Easy rainy day activities for kids!

Tuesday 18th July 2023

Hey fellow fibro warriors,

Today in Costa del Lincolnshire, it has been rain, rain and more rain! I find it tricky when it is raining because I like to get out of the house to socialise and help me feel less isolated as a stay at home mum. Getting out also helps me manage my fibromyalgia a little better, which seems strange, but it means I’m not stuck in the house thinking about all the jobs I could be doing, the time goes quicker and when we are out I have to manage my pain and fatigue levels.

However, when my boy and I awoke from our afternoon nap today, I knew we were going to have to stay in and take a ‘rain check!’. Therefore, I had to think of activities we could do together in the house that fit in with my pain and fatigue levels. Activities that help me pace, but are engaging for my 20 month old son, fun for me and him and activities that don’t leave me feeling too fatigued. I’ve decided to do a round up of 5 of my best rainy day activities for parents with a chronic illness to partake in and facilitate.

1. Reading

My son and I absolutely love reading! I have always read to him; right from the moment I found out I was pregnant. We had a 365 Disney Story book that we used to read to my bump every day. When he was born, we’ve continued with that love of reading, he has more books than toys, we read multiple stories to him before bed and throughout the day. Often when I am breastfeeding him, he wants me to read to him at the same time. Reading is something you can do sat down to protect your fatigue and pain levels, it’s a low energy activity and a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. However, I understand everyone’s pain levels and fatigue are different so if you struggle to hold a story book or are too tired to read aloud, I have created a podcast called Reading with Miss T, which can be found on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts from.

2. Playdough

Playdough is cheap to buy or easy to make. The possibilities with playdough are endless and the fun that can be had is great. It uses fine motor skills, boosts creativity and can introduce role play. If you cannot get on the floor, doing playdough on the table is fine with your child either on a seat or their high chair. I am lucky enough to be able to get on the floor with my son for short bursts of time so we do play with it on the floor together. It is a relaxing thing to do together as again we are sat, it’s low energy, he takes the lead and actually squishing the playdough is quite therapeutic for my sore hands. Sometimes, I don’t know who has more fun with playdough – me or him haha!

3. Painting and crafts

Now, I will admit this one takes a little time to set up and does require some energy on your part. It involves prepping the table, getting the paints and paintbrushes ready and the paper or craft too. However, once you have set up, your child can then run with their creativity whilst you sit back and admire. Today, we painted wooden, animal fridge magnets, a wooden star and did some painting on paper, too. Again, afterwards it takes a little time to clean up but if your child is old enough you can get them involved! My 20 month old son loves tidying up (I don’t know where he got that from) so he helped me wipe the table with baby wipes and put them in the bin for me.

4. TV or films:

I won’t go into too much detail here because I did a separate post about TV.

However, a great rainy day activity is watching TV or films together. Again, this is easy for us chronic illness warriors, requires little effort or energy and you can rest and conserve energy.

5. Homemade obstacle course:

For those with adventurous, thrill seeking children like mine, I set up an obstacle course for him the other day using the sofa cushions spread out all across the living room. He absolutely adored it and had great fun jumping between cushions, belly flopping them and running about whilst I watched and supervised. Again, a tiny bit of setting up but a great activity for 20 minutes rest for you!

Mummy the Fibro Warrior Top Tip:

1. Make rainy days work for you! Find activities you can do together that do not require too much energy or effort and that fit in with your condition.

If there is one takeaway I would like you all to remember today is that rainy days can be fun and do not need to drag. There are plenty of activities you can do together that suit your physical needs and your child/children’s needs at the same time. The word to remember is easy! I need you to know you are doing the best you can, your child/children love you and you are Mummy the Fibro Warrior.

Until next time,

x

p.s. please do comment below with any rainy day activities you complete with your child that fit in with your energy and fatigue levels!