When it’s a rainy day it sometimes feels like you are all stuck indoors with no options, but there are plenty of things to do. Here are 25 ideas to inspire you!

As my Mum always says, “everything can go in the wash” and you seem to agree, as the number one thing to do with kids on rainy days is to don your wellies and rain gear and head outside for a walk.

Splashing in puddles is obligatory, of course! And hot drinks once you get back indoors, perhaps with some hot buttered toast and jam. Yum!

A close second is to curl up on the sofa with the kids and watch a family movie. Popcorn and hot chocolate are an added bonus for everyone.

You could add some extra fun, and make your own home cinema.

Many of you love to break out the arts and crafts box for a creative afternoon of fun with the kids. Here are 50 Brilliant Art & Craft Ideas That Are Worth the Mess!

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Baking is high on the list of your favourite things to do on rainy days, with everything from cookies to s’mores on the menu. Here are easy cookie recipes for kids to try, including these classic (and delicious!) chewy chocolate chip cookies. Hopefully you can wait long enough for them to cool to enjoy with a glass of milk!

More great ideas include:

• Zesty lemon bars
• Baked berry squares
• Banana upside-down cake
• Lemon drizzle cake
• Homemade Swiss roll

Kids love making forts – even older kids will enjoy this fun activity.

Mum Anna tells us that she makes a fort in the living room and she and the kids go on ‘adventures far and wide’.

Whether your children are still young enough to cuddle up with you for a story, or old enough to read themselves, you love nothing better than a literary afternoon on rainy days. You could even turn this activity into a fun readathon, and see how many books/chapters everyone can read.

Once you have baked all those goodies you like, there’s nothing better than to have an indoor picnic. In your fort, if you’ve made one!

Sometimes a rainy day is the ideal opportunity to have no agenda and just see where the day takes you. Stay in your PJs and enjoy!

So one parent admitted “he sends the kids off to their grandparents on rainy days”, there was a “ha ha ha” at the end so I do think he was jesting! But many of you head off to visit friends and family to while away the time on a rainy day.

We all have plenty of them, but how often do we get the board games out and have a couple of hours trying to amass our Monopoly fortune or figure out ‘who was the murderer’? Here are the 20 best board games for families and some completely different board games that you’ll really enjoy.

This one from Melissa is ingenious. Junky bedroom wars is played when Mum or Dad thinks up an object that the kids can make, using the junk in their bedroom e.g. a boat or a plane.

Once built, you race them against each other! Or head outside to a puddle to see who has built the one that will stay afloat the longest!

From printable colouring pages to freehand drawing, colouring was high on the list of things to do with kids on a rainy day. You could dedicate a wall in the playroom to all their masterpieces.

Ok this one is probably not going to be popular with the kids but check out 10 Quick Ways to Tidy Up the Playroom for inspiration on how to get them cleaning without even realising they are helping!

And, better yet, they will most likely discover toys they had forgotten, as they tidy, leading to a whole new way to pass some more time.

Cover the table and let the kids get creative with their play dough for the day. And if you don’t have any to hand, here’s how to make your own play dough.

Dad Sean suggested heading out for a day of fishing. As you are probably going to get wet anyway, a rainy day is the ideal opportunity to catch some fish.

On colder days you may like to go to the local leisure centre for a dip, but once the weather heats up a bit, parents said don’t let a few drops of rain put you off heading to the beach!

Bring waterproof bags for the clothes and have hot drinks at the ready for when you get home.

While many of you suggested curling up on the sofa to watch a film, on a rainy day it can be a nice treat to get out and see the latest family movie at the cinema.

Many local libraries have a story hour or offer games, puzzles or colouring sheets for younger kids. And older ones can check out the latest arrivals or ask for recommendations from the librarians for similar books to ones they have already enjoyed.

Many museums are free to visit and have an array of activities to keep kids amused. From interactive displays to replica things to handle to dress up to activity sheets that they can complete as they go.

Whether you have a box full of dress up costumes or a wardrobe full of clothes, kids love to dress up and put on a show for adults. Pick a theme to help get the ball rolling and then sit back and enjoy the show.

Close the curtains, put on a disco playlist with some great tunes and while away a few hours dancing about and having fun.

Set up an indoor treasure hunt. This could also be an ideal way to get the kids cleaning! When you hide objects in the mess of toys around the house and they have to clear them up to find the prizes!

A rainy day is the ideal time to have your very own puppet show. Puppets can be anything from a favourite teddy to socks with googly eyes added! And to make it extra special, why not help the kids to write their own script?

Set up an indoor obstacle course using cushions and rugs and see who can get around the room quickest!

Apart from jumping in puddles there are loads of games that can be played outside on a rainy day. Be inspired with these ideas for rainy day games that guarantee outdoor fun!