As autumn draws in, the days get shorter – and, let’s face it, rainier – which means keeping the kids occupied isn’t always as easy as going for a quick walk in the park. At least, not unless you want a gaggle of whining, wet-through youngsters on your hands. Rainy days are often the days you find yourself frantically googling for things to do, so we thought we’d put together a list of rainy day crafts to keep (you and!) the kids busy – even when the weather’s inclement.
Scroll down for our favourite rainy day craft ideas!
Crayon Candles
These candles are so much fun to make, and kids are sure to love the bright crayon-based colours! Melt wax crayons in the microwave (adult supervision highly recommended!), pour them into glass votives of your choice, and leave to harden. You can layer up a variety of different crayons for colourful contrast, or keep it simple with a single colour.
You will need:
- Glass votives
- Wax crayons
- Wax wicks
- Paper cups
- Lolly sticks (for stirring)
BFG Dream Jar
What child doesn’t love Roald Dahl? This craft is an homage to the BFG and his dream jars. It’s super easy to make – all you’ll need is a mason or large jam jar, paints, glitter and cotton wool. Once you’ve made the jars, be prepared for the kids to request some serious story time.
You will need:
- Mason jar or a large jam jar with lid
- Blue, pink & purple paint (though you can experiment with other colours!)
- Glitter
- Cotton wool or soft toy stuffing
DIY Playdough
Playdough is a rainy day rite of passage for every child in the country. But it can be expensive to buy pot after pot (especially when the colours get mushed into that unappealing grey-brown shade). With this simple recipe, you can make your own playdough in a whole rainbow of colours! All the ingredients are store cupboard friendly, so you might have most of them already (and the ones you don’t will keep until the next time you need them)! Keep your playdough in an airtight jar to make it last longer.
You will need:
- All-purpose flour
- Boiling water
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Cream of tartar
- Essential oils
- Food colouring
Moss Terrarium
This might be one for a drizzly day, rather than a full-on deluge, as you’ll need to head out and collect stones and miniature plants to build your terrarium. Kids will love building this tiny microcosm of nature, and getting their hands dirty in the soil and stones. Plus, terrariums look fantastic, are easy to assemble, and they’re a very cute way to bring a little microcosm of your garden inside.
You will need:
- Large glass jar
- Small pebbles
- Activated charcoal
- Potting soil
- Moss or other small plants
- Bamboo skewer
Raincloud In A Jar
Tutorial at Home School Pre School.
This one’s great for education and for fun. First, discuss with your kids how rain is made, and why clouds are important. Then you can demonstrate! Using shaving foam, water and food colouring, you can make your very own raincloud in a jar. It’s a perfectly topical rainy day craft!
You will need:
- Large glass jar
- Shaving foam
- Water
- Liquid food colouring (not gel)
Mason Jar Ghosts
Here’s a spooky Halloween themed craft, perfect for an October rainy day. Make these adorable ghosts using just a few simple materials! All you need is a variety of glass jars, white spray paint and googly eyes. The white paint is also really effective for placing LED tealights in to create an eerie orange glow.
You will need:
- Glass jars of various sizes and shapes
- White spray paint
- Googly eyes
- Clear-drying adhesive
- LED tealights (optional)
Fun Rainy Day Crafts For Kids
We hope you love these rainy day crafts as much as we do! If you give any of them a go, please tag us in your social media photos – we love to see them!
Don’t forget you can buy jars for all your crafts with no minimum order at Ampulla.
Shop Rainy Day Craft Projects
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| 500ml Glass Jar | 9cl Glass Votive Jar | 1lb Glass Jar & Lid |