Autumn has arrived, and winter is well on its way. Unfortunately, during these periods, the weather deteriorates, and rain puts a damper on many potential plans. With the forecast wet and windy for days on end, the kids can get restless and want to go out when they can’t. Sometimes it’s hard to amuse them or think of things to do to keep them entertained indoors. Below I have come up with five ways to keep the kids amused in lousy weather.

Get baking in the kitchen

Introducing the kids to the kitchen at a young age will not only help educate them, but it’s also extremely fun. Don’t stress about the mess and just go wild while creating their favourite treats. They will not only get excited to be getting a dessert that evening, but it will provide hours of fun and teach them skills such as measurements, maths and how to cook. Get them to look online at a cooking

Home Forts

We’ve all done it as young children, and now it is time to pass on the skills! Do you remember pulling out all the chairs, tables, and getting a duvet quilt to make the best fort? Why not get competitive with your children and see who can be the most creative (whilst causing the least destruction to the room)! It can create hours of entertainment, distracting them from the bad weather.

Make a home cinema

Not sure about venturing out in the pouring rain to go to the cinema (not to mention it can get expensive) bring the cinema to you. Stick their favourite film on Netflix or Disney plus, buy some popcorn, order in your families favourite takeaway and watch the movie together. Make sure the curtains are drawn, duvet covers are brought downstairs, and the volume is loud enough – without annoying your neighbours! If you want to go the extra mile, you could buy a projector and watch it on a big screen.

Make an obstacle course

Allow the children to run around and blow off-steam by turning your place into an obstacle course. Bring down your pillows, cushions, chairs, stools - basically anything safe that you can find - and arrange them out around the house. Set them challenges to do around them, from an army crawl under the chair leg, to a long jump over the duvet, or throwing a ball into a bucket. It’s great fun, a way to tire the kids out and laughs are guaranteed!

Hide and Seek

This is a classic that we used to do for hours around the house and is a brilliant game to play with your kids. It’s simple, doesn’t cause too much mess, and is great fun all round. Find the most obscure hiding place and see if they can find you. You could even hide little surprises around the house that if they find at the same time they can eat – maybe a cream egg or some Haribo.

There are so many things you can do with your children when it’s raining. Above are five, which we hope you enjoy doing, but don’t be afraid to get creative. Make up your own games and enjoy being silly and watching your kids have fun. What games do you play with your kids?