5 Fun Rainy Day Toddler Activities

1. Pretend to go camping. Build a tent in your living room out of blankets and chairs. Don't forget to bring the flashlights, snacks, and books. Or make it an igloo and pretend to hunt for polar bears and go ice fishing.
2. Recycle, reuse, renew. Find broken crayons, put them in an oiled muffin tin, and place them in a warm oven to melt. Let them cool and pop them out of the tin. Use your new "rainbow colorwheel crayons" to draw pictures for Grandma and Grandpa.
3. Create an in-home theater. Set up chairs or pillows in the living room, turn out the lights, grab popcorn and beverages, and put on a classic like Lady and the Tramp or Cinderella.
4. Mix education and fun. Pull out old magazines and catalogs and let your kids find pictures of animals, food, babies, or cars. Give them safety scissors and glue sticks to make collages.
5. Get messy! Can't play in the dirt? Play in the tub with shaving cream, bathtub paints, and bath crayons. Don't want a bath? Paint with finger-paints or, for easier cleanup, let your kids paint with chocolate and vanilla pudding cups. Yummy!

Originally published on AmericanBaby.com, August 2006.