The beauty of summer is that you can finally spend more time outdoors with your family. The weather is lovely, the flowers have bloomed...it's perfect! You might have even started filling up your weekends with trips to the playground or exploring nearby parks and attending local events. But then something always has to come along and ruin it — rain.
Even though the weather may be dreary, that doesn't mean your fun plans have to suffer. Liv has six great indoor activities that are perfect for families with kids of all ages.
1. The Best Way to Start Your Day
On a dreary day, being stuck inside doesn't have to mean forgoing a good breakfast. Make pancakes as a family and get everyone involved in the process. Then, set out the syrup, fresh fruit pancake toppings ( and some whipped cream sounds delightful too!), and let your little ones decorate their plates however they like.
If it's raining and you're not in the mood to cook, come to the Hub for a pancake breakfast. You'll get to enjoy a delicious meal with other families and meet some new neighbors. Plus, sharing your plans for the day is a great way to keep the kids busy.
2. Get Creative
With only a few simple craft supplies, you and your child can make amazing works of art together. Using flowers as paintbrushes, you can create beautiful pictures with vibrant colors. If you really want to go all out, add some glitter to the mix for extra sparkle and shine.
If you can't find flowers, never fear! Here's a crafty solution: put your kids to work making their own flowers using paper plates or construction paper. If you have young kids, you can use summer themes in their sensory play to make it more fun and festive with sensory bottles, edible mud, sensory bins, and more.
3. A Perfect Time for Games
More than just a game for rainy days or family gatherings, board games are excellent pastimes to disconnect from screens and connect with your loved ones. And while playing purely for fun is great, upping the stakes by making it into a competition can make things more interesting. Make a scorecard to keep track of who wins the most games throughout the day, with whoever coming out on top getting bragging rights or a small prize at the end.
The Hub is also a great place to take the family for some gaming or even some rounds of pool. You might even find other families with the same idea while you're there.
4. A Chance to Experiment!
Give summer a mad-scientist twist by doing some themed science experiments. If you want to go the extra mile, make your experiments rain-related. One example would be creating a rain cloud in a jar using shaving cream and food coloring. Some other great ideas for keeping kids entertained include creating a water cycle model, a tornado in a bottle, and a homemade thermometer.
5. Get Cozy and Watch Some Movies
Rainy days are the perfect opportunity to turn your living room into a personal theater. Get some popcorn popping, gather up some of your favorite sweet treats, and queue up your go-to family movie (or find one on your preferred streaming service). And don't forget to set the scene by dimming the lights. If you're looking for an even more authentic experience, head over to Liv's screening room in the Hub.
If your children can't seem to agree on a movie, don't worry; you can make your own instead. With stop-motion videos, you and your kids can have loads of fun while making something you'll want to watch again and again. You could even turn it into a series for rainy days!
6. Have fun with an Indoor Scavenger Hunt
An indoor scavenger hunt can be done any day of the year and doesn't have to be related to rainy days. Gather items around your house that you want your kids to find, such as a stuffed animal, keys, or a crayon. If you have more than one child, create different lists for each kid so they're not all searching for the same thing.
You could also make the scavenger hunt more challenging by:
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Asking your kids to find items of specific colors, shapes, or textures (have them collect what they find in a small basket)
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Hiding items around your apartment
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Setting a time limit
Be it Stormy or Sunny, Have Tons of Fun at Liv Multifamily
Have some fun with your family, even when it's raining outside! You can do things like flower art projects, science experiments related to rain, or make your own movies. Try out some of these ideas and let us know what you think. And if you come up with other great indoor activities to do with kids, we want to hear about them too so that we can share them with other families in the Liv communities.
