What can my kids do instead of screens on a rainy day?

On a rainy day, the easiest wins against a screen are free, quick to start and a bit silly: living-room dance-offs, indoor sports with household bits, treasure hunts, card games, a trip to the library or simply putting on a raincoat and going out anyway. The ideas below come from the NHS, the HSE and Common Sense Media, sorted by age so you can pick something in seconds.

And if the tablet comes out some afternoons, that’s normal. The aim is to have a few good options ready, not to win every wet day.

Why bother: a little movement goes a long way

The HSE says older children and teens need at least 60 minutes a day of activity that gets them a bit out of breath, and under-5s need at least 3 hours of activity spread across the day (HSE). On a wet day stuck indoors, that can be hard to reach, which is why many of the ideas below get children moving.

The HSE also suggests cutting down on time spent sitting still, limiting screen time and keeping some areas of the home screen-free (HSE).

Get moving indoors (all ages)

The NHS Healthier Families site has a page of free indoor ideas (NHS). Some of our favourites:

• Dance-off. Copy a routine from a favourite song or invent one, and hold a “best new move” contest. Musical chairs works too. The HSE also suggests dancing to music together (HSE).
• Living-room sports. Bowling with cardboard tubes, basketball into the bin, cricket with a frying pan, a penalty shoot-out with the sofa as the goal (NHS). Use a soft ball, and move anything breakable first.
• Rainy Day Indoor Games. Set up a few games, keep score, and the winner gets to make everyone else do star jumps (NHS).
• Calmer movement. Yoga, stretching or balance challenges for when energy needs to come down a notch (NHS).

The same NHS page has a set of free Disney-themed movement games for younger children, which can help if they need a bit of persuading (NHS).

Ideas for ages 3 to 8

Common Sense Media suggests (Common Sense Media):

1. A 1 to 10 scavenger hunt. Find one of something, two of something else, and so on up to ten things around the house.
2. The one-word guessing game. One person can only ever answer “Sausage” (or a word of their choice) while everyone else asks questions and tries to make them laugh.
3. Creature feature. Draw a favourite animal and talk about where it lives, what it eats and what noise it makes.
4. Draw your feelings using colours and shapes.
5. Bird-watching from the window. Count the birds and try to name them.

For the youngest children, the HSE says floor-based play is especially good for building movement skills (HSE).

Ideas for ages 9 to 12

Again from Common Sense Media (Common Sense Media):

• Crack a code. One person plays a robot and can only follow exact step-by-step instructions, such as how to make a sandwich. It usually gets messy and funny.
• Make a cardboard board game from boxes and bits from around the house, then play it as a family.
• Dance around the world with a playlist of music from other countries.
• Snail mail. Write a proper letter to a grandparent, cousin or friend.

Ideas for teens

Teenagers are a harder sell, so offer rather than insist, and let them choose. Common Sense Media suggests (Common Sense Media):

• An at-home Olympics, with silly events and paper medals.
• Learning a new card game, or teaching each other card tricks.
• Growing seeds on a windowsill.
• Kicking a ball around or shooting hoops once the rain eases.

Cooking something they actually want to eat is another one that tends to work with teens, and it’s useful too.

The library: free, dry and full of ideas

In Ireland, public library membership is free for everyone and children can join at any age with a parent’s or guardian’s permission. You can start the form online, then finish joining at a branch with photo ID and proof of address (Libraries Ireland). Children under 12 get the children’s library and can borrow DVDs up to a PG rating (Libraries Ireland). Many branches run children’s events too, so it’s worth asking at your local one.

Common Sense Media also suggests a family book club, where everyone reads the same book and chats about it (Common Sense Media).

Or just go out in it

Irish and British weather rarely waits for a dry day. The HSE’s advice is simple: raincoat and wellies when it’s wet, hat and coat when it’s cold or windy (HSE). Puddle jumping, a walk to the park or a quick cycle can reset everyone’s mood, and a hot drink afterwards is part of the fun.

Making it easier than reaching for the tablet

• Have a list ready. Write five or six ideas on a card and stick it on the fridge, so nobody has to think when the rain starts.
• Keep a “rainy day box” with a pack of cards, a soft ball, paper, colouring things and a few cardboard tubes.
• Join in for the first ten minutes. Most games take off once a grown-up starts them.
• Plan a screen you’ll share. Webwise suggests one evening a week for a family movie or games night, which makes screens a treat you do together (Webwise).
• Try not to make screens the automatic fallback. Webwise notes that using devices to keep children occupied makes agreed screen rules harder to keep (Webwise). That said, every family has days when it’s exactly what’s needed.

What to do next

• Make a rainy day list this week: pick two ideas per child from this guide and put the list on the fridge.
• Put together a rainy day box from things you already have at home.
• Join your local library if you haven’t already. It’s free, and a good wet-weekend outing.
• Next time it rains, try one movement game before any screens come out, and see how it goes.

Some wet days will be dance-offs and cardboard bowling, and some will be a film on the sofa. Both are fine. Having a few easy ideas ready just gives you more choice.