Classic Rainy Day Games for Children

April showers bring May flowers, but is also brings bored children. And depending on where you live, rainy summers (hurricane season) can last well into November. Bundled up energy in children, especially young children, can cause unwanted stress and tension in children and parents. While the rain falls, here’s a list of forty classic games that you and your children can enjoy. These games can be simple or complex, just adjust the rules to suit the maturity of your children.

Go Fish: card matching

Slap Jack: slap Jacks that turn up

I Spy: guessing game

Tic-Tac-Toe: complete diagonal, horizontal, or vertical line first

Bingo: complete diagonal, horizontal, or vertical line first

Hot & Cold: guessing game

Follow the Leader: mimicking game

Tag: chasing game

Old Maid: match up all your cards before being stuck with the Old Maid card

Who Am I?: guessing game

20 Questions: guessing game

Paper Football: try to flick your football into the goal

Ring Around the Rosy: nursery rhyme game

London Bridge: nursery rhyme game

Musical Chairs: don’t be left without a seat once the music stops

Duck, Duck, Goose: chasing game

Telephone: try to keep original message

Limbo: try to go as low as you can

Simon Says: follow ‘Simon’s’ directions

Blowing Bubbles: pop as many bubbles as you can

Hot Potato: nursery rhyme game

Marbles: knock as many marbles out the circle as you can

Jacks: grab as many jacks as you can before the ball bounces

Hide and Seek: find players that are hiding before they reach base

Scavenger Hunt: each clue, leads to another clue, which leads to the treasure

Bowling: roll a ball into lined up empty, clean bottles and cans

Charades: act out words, events, people without making a sound

Hangman: try to guess the correct letters before you’re ‘hung’

Spelling Bee: try to spell words correctly

S.O.S: try to make the most S.O.S connections than your opponent

Dominos: try to get rid of all your dominos before your opponent

Pick-Up Sticks: try to pick up as many sticks as you can without making them fall

Cops & Robbers: try to catch the robber

Mother, May I: ask ‘Mother’ two move up spaces

Red Light, Green Light: run as fast as you can before the ‘light’ turns red

Monkey in the Middle: try to catch the ball so you can get out the middle

Red Rover: try to run through the other team’s human chain

Arm Wrestling: try to overpower your opponent

Puzzles (If you don’t have puzzles, you can cut up a picture and piece it back together)

Board Games you may own at home