Last month we shared some great outdoor activities you can do on sunny weather days. But what about those rainy days, which we seem to have had a lot of lately! Here are some fun rainy-day activities.

• Build an indoor obstacle course – use boxes, chairs, tables and blankets to create a fun course. Be sure to include things to climb over, under and through for the most fun. This is just one of the list of several great active rainy day activities from Penn State Extension’s better kid care activities.
• Play with puppets -One of my favorite things to do as a child was putting on a puppet show with homemade puppets and stuffed animals.
• Read about rain, puddles or rainbows – For younger children it is a great chance to read about what makes rainbows and how does rain happen. Older children may enjoy reading together or creating their own stories.
• Build a blanket fort­ -what better place to read and play away the afternoon that under a blanket fort? All you need are a few blankets or sheets, chairs or other “walls”, some fasteners (clothespins, clamps, binder clips) and lots of pillows.
• Play in the puddles- for those that don’t mind getting a little wet -go outside! Play in the puddles, search for worms and dance in the rain are just a few great rainy day ideas shared by MSU Extension.

So, whether you decide to stay indoors or venture out, next time you see rain in the forecast, try out one of these fun activities with your family.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Judy Schmidt provides leadership to 4-H metro programming in Peoria County. Schmidt joined Extension in 2001, working as a Youth Development Educator at the East Peoria Center and joined the Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell unit in 2011. Her work focuses on 4-H youth development programming in the local metropolitan area, specifically leading positive youth development initiatives for after-school programs, community groups, 4-H clubs and other youth-serving organizations. Her areas of expertise include positive youth development principles, youth leadership, and work with teens as teachers.

Schmidt attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her bachelor's degree in psychology and also for her master's degrees in Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a certified facilitator of the Matrixx System/Real Colors program by the National Curriculum and Training Institute.

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Connection Corner:  is a blog that provides timely information, activities, and resources to help you stay connected to loved ones, the world around you, and yourself.