children's sensory learning. And the most curious will really enjoy it! It involves filling bottles with objects and covering them with some liquid such as water, oil or glue.

We will use transparent bottles, preferably smooth, which we will fill and close very well with the help of a glue gun to prevent them from opening. The best thing is that you can use a thousand things to fill them: glitter, confetti, dolls, clips, rice, tokens, studs, beads...

Source:Mumuchu.com

DIY escape game: escape room at home

They are very fashionable at the moment and… Why not? Making an authentic escape room at home is a great idea. It will take some work to prepare the necessary tests and materials, but it is an activity that children will 100% love.

It is about creating a story and passing a series of obstacles to overcome tests and escape from the room or get a gift at the end. We will develop the imagination and the children will develop their ingenuity.

Source:Teaching Ideas

Montessori game: homemade maracas

It is a fantastic option because they will learn the importance of music and that it also follows the Montessori method. If you don't know it, it is based on the teachings of María Montessori, the famous educator who assured that the best learning is that based on experience and that which gives play a prominent role.

You will need soda cans or yogurt containers, balloons, rubber bands, and rice or lentils. You will simply have to fill the containers with rice or lentils and cover them with balloons, securing them with rubber bands. You can decorate them with pieces of balloons of different colors. If we add drumsticks they can also serve as drums.

Source: Quetescuchen

Memory game: ice cream pairs

The mythical memory game in a homemade ice cream pops version. We only need colored cardboard, wooden sticks, glue and scissors. We will create pairs of ice creams with the same design on one side so that the children try to find the pairs with the ice creams upside down.

Source:DecoPeques

DIY toy: wooden airplanes

This option seems perfect to us: children can entertain themselves while making it and then they can play with a toy made entirely by themselves.

We only need wooden tongs, ice cream sticks, tempera paints, wooden balls and glue. You simply have to glue the wooden pieces together to form the plane as seen in the image and then decorate it with paints to create your design.

Source:Pequeocio

Minigolf

An idea that will surprise the little ones. In many stores they sell the typical mini golf kit which includes a club and a bucket with balls. But... Why not create the entire minigolf course to play at home?

We need a cardboard box, a towel, a plastic cup and adhesive tape. It's about creating the hole by sticking the glass in the box and making a path with the towel. We can also include a cardboard flag to make it more realistic.

Source: Repeat Crafter Me

Camping inside the house

A way to have a great time without leaving your living room! What if we go camping

Cooking recipe: cookies with M&M's

A classic that never fails: Teach children a cooking recipe! What better for a rainy or boring afternoon than to spend a good time preparing some cookies for the snack that we can enjoy later.

We need: 200 g of flour, a pinch of salt, 5 g of vanilla sugar (or vanilla essence), 75 g of brown sugar, 125 g of butter or margarine at room temperature and a handful of colored chocolate balls (such as Lacasitos or M&M's).

We mix all the ingredients except the chocolate. With this dough we make balls, flatten them a little and place them on a baking tray. We put 3 chocolate balls on each one and bake them for about 12 minutes in the oven preheated to 200ºC. We let them rest on the tray for about 3 minutes and… ready!

Source:PequeRecipes

Emotional education: book of emotions

This idea is excellent for the emotional education of the little ones. It is very important that from a young age they learn to recognize and express their feelings and emotions. And for that, a good way for them to begin to understand the different moods can be to make a book in which to identify many of them. In addition to being entertained while they create it, they will have a fun time with the faces they will form.

You will only need cardboard, rings, scissors, markers and a paper hole punch for the holes. Source: I heart crafty things

Motor game: obstacle course at home

An alternative to develop motor skills and release accumulated energy: create an obstacle course around the house. The objective may be to reach the end in the shortest time possible or perhaps to get the prize or gift that awaits at the end of the path. Quite a challenge!

In addition, they will also learn to be more patient because they will have to concentrate to avoid falling into obstacles.

Source:Livingly