Entertaining Kids on a Rainy Day

What Nannies and Au Pairs Can Do When it's Raining Outside

By Meredith K

You probably don’t realize just how much time you spend outside with kids each day until it starts raining. Once you don’t have the option to ride bikes, go to the park or spend the day at the zoo, options for entertaining kids can seem much more limited, especially if you feel cooped up in the house. To avoid cabin fever and to prevent kids from sitting in front of the computer all day long, try these fun rainy day activities that will keep kids entertained all day long.

Create a Scavenger Hunt
Keep kids moving even if they’re indoors by making a treasure or scavenger hunt for them. Hide clues around the house and have kids collect different toys or surprises in different rooms. Or, if the house is a mess, use the scavenger hunt technique to make tidying up more fun.

Take a Field Trip
Just because you can’t go to the park doesn’t mean you have to stay in the house all day. Drive to an indoor pool for a day of swimming, visit a museum for some culture and learning, or find an indoor kids’ gym for some exercise. Getting out of the house can break up the day and help ensure that nobody gets bored.

Have a Movie Marathon
Movies might seem like an obvious choice for a rainy day, but turning the TV room into a full movie theater experience can be a fun twist on a lazy movie day. Serve boxes of popcorn (the kids can help decorate them!), position chairs into rows and make “tickets” to give kids access to the room.

Cook with Them

Cooking with kids is a great activity for a rainy day for a few reasons. Not only does having kids help out with recipes teach them valuable basic skills like measuring but it will also give them a sense of pride when they can actually create something delicious. Whether you’re making a batch of cookies or getting a head start on dinner, cooking is sure to keep kids occupied for a while.

This recipe for a Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake from Chef Boyardee is a great one to cook with kids of various ages. They’ll love mixing up the biscuit base, layering the noodle and cheese layers and topping the casserole with pepperoni or other pizza toppings.

Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 35 min
Serves: 6

You Will Need:
• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1¼ cups original baking mix
• 1/2 cup reduced fat (2%) milk
• 2 14.5 oz cans Chef Boyardee® Spaghetti & Meatballs
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup sliced turkey pepperoni

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375®F. Spray a 13x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine baking mix and milk in a medium bowl; stir until soft dough forms.

2. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the bottom onto the bottom of a baking dish (they will not completely cover the bottom). Spoon 1 can of spaghetti and meatballs over dough and sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Top with remaining can spaghetti and meatballs, remaining ¼ cup cheese and turkey pepperoni.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is done in the centers and browned.

Tip: Adding sliced vegetables to the top of the spaghetti bake is a great way to provide kids with extra nutrition.

Author Bio: This is a guest post written by Meredith K. on behalf of Chef Boyardee®. For more recipes perfect for cooking with kids, visit www.chefboyardee.com.