Make A DIY Rainy-Day Activity Kit Without A Craft-Store Haul

Every parent has been there: You wake up one morning ready to implement the day's plan filled with outdoor activities, only to discover a forecast of torrential rain instead. When that sinking feeling of, "Well, what are we going to do now?" sets in, a rainy-day activity kit can be the only thing between you and a miserable day of cabin fever (or one lost to the screen-time suck). But you don't need a fancy store-bought kit to save your sanity on a rainy day. A little mom-hacking will do the trick, without stepping foot outside or spending a dime.

Assemble your own rainy-day kit with an extra box or storage tote you have lying around the house, along with a few activities. Start with what you already have around the house by looking through your child's toys and craft supplies. Are there any craft projects they haven't started yet? What about a puzzle or Lego set they haven't done? Set them aside for a rainy day, literally. Next, hit up the pantry. Stow away in your kit a baking mix or Jell-O box that you can whip out for a rainy-day treat. Bonus points if your collected supplies lend themselves to a theme — make yours a rainbow-themed kit, an art or STEM box, or give it a seasonal concept.

Make it extra fun by decorating the box or wrapping it all up to spark intrigue. You can also wrap an extra special activity for your child to open toward the end of the day to build anticipation. It could be as simple as a bag of popcorn for a movie night or a new book they get to keep.

The key to a good rainy-day activity kit is novelty. Keeping certain toys and activities out of sight and out of mind helps up their fun factor right when you need it most. But that doesn't mean you have to constantly overhaul your rainy-day activity kit with new purchases. Instead, cycle activities through a toy rotation. When you notice toys or activities your child hasn't been using much recently, but you suspect they'll still enjoy, set them aside to incorporate in your kit. Chances are, when your kiddo sees them again, they'll be excited to give them at least one more good play.

A rainy-day activity kit also gives you a good excuse to peruse the clearance shelves at your local craft store. Snag seasonal craft sets or clearance supplies like decorative paper, glitter glue, and stickers, and squirrel them away. You can also come up with fun craft projects based on your recycling pile, like making egg carton critters, a cardboard box dollhouse, or reusing plastic containers to make toy boats for rain puddles. Rainy day kits are also a great opportunity to introduce your kids to something from your childhood, like an Etch A Sketch, a Bop-It!, or Mad Libs.