6 Fun Rainy Day Learning Activities

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Just because the rain is falling on a day they’re not in school is not reason to deprive your kids of the benefits of learning.  In this post, we’ll share six great ideas for fun and fascinating rainy day learning activities.

6 Fun Rainy Day Learning Activities

Jenga Challenge

Almost everyone has seen Jenga, the game in which players must remove one piece at a time from a wooden block structure and add it to the top. The goal is to avoid being the person who makes the entire setup collapse. But how does one make just the right moves when each turn brings the end a little bit closer? This is a great way for your kids to learn strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, and you’ll even find online versions of the game.

Animal-Themed Lessons

Most kids love animals, so what better way to learn about all sorts of topics than to include critter images and terms in your lesson plans? The American Veterinary Medical Association has already done the hard work for you by posting downloadable material. Pet-centric activities teach your kids about biology and zoology while inspiring caring and compassion for all our four-legged friends. Rover.com also offers some educational dog-themed lesson plans for children of all ages.

Rainy-Weather Photography

As much as we adults tend to prefer staying indoors when the rain starts falling, some kids want to head outside to splash around in the puddles. You can turn their enthusiasm into a lesson in the arts by giving them a camera to document their rainy-day adventures. You can arm them with a phone with a waterproof case, or pick up an underwater disposable camera that is able to withstand the elements.

If you go the route of phone photography, load their photos up to a common device and look at them, noticing what each picture teaches about subjects like meteorology (if they took pictures of clouds and raindrops) and zoology (if they captured shots of birds, bugs or other animals in the rain). You can print out your photos and create a collage or photo book so your children can showcase their photography skills.

Dance the Rainy-Day Blues Away

We all know kids have tons of energy. What better way to help them work off all that excess get-up-and-go than with an online dancing lesson? You’ll find styles to match any interest and ability level just by looking online. Join in the fun with them, and soon, everyone will be having a blast.

A Blanket Fort is All-Around Fun

A blanket fort is the perfect setting for all sorts of educational activities. Help your kids forage for building materials, then step back and let their imagination do the rest. You can add a digital dimension to this idea by watching classic fairy tale movies or videos about medieval times while snuggled up in the fort. Remember to take pictures of your kids’ creation so you’ll have images to cherish forever.

Tap into the Power of YouTube

YouTube offers unlimited educational and enrichment potential, when used under parental supervision, of course. Here’s just a small sampling of the excellent content you can find on this amazing website:

• Drawing lessons for artists of all age and ability levels.
• Music tutorials for any instrument. Check out this harmonica primer to see what we mean.
• Exercise lessons that will nurture your child’s interest in fitness.

One area of concern with YouTube is the comments section that appears below most videos. Sometimes, people post inappropriate remarks in these forums, so review the resources you plan to use beforehand for safety’s sake.

Spring and summer have their fair share of rainy days, but there are plenty of opportunities for fun and learning when the clouds roll in. Make the most of gloomy days by instilling valuable knowledge and skills in your children’s growing minds. The seeds you plant today could turn into a lifetime of benefits tomorrow.

Jenny Wise created Special Home Educator as a forum for sharing her adventures in homeschooling and connecting with other homeschooling families. She enjoys providing advice to parents who are considering homeschooling their kids. 

What do you enjoy doing with your kids on a rainy day?  My girls are recently into practicing cursive writing, so I’ll search for some tracing and practice sheets and print them out, or write something for them to copy.  Share some more ideas with me in the comments!

~Jess