Top 5 rainy day activities for children

November 10, 9:34 AMOrlando Parenting ExaminerRobyn Kurth

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A rare rainy day in the Sunshine State? Time to break out the craft bin.
joann.com

Even though Tropical Storm Ida has been downgraded as it makes landfall along the Alabama Gulf Coast near the Florida panhandle, Ida will most likely bring rain to the Orlando area by the middle of the week. It's kind of unexpected weather for November, but the Atlantic hurricane season doesn't officially end until November 30.

So if Ida keeps you and the kids indoors for all or part of the day, here are a few ideas on keeping young children occupied on any rainy day--instead of the obvious electronic diversions--on that rare occasion when we have a "rain event" in the Sunshine State:

• Crafting projects: Raid the craft bin and get the kids going on a colorful craft project. Make sure that your craft bin is stocked up with essential items like scissors, paper, glue and other decorative items for just such an occasion. At craft shops like Michaels and JoAnn Fabric and Craft stores, the Christmas crafts swiftly replaced the Halloween decorations once November arrived.

• Play Dough: Whether you use store-bought Play Doh or make your own, crafting with any type of play dough will ensure a little bit of quiet time for your child. The biggest challenge is reminding your toddler or preschooler to put the dough back in its airtight container.

• Chores: If that play dough activity left the house a little messier than usual, now is a great time to encourage your child to help with the clean up. A rainy day is also a perfect excuse to run a few indoor "errands" like changing air conditioning filters or replacing smoke alarm batteries. If your child is too young to help with these activities, pick a parallel play activity, like "folding" clothes or cleaning up toys that can make them feel like they are helping.

• Board games: If there are any decks of cards or board games lying around the house, now is the time to pull them out. Younger children might not be able the follow the rules of a card game, but you can improvise by teaching them numbers in an effort to get them to follow along.

• Baking: Get a jump start on the holidays with a baking project (most cookies can be frozen for several weeks if you choose not to consume them over the course of the first few days). My top pick for November? Soft pumpkin cookies from the Libbys.com Web site. My kids already know that Mommy will accept any excuse to bake these seasonal treats during October or November.