The forecast for our area this week is mainly rain,but this will not stop our au pairs from having fun with their kids.

Here are some fun ideas to try out and make the best out of a rainy day:

Listen to Music and Dance Day
Don’t let the rain or snow stop you from being active. Put on a lively tape and dance
around the house today. Show the children some traditional dance moves from your
country!

Tea Party Day
Mix up some warm cocoa or milk and invite the dolls or stuffed animals for a tea party

Art Day
Make today an art day – try drawing, painting, creating with glue or clay.

Make a necklace today– use a licorice “shoelace” (the really long thin ones) and cereal
for young children and then they can eat the whole thing. For something less sticky, use
string instead of the licorice.

Puzzle Day
Do a puzzle or make one of your own. Find a fun picture in a magazine and glue it to
lightweight cardboard. Cut into shapes.

Make a Pie
Pies are popular every day and are easy to make if you buy a prepared crust in the freezer
or dairy section of the grocery store. Try this easy recipe;
Chocolate Pie
Purchase pre-made pie shell and Jell-O instant chocolate pudding. Prepare pie shell per
directions. Let cool. Prepare pudding, pour into pie shell, let set for an hour and voila!
Dessert is served!

Pet Rocks
Make an imaginative pet using a smooth stone. Draw a face with marker or paint.
Decorate with feathers, sequins, yarn, buttons, or whatever else you can find.

Have a pretend day at the beach
Put on swimsuits and relax on beach towels. Pretend you can hear the ocean!

Stamping
Rubber stamps and stamp pads are fun, but for a change try sponge and some kitchen
utensils or cut shapes into a potato, apple, or orange. You could even let the child dip his
or her hand into some water-based paint to make great pictures.

Indoor Gardening
Children love to watch things grow! Take a root vegetable (potato, carrot, turnip or
beet) and cut off the top 1-2 centimeters. Hollow out the inside. Tie a string around the
vegetable and fill it with water. Hang it in a window and watch what happens! Don’t
forget to add water as needed.

Make your own snowstorm
Find a clear glass jar, any size, with a tight fitting lid and no label. Cut a piece of
aluminum foil into teeny, tiny pieces. The easiest way is to first cut strips then cut across
the strips into little pieces. The smaller the pieces, the more it will look like real snow. It
takes a lot of flakes (and patience) to make a good snowfall.
Don’t stop until you have enough to at least completely cover the bottom of the jar. Cut a
small evergreen branch for your tree. Fill the jar with water, add the tree and one drop of
dishwashing liquid and put the lid on. Turn the jar over, give it a shake and put it down
right side up. Watch the snow fall!

Treasure Hunt!
Pretend you are all on a desert island looking for treasure. Make a map or place clues
around the house leading the children through the hunt. This can be done with pictures
for non-readers – draw a picture of the television, then at the television place a picture of
the stove. At the stove place a picture of a bed, and so on to the end. The “treasure” can
be a treat to eat, or a new game to play. Read books about pirates to add to the fun.

Build a playhouse today
Find a box from a large appliance and turn it into a playhouse to use indoors. Cut
windows and a door. Furnish it and decorate it as you wish.

Make a fort today
Use blankets and couch cushions to make a fort and play inside. Don’t forge to put
everything away!

Make a picture frame
Glue 4 Popsicle sticks (available in craft departments) in a square to make a frame.
Decorate the frame with glitter, lace, yarn, feathers, stickers, confetti or whatever you
have on hand. Mount a picture from the back and be sure to date it! You can also
glue a magnet on from the back so that the picture can hang on the refrigerator. (This
activity is suitable for children 3 and older)