It’s pouring rain outside, and you sigh as you peek out the window. The steady taps of the rain on the glass feel oddly soothing  — until you remember the kids. You originally had plans for them to play outside, pulling them away from the screens and giving yourself a well-deserved break. Now, with those plans scrapped, you need to think of a list of indoor activities for kids to do on a rainy day other than playing video games or stealing your phone to watch YouTube Kids. But don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. 

In this article, we’ll cover the importance of daily physical movement and offer ten active indoor activities to keep your kids busy, entertained, and moving while you wait out the storm. This list has things to do when it’s raining that work for every interest, ranging from high-energy activities to burn off restless energy to creative projects that spark creativity.

 

 

Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies: Why Kids Need to Stay Active

Even on rainy days, kids need to stay active. In 2024, the Physical Activity Alliance published a U.S. report card presenting children and youth with an overall D- on physical activity. They also discovered that only 20% to 28% of youth, ages 6 to 17, met the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. This lack of daily movement impedes kids’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. But with the proper support and a little creativity, it’s easy to turn things around. 

As a parent, teacher, or caregiver, try to find out what works best for your child to encourage daily movement and set an example. Kids are more likely to stay active if they see the adults in their lives joining in. By encouraging daily movement, you’re promoting physical health and helping your child build confidence, sharpen their memory and focus, and reduce stress — a win-win for you and your little one. 

 

10 Fun Rainy Day Activities to Stop Hearing “I’m Bored”

Now that we’ve discussed why regular physical activity is so important, let’s dive into ten fun rainy day activities for kids to keep them moving instead of saying, “I’m bored.” These indoor activities for kids are perfect for speaking creativity, encouraging teamwork, increasing physical movement, building social and problem-solving skills, and strengthening motor skills — all while staying inside.

 

1. Paper Airplane Competition 

Gather white or colored paper to fold into paper airplanes and experiment with different folding techniques. Then, hold a contest where everyone simultaneously throws their paper planes to see which lands the furthest away. This will encourage healthy competition and make a game out of who can retrieve their paper airplane the fastest.

Benefits of paper airplane competitions:

• Ignites creativity: Encourages kids to create different designs and folding techniques. 

• Improves focus: Teaches kids to focus and practice patience with the creation process.  

• Enhances motor skills: Refines fine motor skills through folding and gross motor skills when throwing and retrieving. 

2. Racing Games

If your kids love to compete against each other, try setting up a few racing games to help them burn off their restless energy. Some racing ideas you can do are:    

• Crab walk: Have all the kids sit on the floor and lift their bellies to race backward on all fours.

• Scooter races: Pair two children together, with one sitting on a towel and the other holding onto the end to scoot across the floor. Have them switch places to take turns. 

• Wheelbarrow races: In pairs, have one kid in a plank position while the other holds their feet to race across the floor. 

• Frog jump: Show kids how to crouch like a frog and hop to the finish line to see who can jump the farthest while staying in character. 

• Paper plate ice skating: If you have paper plates lying around, give each child two paper plates to use as “skates” and have them glide across the carpet or hardwood floor to the finish line. 

Benefits of racing games: 

• Increases physical activity: Encourages to burn off their restless energy. 

• Elevates self-confidence: Winning a race can help kids feel a sense of accomplishment. 

• Promotes teamwork: Many racing games are completed in pairs or small groups, which builds trust and reliability among teammates. 

3. Host a Scavenger Hunt

Kids love a good scavenger hunt, especially if a prize is involved. Start by coming up with a prize and a theme for your scavenger hunt. Once you’ve chosen a theme for your hunt, make a list of clues or objects to look for. If you plan to provide clues, hide them before starting the hunt. Award the first child who returns with the most clues/objects. Here’s a list of scavenger hunt ideas to brainstorm:

• Alphabet hunt: Create a list of letters A-Z and encourage participants to find an item related to each letter around the house.

• Classic object hunt: Come up with a list of everyday household items for kids to search for — like a picture book, a pair of socks, a stuffed animal, etc. 

• Color hunt: Encourage children to find an object for every color of the rainbow. 

• Photo scavenger hunt: Give kids a phone or camera to take pictures of objects around the house. You could also use family photos and give slight hints of who is in the image. 

Benefits of scavenger hunts:

• Promotes problem-solving skills: Encourages children to use critical thinking to decipher clues. 

• Sharpens memory: Prompts children to practice remembering what places they’ve already looked for clues.  

• Boosts teamwork and collaboration: Kids must work together to find the missing clues. 

4. Indoor Obstacle Course

Spark kids’ creativity by having them create an obstacle course. Start by picking a room in the house and gathering the items you need. These can be anything from pillows and chairs to pool noodles and hula hoops. After collecting the items, plan the layout and explain the rules required to complete the obstacle course (like crawling under chairs or jumping on pillows). Use a timer to see who can complete the course the fastest. 

Benefits of indoor kids’ activities like obstacle courses:

• Sparks creativity: Kids spark their imagination with the design and layout of the obstacle course. 

• Promotes physical activity: Encourages children to use strength and coordination to complete the obstacle course. 

• Encourages teamwork: Kids brainstorm with each other to create the layout of the obstacle course and what rules to follow. 

5. Action Dice

Find a die and list actions to do when kids roll a number. For example:

• If you roll a 1: Skip to a new location and back

• If you roll a 2: Spin around two times

• If you roll a 3: Do three jumping jacks

• If you roll a 4: Sing a song

• If you roll a 5: Do a little dance 

• If you roll a 6: Do a somersault 

Benefits of creating actions with a die:

• Improves listening skills: Encourages kids to listen and pay attention to what action to perform. 

• Strengthens motor skills: Kids enhance their gross motor skills by grasping the dice and moving their bodies to complete the actions. 

• Inspires physical activity: Helps children choose exercises to perform when they roll the die. 

6. Have a Dance Party

Turn on some kid-friendly tunes and have everyone show off their favorite dance moves. Keep the fun going with a friendly dance battle or a choreographed group dance. If you have a copy of one of the “Just Dance” games, you can turn it on on your video game console or find dance workouts on YouTube. 

Benefits of having a dance party: 

• Fosters creativity: Kids can work together to choreograph their own dance or mirror how others dance. 

• Reduces stress: Dancing releases endorphins and encourages children to express their emotions. 

• Improve balance and coordination: Kids can strengthen their core, legs, back, arms, neck, and feet to improve their balance and coordination. 

7. Build a Fort 

Build a fort to encourage teamwork and imagination. Choose an open space and set up a framework of chairs, tables, or couches. Once everything is situated, drape a blanket or bed sheet over the framework, and have the kids bring their toys, pillows, and blankets inside to hang out for a while. You could also build a tepee with a Jungle Jumparoo to spark kids’ imaginations. 

Benefits of building a fort: 

• Heightens teamwork and collaboration: Children work together to create and build a fort. 

• Encourages imagination: Kids spark their creativity to turn the fort into a castle, spaceship, or secret hideout. 

• Creates a sense of accomplishment: Completing a fort allows children to see their accomplishments. 

8. Play Games That Get Kids on Their Feet

Pull kids away from the couch and the screens with games to get them on their feet. Some games you can play are: 

• Simon Says: Select one child to be “Simon” to share an action for everyone to follow. Ex: “Simon says touch your nose.”

• Follow the Leader: Have players line up in a row and choose a leader to copycat a set of actions. 

• Hide and Seek: Choose a player to close their eyes and count to a set number while others run and find a place to hide. Once the player with their eyes closed has finished counting, they must seek them. 

• Musical Chairs: Arrange a circle of chairs with one fewer than the number of children. Play music and have players walk around the outside. Once the music stops, everyone has to run and find an open chair. If players don’t have a seat, they’re out of the game. Continue playing until there is one chair left. 

Benefits of kids playing games on their feet:

• Fosters social interaction: Kids engage with each other, learning how to cooperate and communicate. 

• Teaches listening skills: Games like Follow the Leader, Musical Chairs, and Simon Says encourage kids to listen carefully and follow along. 

• Encourages quick decision-making: Fast-paced games motivate children to think quickly and devise strategies for success.  

9. Jumping Toys

Jumping toys are a great way to keep kids active and entertained on rainy days. Bring the fun inside with jump ropes, an indoor trampoline, or a Jungle Jumaproo — a small trampoline with a unique safety design built with climbing bars, swings, and other fun accessories. Plus, you can protect your Jungle Jumparoo outside with one of our weather covers. 

Benefits of jumping toys:

• Enhances mood: Jumping releases endorphins, helping children self-regulate their emotions.

• Improves balance and coordination: Encourages kids to engage with their upper and lower body to jump in the air and land safely, improving their balance and coordination with these repetitive movements. 

• Increases cardiovascular health: Jumping boosts heart rate and improves endurance. 

10. Learn a New Skill or Hobby

Encourage kids to tap into their creativity, athleticism, or analytical side by learning a new skill or hobby. Here are some ideas of what you can teach or find tutorials for on YouTube:  

• Hula-hooping

• Juggling

• Yoga

• Karate

• Dancing

• Sewing

• Crochet or knitting

• Puzzles

• Board games

• Drawing

• Cooking 

• Painting

• Reading

• Jewelry making

Benefits of learning a new skill or hobby:

• Builds resilience: Teaches kids the value of patience and perseverance when they try and fail at something new. 

• Inspires creativity: Reading, painting, drawing, and cooking are all good activities to do with kids that let them explore their artistic side. 

• Boosts confidence: Learning and mastering a new skill gives kids a sense of pride and accomplishment. 

 

Bounce the Boredom Away With Jungle Jumparoo

Rainy days don’t have to keep kids bored and stuck inside all day. As we shared in our list of 10 active indoor activities for kids, finding ways to keep your little ones moving is essential for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. That’s where Jungle Jumparoo comes in!

Our products are centered around safety, durability, and fun, creating active indoor and outdoor play. We design our trampolines low to the ground with a stabilizing base and sturdy metal bars to lower the risk of injury. Plus, we have a variety of accessories you can attach to your Jungle Jumparoo to make playtime the best time of the day.  

Shop our collection now and learn how Jungle Jumparoo can turn your rainy days into fun indoor adventures.