15 rainy-day games that need no screen and no set-up

When the rain keeps everyone indoors, the afternoon can feel very long. Here are fifteen games that use things already at home. Pick a few and keep the rest for next time.

Movement games

1. Floor is lava. Cushions are safe stepping stones.
2. Freeze dance. Play music; freeze when it stops.
3. Balloon keep-up. Keep a balloon off the floor together.
4. Animal walks. Hop like a frog, crawl like a bear, waddle like a duck.

Thinking games

5. I spy. Use colours for younger children.
6. What's missing? Put five objects on a tray, cover them, remove one, and ask what disappeared.
7. Memory pairs. Use a deck of cards or draw pairs on paper squares.
8. 20 questions. Think of an animal and answer only yes or no.

Making games

9. Paper boats. Race them in a tray of water.
10. Collage. Tear old magazines and stick the pieces.
11. Build a fort. Chairs and a bedsheet.
12. Draw a map of your house and hide a treasure.

Family table games

13. A board or card game. A quick game of 15 to 20 minutes suits most ages.
14. Story chain. One person starts a story, the next adds a sentence.
15. Charades. Act out an animal or a job.

Make it a habit

Write the games you like on slips of paper and put them in a jar. On a rainy day, your child picks one. It turns "I'm bored" into a small adventure.

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