Rainy Day Activities for 3- and 4-Year-Olds
Rainy days can be magical in their own way.
Watching raindrops race down the windows and splashing in puddles can be exciting, especially for the little ones; but when you’re stuck inside with a restless 3- or 4-year-old, it’s important to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep them entertained– that’s where this rainy day activities for 3 and 4 year olds list comes in handy!
While my kids are now growing out of this age, these are some of the activities that worked wonders when they were younger—and they’re sure to keep your little ones happy and busy too!
Fun Indoor Ideas to Keep Your Little Ones Entertained
1. Sensory Play
Sensory play is a fantastic way to keep toddlers engaged while helping with their cognitive and fine motor skills. You can create simple sensory bins with things you already have at home.
Ideas to Try:
- Fill a container with dried rice, beans, oats, or even dried pasta and hide small toys or objects for a treasure hunt.
- Create a water bin with plastic cups and spoons for some fun with pouring and scooping. I also like to add in floating and sinking objects around the house to experiment with.
- Make homemade Play-Doh (you can find easy recipes online. Here’s one.) and let them sculpt and squish to their heart’s content. Or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes.
Tip: Lay down a towel or plastic sheet to make cleanup easier!
2. Create Crafts
Crafts are always a hit with preschoolers, and rainy days are the perfect time to bring out the markers, glue, and glitter. I LOVE buying craft boxes like this one to get us started.
Fun Craft Ideas:
- DIY Rainbows: Cut out rainbow shapes from paper, and let your kids decorate them with colored tissue paper or crayons.
- Handprint Art: Get a washable ink pad or washable paint and let them create little masterpieces using their hands. Use your imaginations and see what objects you can create using only your hand prints. Or use their little finger tips to create finger painting trees.
- Cardboard Creations: Reuse boxes or toilet paper and paper towel rolls to build spaceships, castles, or even a play kitchen.
- Masking Tape Name Art: create your toddlers name in tape on a canvas and paint it! This piece will look amazing no matter how your little one paints.
Tip: Save their creations and display them on the fridge or designate a wall in your home for all their artwork. This gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment!
3. Bake Together
Preschoolers love helping in the kitchen. Why not bake with your little chefs in the making. Baking in the kitchen not only passes the time, but also teaches toddlers basic math and motor skills.
Kid-Friendly Recipes:
- Easy Cookie Recipes for Kids
- Mini pizzas using English muffins
- Pancake muffins
- Peanut butter & jelly crescents
- Homemade mini baked donuts
Tip: Let them handle simple tasks like stirring, pouring pre-measured ingredients, or placing toppings. Don’t worry about the mess—just have fun with it!
4. Indoor Obstacle Courses
On rainy days, it’s important to give kids an outlet for all their pent-up energy. Set up an indoor obstacle course that’s safe, fun, and easy to navigate.
Obstacle Ideas:
- Crawl under chairs
- Jump over pillows
- Balance on a “tightrope” (a piece of tape on the floor)
- Toss stuffed animals into a laundry basket
Tip: Use your phone to time them and encourage them to beat their own “record!”
5. Movie Time (with a Twist)
Rainy days are perfect for cuddling up with a movie, but you can make it even more special by turning it into an event.
How to Make It Fun:
- Build a fort with blankets and pillows for a cozy “movie theater” setup.
- Let your child pick the movie and prepare a mini snack station with popcorn and juice boxes. My kids LOVE themed snacks for the movie we are watching together.
Tip: Make pretend movie tickets to ‘admit’ them into your living room theater.
6. Storytime Adventure
If your child loves story time, use a rainy day as an opportunity to make it more a more interactive experience.
Creative Storytime Ideas:
- Read their favorite books in silly voices or act out the characters.
- Use puppets or stuffed animals to “tell” the story together. Take it a step further and create brown paper bag or sock puppets!
- Create your own story—let them come up with ideas, and you can write it down and illustrate it together!
Check out these other craft ideas:
Free Printable School Bus Template (with PDF)