Although this time of year can bring a wide variety of weather, we can keep our children active and challenge them physically and mentally year round! “Rainy day” activities can be especially helpful to keep handy for any time outdoor play isn’t an option.

Physical activity is a vital aspect of development and for leading a healthy life.

Benefits of Physical Activity include:

Muscle Development

Strong bones, muscles, and heart

Building stability

Locomotor Skills

Developing Self Esteem

Small and gross motor skills

Cardiovascular endurance

It is very important for a developing child to participate in regular physical exercise. This should be comprised of at least 60 minutes of unstructured play and between 30-60 minutes of structured plat (depending on the age of the child) per day.

There are millions of options and ideas for indoor activities, all you need is a little creativity and you are ready to go!

Musical activities can be some of the best indoor play options. They are fun and upbeat and everyone likes to dance and move!

• Freeze Dancing is a great activity and all you need is some music. It is a great idea to use a variety of music and tempos and encourage the children to move fast to slow depending on the music. Then pause the music and FREEZE!
• Making musical instruments can be as easy as using boxes, tins, or anything else you might have around the house. You can spend some time making the instruments and then have a parade around the house!
• Have a dance party! This is a simple way to get them moving and let them have fun! You can bring in items like scarves for an added bit of fun!

Movement activities allow children to move and have fun but in a way that is safe and developmentally appropriate!

• Yoga for kids! This is a great way to have them stretch and focus while moving their bodies. There are many great resources for child-based Yoga on the Internet and all you need is a little space to stretch and move! Here is a link to 30 easy to do yoga moves for children, http://homeremedyshop.com/30-easy-to-do-yoga-poses-for-kids/
• An indoor obstacle course. Making an indoor obstacle course may seem like a huge task, but it is really quite easy. Look around and find the things you have at home and create small activities stations! Start by throwing cotton balls into a small basket, then have the children hop from square to square on pot holders to get to the cotton balls. Have the children walk along a tape line “balance beam” in the kitchen… the list goes on and on!
• The animal Game. This is great for children as they love animals! You can simply call out any animal (or thing for that matter) and have them complete the action and sound. “Roar like a lion” “Waddle like a duck.”

Literacy activities are amazing opportunities to challenge and help your children grow into lifelong readers and learners.

• Drama day! Have your children put on a play using puppets, dolls, or just themselves! Use a favorite book, classic tale, or make up your own story.
• Tell Me a Story: Have your children make up their own stories to tell you – they can illustrate it or just come up with it on the spot.
• What Creature am I: Children can describe an animal in a riddle form (I have four legs, I bark and wag my tail, what am I?) If needed provide picture cards for children as they make up their riddles.

Math and Manipulative Shapes are a fun way to encourage logical and mathematical thinking skills!

• What’s Missing: Can be played with partners or in small groups. Place several objects before the group, allow children to spend several moments focusing on the objects, then everyone closes their eyes while one object is removed. The person who correctly guesses which object was removed wins the round.

Science and Engineering activities are always a fun and intriguing to growing minds! They are a great way to stimulate their higher level thinking skills!

• Lego/Block Competitions: Who can make the biggest tower, the largest structure, etc? Allow the children to compete with different structures and have them choose the winner.
• Bubbles in a Bowl: Add water and some dish soap to a bowl. Using straws, allow children to blow air into the mixture making bubbles. Place paper towels under bowls to absorb some of the excess water.

Here are some other fun ideas to try,

https://mommypoppins.com/ny-kids/50-indoor-activities-for-a-rainy-day.

Or if you just cannot be in your home here is a great list of fun indoor places to go in Austin,

http://365thingsaustin.com/2016/04/18/where-to-play-inside-in-austin/