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Having a rainy day with kids can feel long.
The plans you had are cancelled, and the house feels smaller by the minute.
I believe rainy days don’t have to be wasted days. With a little planning (and a simple structure), you can turn a wet day into a calm, memorable and fun family day.
Below are stress-free rainy day ideas for families. Plus, a FREE rainy day schedule is waiting for you in the Hive Resource Library. These are to help you plan the day so it flows smoothly from morning to bedtime.
Get your FREE Rainy Day Schedule For Families. Download Here
Plan the Day First (Yes, Even Indoors)
Before jumping into activities, take five minutes to:
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Decide how long you want the day to feel (half day vs full day)
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Choose 2–3 main activities (not 10!)
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Plan meal and snack times
A loose plan helps stop boredom and overwhelm. Especially for busy mums juggling everything else.
This is exactly why I created my Free rainy day schedule. It works for kids of mixed ages and can easily be adapted.
At-Home Rainy Day Ideas
Creative Corner
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Drawing or colouring area
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Junk making with boxes, tubes, and tape
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Sticker books or activity pads
Tip: Set this up the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning.
Family Games Morning
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Board games for mixed ages (always a win in our house)
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Card games (UNO, Snap, Go Fish)
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Simple puzzles
If you need to, you can rotate games every 20–30 minutes to keep energy up.
Cosy Movie Afternoon
Turn a normal film into an event:
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Let kids vote on the movie (this takes forever)
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Make popcorn together
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Build a blanket fort
Perfect for a post-lunch wind-down.
Baking Together
Easy wins:
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Cupcakes
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Cookies
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Pitta Pizza
You can never go wrong with a bit of family baking.
Rainy Day Outings (Yes, They Still Count!)
Rain doesn’t mean staying home all day. Although I do prefer it.
Some of the best family memories happen despite the weather.
For this, you will want to use my FREE family day out planner.
Cafés with Play Areas
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Soft play cafés (just remember the hand gel)
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Garden centres with indoor seating
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Libraries with café corners
Indoor Adventures
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Museums
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Aquariums
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Indoor farms
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Swimming pools
Use your planner to map travel time, lunch, and rest breaks. It makes days out feel much calmer.
Low-Effort Wins for Us Tired Mums
Not every rainy day needs Pinterest-level effort.
Try:
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Audio stories or podcasts
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Lego challenges (“Build a zoo!”)
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Independent reading time
Sometimes less really is more.
End the Day Calmly
Rainy days can feel draining, so aim for a gentle evening:
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Simple dinner
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Early baths
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A shared story before bed (depending on the age)
A calm ending helps reset everyone for tomorrow.
Grab Your Free Printables
If you’d like help planning stress-free family days, rainy or sunny, I’ve got you covered.
Download my FREE Family Day Out Planner and FREE Rainy Day Schedule when you sign up to my free newsletter. It includes:
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Simple schedules
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Food & budget planning
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Activity planning without overwhelm
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Realistic for tired, busy mums
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Flexible schedule
Perfect for busy mums who want calmer, happier family days.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to share with another busy mum.
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