Keep the Rainy Day Blues Away

Keep the Rainy Day Blues Away

The Kelly Family Mini-20 copy
The Kelly Family from Ready, Set, Parenthood! blog

 by Kristen Kelly

While my 2-year-old son may be wondering what happened to all of the white stuff on the ground, I am excited to be done with the cold and snow. As I have been anxiously anticipating the arrival of spring. However, the beautiful days made for outside play don’t always begin right away. April is often filled with rainy days stuck inside. After a bitterly cold winter inside, cabin fever has more than set in. So, what are some things we can do to avoid boredom and keep our sanity on those rainy days? Here are a few tips.

 

Get Pinspired
I have developed a minor obsession (OK, perhaps an intervention is imminent) with Pinterest. I could spend hours browsing all of the ideas, planning for home renovations and meals that will never become a reality in our home. However, I have found several crafts, games and educational activities that I have actually done with my son and other family members. Among the “pins” that we have done are sensory activities, finger-painting a Father’s Day gift, recycling crayons into valentines, and decorating a felt Christmas tree. I have Pinterest boards filled with ideas just waiting for a rainy day.

 Get Out and Enjoy the City
Northeast Ohio has so many great indoor activities to offer that are perfect for a rainy day. We have been gifted memberships to several museums in Cleveland, which makes it easy to go for a few hours to burn some energy when you can’t be outside. The play areas at The Children’s Museum of Cleveland are great for infants and toddlers. Our son loves the water table and the Big Red Barn. Some of our other favorite indoor outings are the Great Lakes Science Center’s Polymer Funhouse, the Rainforest at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Studio Play at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Sky Zone and local libraries.

Enjoy a Lazy Day
  Sometimes we just need to take a lazy day, and rainy days are perfect for that. We enjoy staying in our pajamas, cuddling up on the couch, and watching a movie or reading some books. I may even join my son in a nap.

Go Outside Anyway
Now that my son is in the toddler stage and he’s a bit more sturdy on his feet, I am looking forward to getting out there and enjoying some of those rainy days. Spring rain showers make for some great puddle jumping. I can’t wait to get some brightly colored galoshes and wet-resistant coats so we can enjoy dancing in the rain. Exploring the nature that comes to life in the rain can make for fun discovery moments and learning, too.

For more about Kristen Kelly, Northeast Ohio Parent Blogger from “Ready, Set, Parenthood!” visit NortheastOhioParent.com/Blogger

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