Being stuck indoors on a rainy day shouldn’t stop you from getting the kids active, and having fun. After all, cabin fever sets in pretty quickly so you may want them to let off some steam.
Here are 10 energy-burning and fun rainy day activities for kids, guaranteed to have them bouncing off the couch (literally!).
Energy-Burning Rainy Day Activities for Kids
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get the kids moving indoors on a rainy day without too much mess, then here are 10 simple but fun activities to get them moving about the house!
#1. Animal Impersonations
Write down some animal names on pieces of paper, fold them over and put them in a bowl. Everyone gets a turn to pick a slip and they have to do the actions and sounds of that animal until someone guesses which one it is!
Can you ribbit like a frog, oink like a pig, neigh like a horse, or roar like a lion? Get ready for some noisy fun!
#2. Simon Says

Pick a leader and get them to come up with Simon Says activities. They could do 10 star jumps or hop for 1 minute, do 10 squats, touch your toes 10 times…you get the idea.
- The leader must say Simon Says before the activity.
- If they don’t, anyone who goes ahead and does it, is out of the game.
- The last one left in the game wins and becomes the next leader.
#3. Sort the Laundry!
This fun “game” also gets the kids helping with the household chores. Put each child’s clothes into piles on the kitchen table. They can only take one item at a time and run to their bedroom to put them away. First one finished gets to pick the next game.
#4. Pillow Fight

Get the pillows or cushions out for a good old fashioned pillow fight. It’s amazing how much energy this uses up and everyone ends up exhausted and laughing!
#5. Indoor Hop-Scotch
Get out some masking tape and create an indoor hop-scotch grid.
- Use a beanbag or rolled up socks to throw.
- Each child throws onto the grid starting with square one.
- They then hop to 10 and back again, avoiding the square the maker is on, and picking up the marker on the way back.
- The winner is the first one to complete all 10 squares.
#6. Have a Dance

Make a playlist on the app of choice with favourite songs.
Why not pick 5 songs each that you all like, to add to your playlist, then put it on shuffle and have a Mini Disco in the house.
Move back the furniture, and get dancing – have a best and worst dancer competitions, and get everyone to try the Can Can and limbo dancing too.
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From super scavenger hunts and exciting science experiments to creative arts and crafts and active obstacle courses, here are 50 rainy day activities that are easy to do, budget-friendly, and LOTS of fun!

#7. Jump Elastics
This schoolyard activity is actually a great indoor game, and can also be played by just one person. Use the legs of 2 chairs to hold the elastic apart if you are playing solo.
You just need a long length of elastic and follow the simple rhyme – Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, inside, outside, step on the rails!
- For each country you must jump over one line of elastic
- Inside: jump until both feet are inside the elastics
- Outside: place your feet either side and
- On the rails: place one foot on each piece of elastic.
Keep raising the level until you can no longer jump!
#8. Indoor Obstacle Course

Create an indoor obstacle course with plenty of climbing, crawling, hopping, jumping, falling on cushions/mattresses and let the kids have fun trying to beat each other’s times round the course.
Or for a variation, play Hot Lava where you are not allowed to touch the floor and have to get from one side of the room to the other.
#9. Balloon Volleyball
Use a sweeping brush laid across two chairs as a “net”, and play volleyball with a balloon or soft beach ball. Make sure it doesn’t hit the ground!
Balloon ping pong can be another variation, using wooden spoons to hit the balloon over the “net”.
#10. A to Z Name Exercise Game

Have a giggle with our ‘What’s Your Name?’ Kids Exercise Challenge! Kids have to spell out their name find the exercises to match the letters of their name and have a go at them.
