Coming up with something fun to do with the kids on a rainy day can prove difficult and frustrating at best. As rain pours steadily down from the gray clouds, what can possibly be fun to do? Here are a few ideas …

What’s the Idea?
1) Sculpt a Masterpiece - Give the kids a bag or marshmallows and some frosting, and see what they can create!

2) Singing in the Rain - Throw off your instinctual aversion to the kids walking through a puddle, pull on your waterproof shoes, and act like a kid with your kids! Walk around the neighborhood, and make a point of stomping in every puddle you find. Afterward, you can all dry off and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa with marshmallows together.

3) Play Inside … at Some Else’s House - When the rain comes Tuesday-Friday, take children to an indoor play space, like Peace Love Play. For only $6 per child (on Fridays the first child is $6 while additional children are half price), kids can play with other kids all day (10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) in a toy-filled play space that feels like you’re playing at a friend’s house. Oh, yeah … don’t forget to bring socks!

4) Big Top Flea Market (9250 E Fowler Ave., Tampa , FL 33592) - When the rain comes on the weekend, spend the afternoon wandering the flea market, combing over campy, cheap souvenirs. If you have older kids, give them each a couple dollars to spend and a time limit, and see what treasure they come back with. For little ones, search together for the funniest, craziest thing you both can find at the market. (Saturdays & Sundays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

5) Board Games - put out snacks, pull out several board games, and enjoy some quality time talking and laughing with your kids. If you have crafty kids, you could cut open a box so it lays flat and create your own board game: how about a version of monopoly using your neighborhood or the places you and your family visit most often?

6) Trashy Treasures - Bring in the recycle bin, grab whatever craft scraps you have in the closet, put out some glue and markers, and let the kids come up with some crazy creations. You could even put a theme on it, like “useful things,” and after they are finished, the kids can each present their creation and show how it might be “useful.” You will be amazed at what they will come up with.

7) Head to the Library! - Send your child on a search for a book that includes a specific item or character — say, a dog or a truck. After reading the story, send them on another quest. Invite a friend to join you, then Moms can get a little time to talk while the kids are searching. For older children, bring paper and crayons and let them create their own books, just like Library Mouse.

8 ) Enjoy the Diner Experience - Invite a couple friends to meet at a nearby Steak ‘N Shake Restaurant. From 2-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, the restaurant offers a shake happy hour with 2 for 1 milkshakes. On weekends, kids eat for FREE (1 Free kids meal for every $8). The kids also get hats, crayons, an activity sheet, and a paper car to put together, which add up to loads of fun! This is one of my daughter’s favorite restaurants because of all the swag kids get! Put the kids at one table, while Moms (and Dads) get their own table, and it’s an afternoon of fun for all ages.