Every kid’s worst nightmare is the rainy day blues. It always seems to happen when they finally get a chance to go outside to play. Or, it seems to happen when you are planning on hitting the beach as a family. The rain comes in and takes everyone’s fun away. It doesn’t have to happen that way. There are plenty of fun things to do inside. All it takes is a little bit of imagination, and a splash of creativity.
 

Make a genuine Pirate’s treasure map

 
This is very easy to do. You will need a large piece of craft paper, some lemon juice, a few crayons, and a heat source. Hide an object on whomever you are playing with, and then draw a map of the surroundings on the piece of paper. Then, make fake treasure trails that lead your partner away from the object. To make the real location of your treasure a secret, draw it on the piece of paper with lemon juice. Then, with a heat source, you can heat up the paper to reveal the treasures hidden location. But only after your partner gives up looking!
 

Write your own song

 
Helping your kids write a silly song is a great way to get their brain working in a positive way. Start with any basic children’s song that your kids are familiar with. Use the familiar melody to write your own words to, and this will help your kids contribute better. They will have a blast reworking one of their favorite classics into a tune of their own. You may even catch them singing their own version when they hear the melody that you helped them recreate.
 

Cook a fancy feast

 
Cooking is a great way of helping your child to learn basic mathematics, in a fun and nurturing way. Getting the hang of measuring the ingredients is a great way to master fractions. Kids also benefit from the simple instructions that a recipe contains. It will help them learn to follow directions for specifically, and even help them learn that sometimes not following directions can be a very bad idea.
 
There are a variety of ways that kids could be spending their afternoon. Just because they have to do it inside, and out of the rain, doesn’t mean that they won’t have as much fun. It just means that they need to think outside of the box. Next time a rainy day threatens to come take your kids’ fun away, first think of all of the fun things that they could also be doing inside. It may not be a substitute for going to the beach, but staying productive is very important on dreary days. Don’t take the day for granted; find something that is almost as fun. Help them turn into a pirate for a day, become a hit music stars, or become master chefs, the choice is up to you.
 
Travis Newville
Breckenridge, Michigan