10 Things to Do When You Are RAINED In and Other Local Rainy Day Fun

Many people around the country are finding themselves stuck inside at home due to bitter cold temperatures and/or the inability to travel due to heavy rains and floods. Here are some fun things we like to do when we can't go outside.

FUN THINGS TO DO INSIDE

Read - Rain days are a great chance to snuggle up and read together or independently. According to a Common Sense Media report published in 2014 "parents can encourage reading by keeping print books in the home, reading themselves, and setting aside time daily for their children to read." So, grab a book and take a little time to do something just for you - turns out you are helping your kids by doing it!

Attend an Event at Your Local Library - Be sure and check out our local libraries: Lompoc Library - Goleta Valley Library - Santa Barbara Library

Teach Your Kids to Tie Their Shoes - seems silly, but you can do it in less than a minute with one simple trick that we shared HERE back in August.

Have a Dance Party - turn on your favorite music, get moving and make up for the gym workout you missed because of the snow. Plus, you'll have a blast with your kids doing it!

Make Modeling Dough - there are a ton of different recipes for making your own dough, here is a Playdough recipe to make at home

Make Slime - feeling really adventurous? Take it up a notch from dough to slime! Fluffy Slime Recipe

Clean Out Your Clothes - while this one isn't a ton of fun, if your dressers and drawers are bulging at the seams, snow days are a great time to sort out clothes that no longer fit or aren't being worn anymore.

Make Snowflakes - almost any arts and crafts supplies can be made into a fun snowflake making craft session. Try paper, craft sticks, and more. Make a Winter Snowflake!

Play Board Games - snow days are a great chance to play board games, especially ones that take a little more time or have complicated directions you haven't had the chance to read yet. Here is a craft to make a Valentine's Fish Game using items around the house.

Set Some Goals for 2019 - we're not into resolutions, but a snow day is the perfect time to brainstorm some goals for 2018. We particularly love family goals and our big one for this year is to do 52 hikes in 52 weeks. Make Your Own Bucket List for 2019 here!

INDOOR FUN FOR RAINY DAYS

None of these are FREE! but they are places you can take the kids and get out of the house but are also indoors and lots of fun!

Playtime and Museums