1. Indoor Play. When it’s been raining for a few days, preschoolers need to burn off some of their energy. There are a few local choices that allow kids the opportunity to run, climb, and jump freely. Check Play Palace in the Tin Cannery in Pacific Grove, MY Museum in Monterey, toddler time at Rising Star Gymnastics, or one of the classes at Parents’ Place that offer drop-in times and rates.
- MY Museum: https://mymuseum.org
- Parents’ Place: www.pgadulted.com
- Play Palace: www.pacificgrovekidsplaycenter.com
- Rising Star Gymnastics: https://risingstargym.net
2. Walk the mall. Both Salinas and Capitola have indoor malls where you can avoid the rain and still get some needed exercise. If your toddler will sit in the stroller, grab a cup of coffee and stroll up and back a few times. A bonus at Capitola Mall is The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery. Admission is $9 for adults, children under one are free, and toddlers are just $6.00. If you have a membership to MY Museum, you’ll get 50% off admission at MOD (and vice versa!).
- Capitola Mall: www.shopcapitolamall.com
- Northridge Mall: https://shop-northridge-mall.com
- SC Children’s Discovery Museum: www.sccmod.org
3. Get creative. You probably have all the makings in your house for some creative fun. A box of paper cups can be the building blocks for a giant tower. A bucket of soapy water placed on a tarp or in the bathtub can become a carwash for toy cars.
A rainy day is a great time to recycle crayons. Have the kids help you pull the wrappers off and break them into small pieces. An adult can place the pieces into a silicone mold (or muffin tin with liners) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Once cool, peel the liner off and you have big chunky crayons that will make multi-colored drawings.
If you have a roll of butcher paper (and you should!) roll out a big piece and have your child lie down on it. Use a Sharpie to make their outline. Give them a box of crayons and have them color in their lifesize self-portrait.
Google “preschooler crafts” and you’ll find all kinds of great suggestions like these. You can also find a list of craft projects for preschoolers on MontereyBayParent.com. Look for the link on the home page.
4. Indoor water fun. Fill the tub with bubble bath, a bunch of plastic containers, and put on loud music and let your child splash to their heart’s content. While they are enjoying tub time, you can clean the bathroom!
Painting with water is also a blast. Put a few towels on the floor by the darkest wall in the house (or a blackboard if you have one!) and give your child a big paintbrush and a small bucket of water. Let them paint on the wall the same way they would on paper. The difference is their creations will dry quickly with no residue.
5. Get cooking. Preschoolers love to cook and bake so a rainy afternoon is a great time to whip up a batch of cookies, decorate store-bought ones, or help with dinner. Be patient with your little one, they will make a bit of a mess, but if you give them small jobs to do like pouring the ingredients in the pan or allow them to stir things together in a big bowl, they’ll get the hang of it quickly.
Decorating store-bought cookies is another easy kitchen activity. Give your child plain cookies (or graham crackers) and a tube of icing and let them go to town. Add a packet of sprinkles for extra fun.
6. Give in: play in the rain! There’s no reason you can’t get all bundled up, pull on some waterproof rain boots, and make the best of it by playing in the rain. Jump in puddles, collect wet leaves, and look for rainbows during a walk on the beach.