Rainy day activities! –Things to stock up on to keep you little ones busy

If like me you have a magic cupboard or box that you go to when you need to occupy your littles when you’re trapped inside on a rainy day, or even if you need them to sit and play so you can get some chores or work done. We have asked around and put together some ideas to stock up on, so when you are in need, they are ready to be called upon!

Gelli Baff slime kit

Gelli Baff do a great range of messy play kits including gelli and slime, whether you are looking something to be contained in a bath or happy for them play in bowl or box. My three year old loves the unicorn slime kit, we always add additional sequins and glitter to mix in for more fun! They also offer bath slime which I would love to try, my three old isn’t keen yet….

Find Gelli baff slime kit online here.

Melissa & Doug Seek & Find Sticker Pad

These sticker books are a great 2-in-1 activity. First you have to match the sticker to the picture “find and seek” and then once you have finished sticking you can colour in the rest of the picture. My daughter loved these from the age of 2! They also come in a range of themes from animals, adventures, and around town. Handy tip peel off the white background on the sticker page so it’s easier for little hands to take peel off the stickers themselves.

Find Melissa & Doug Seek & Find Sticker Pad online here.

DIY Large Cardboard Colouring Creative Crafts Play House

Another 2-in-1 activity, this cardboard playhouse can provide days and days of fun! It is easy to build and great fun to colour in whether it be pens, paints or crayons, and also works a little playhouse for the kids and their toys to play with. Great for an easy art activity but also inspire their imaginative play. There are also other great designs out there such as trains, submarines and more.

Find DIY Large Cardboard Colouring Creative Crafts Play House online here.

Play-Doh Sand Variety 6-Pack

If you are looking for something a bit different than your average play-doh, perhaps something more sensory, then these are awesome! Create shapes and mini sand castles, beaches, scenes for small world play, or just have fun digging your hands in! They come with beach themed tools – so on a rainy day let the beach come to you!

Find Play-Doh Sand Variety 6-Pack online here.

Melissa and Doug Puffy Sticker Play sets

These puffy sticker play sets are great for a first sticker book as the stickers have raised surfaces which make it a lot easier for your little ones to grasp, plus they are reusable so they can play and play and play. Each set comes with a folding double-sided reusable background for you to tell your puffy sticker story. They have lots of different themes from farm, pirates, safari, mermaids, fairy, ocean, dinosaurs, vehicles and more. These are also a winner to keep your little ones busy when out and about at restaurants and cafes.

Find Melissa & Doug Puffy Sticker Play sets online here.

Aqua magic doodle mat

This water drawing mat is great kids as young as 12 months as my one year loves it as much as my three year old, and a great one for siblings to play together with. It enables your little ones to draw, paint and stamp all using water and is mess free, just fill the pen, doodle and watch your drawings magically disappear as they dry.

Find Aqua magic doodle mat online here.

Bath crayons

These bath crayons are great for messy play in a contained space, and need not be only used at bath times! I let my girls loose drawing masterpieces and practicing their letters and numbers to fill a rainy afternoon whether it be in the bath or shower! These washable bath crayons are made specifically for use on slick surfaces like bathroom tile and are super easy to clean, making bath time a mess-free work of art.

Find Bath crayons online here.

Eggnogg Colour-in Teatime Tablecloth

We love these Eggnogg Colour-in Durable White Paper tablecloths, especially as they have different designs and themes from dinosaurs, unicorns, teatime or Christmas. We spread ours out on the floor and enjoy some colouring in that I can do too (no toddler hogging a colouring book or page), they are great as we only ever do a section at a time then foldaway for another day. Another good one for siblings to do together and somehow the novelty of laying it out on the floor always gets my three year old excited more than a straight forward colouring in book.

Find Eggnogg Colour-in Teatime Tablecloth online here.

Usborne Sticker books

So when my youngest is napping, I love to curl up with my three old on my bed and enjoy some sticker book fun. They have a wide variety including themes such as fruits & vegetables, travel, ocean, dinosaurs, animals, dolly dressing and more. The Usborne sticker dolly dressing are our favourite range especially the mermaids, ballerinas and at the stables. They are great as each page has a little description and some are educational too so it works as a book to keep, and my daughter often pulls out old ones we have completed just to look through. Handy tip peel off the background on the sticker page so it’s easier for little hands to take peel off the stickers themselves.

Find the Usborne sticker dolly dressing books online here.

Alex toys little hands sets

Alex toys little hands sets have great craft activities for pre-schoolers, we love making “My tissue art” and “Paper plate bugs”. Each set comes with all the pieces you need and each activity is individually wrapped so it is easy to select one at a time. They look so great that we stuck them up in my daughter’s room as she was so proud of her creations! These are awesome if you don’t want lots of art supplies and just some simple kits.

Find Alex toys little hands my tissue art online here.

Find Alex toys little hands Paper plate bugs online here.

Melissa & Doug Decorate-Your-Own Wooden Craft Kits Set

These cool vehicle kits contain everything you need to assemble and decorate a race car, train, and jet plane. Attach the axles and wheels, then add custom details with the included brush, paints, and stickers. They are super handy as they are small kits so easy to store and perfect for older pre-schoolers who can follow the step-by-step instructions with a little help. We still have ours we made on my daughters shelf!

Find Melissa & Doug Decorate-Your-Own Wooden Craft Kits Set online here.