5 Things to Do on a Rainy Day

The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play,
so we sat in the house all that cold, cold wet day.
I sat there with Sally. We sat here we two and we said,
"How we wish we had something to do."
                            —"The Cat in the Hat," by Dr. Seuss

It may have been a week just like this week that inspired Theodore Geisel to write those classic lines, but there's no need for your kids to wait for a visit from a troublesome feline to break the monotony.

Once the Facebook conversations have fizzled and the Gameboy's battery is dead, here are five old-fashioned ways to have fun on a rainy day:

Have an indoor treasure hunt

It's as fun as hide-and-seek (and who doesn't enjoy that?) and can occupy a bit of time. RealSimple.com suggests making separate clues for your kids, numbering the treasures that lead to a "grand prize." Even if it's something simple, kids will love it.

Make an impromptu puppet show

Even sock puppets can be entertaining (or the old "face on your fist" puppet), and using these tips from InnerChildfun.com will help you get a stage set quickly and easily.

Water bottle bowling

Line up 10 water bottles (adding a little water to them can make the game a bit more realistic), then bowl with a rubber ball. Not enough bottles? If you've got several rubber balls, switch to indoor bocce.

Write a book

It can be hard to get kids to settle down to read a book, but given a pad of paper and some pencils, they can quickly get ideas to write their own adventures. To help them get started, take a few lines from their favorite books. Illustrations are optional—but if you give them colored pencis, they may well dive in themselves. 

Out of indoor ideas? Head to a museum

New Jersey is chock full of terrific art museums and historical sites within an easy drive. Kids may not be too excited if you ask them if they'd like to see the Center for Contemporary Art in Barnards, but they'll love it when they get there.

What are your favorite rainy day projects? Do you dig out the board games to pass some time? Share your tips for surviving a long week of rainy days in the comments below.