Rainy day. Small children. Lots of energy.

It's a combination every parent knows. 😂

But being stuck indoors doesn't have to mean spending the entire day trying to think of increasingly elaborate ways to keep everyone entertained.

Some of the best rainy day activities are actually incredibly simple — using things you probably already have around the house.

So if the rain has cancelled your plans and you're wondering what on earth you're going to do all day, here are ten easy rainy day activities for children under 5.

1. Build an Indoor Obstacle Course

You don't need special equipment to create an adventure course.

Use cushions as stepping stones, crawl underneath chairs, create a tunnel from a blanket draped over furniture or make a line on the floor to balance along.

You could even give your course a theme.

Cross the crocodile river. Crawl through the bear cave. Climb over the mountain. Reach the treasure.

Suddenly the living room isn't the living room anymore.

Make it easier: Keep it to three or four obstacles for younger children and let them repeat it as many times as they like.

2. Create a Rainy Day Art Gallery

Bring out the crayons, washable paints, stickers and paper and let your little artist create their latest masterpiece.

But don't stop when the picture is finished.

Turn part of your home into their very own art gallery.

Peg pictures onto a piece of string, stick them temporarily to a wall or arrange them along a shelf. Then invite everyone in the house to come and view the exhibition.

Your child could even make tickets or signs for their gallery.

3. Build a Storytime Den

A couple of chairs, a blanket and far too many cushions can become something rather magical when you're four.

Build a cosy den together, add some favourite books and teddies and settle down for storytime.

You could let your child choose the books, make up your own story together or ask them to tell you a story from the pictures.

And if it's pouring outside, listening to the rain from inside a cosy den makes this one even better.

4. Have an Indoor Treasure Hunt

Choose a few familiar toys or household objects and hide them around one room.

Then give your child simple clues to find them.

For younger children, clues can be very straightforward:

“Can you find something hiding underneath the table?”

For older preschoolers, turn it into a proper treasure hunt with picture clues, colours or simple riddles.

The final treasure doesn't need to be a prize — finding a favourite teddy is often exciting enough.

5. Bake Something Simple Together

Baking with small children will probably take twice as long and require three times as much cleaning.

It's still worth it. 😂

Choose something forgiving such as fairy cakes, biscuits, flapjacks or crispy cakes and give children simple jobs like pouring pre-measured ingredients, stirring or decorating.

It doesn't need to look perfect.

The activity is the point — eating the results afterwards is just an excellent bonus.

6. Have a Kitchen Disco

Some rainy days call for crafts.

Others call for turning the music up and jumping around the kitchen.

Let everyone choose a favourite song and have a family dance party.

Try freeze dancing, copying each other's moves or taking turns being the dance leader.

It's particularly useful when everybody has been indoors long enough that they desperately need to MOVE.

7. Go on a Living-Room Safari

Gather some toy animals and hide them around the room.

Then send your little explorer on safari.

Make pretend binoculars from cardboard tubes, give them a toy camera or simply ask them to creep around looking for animals.

You can add little challenges as you go:

Can you find an animal with four legs?

Which animal is hiding near something blue?

Can you move like the animal you've found?

Simple toys + imagination = an entirely different activity.

8. Make a Rainy-Day Craft

Sometimes it's nice to embrace the weather rather than escape it.

Cut out clouds and raindrops from paper or card and let children decorate them with crayons, paint, cotton wool, stickers or whatever craft supplies you already have.

You could make a rainbow, create a weather picture or hang paper raindrops underneath a cloud.

No Pinterest perfection required.

If your child proudly announces that the purple blob with twelve eyes is a rain cloud, then it's a rain cloud.

9. Try Some Simple Sensory Play

Sensory play doesn't have to mean creating an elaborate Instagram-worthy activity tray.

Water and pouring cups in the bath can be enough.

Play dough, bubbles, foam, taste-safe materials appropriate to your child's age or simply exploring different textures can all provide opportunities for hands-on play.

Choose activities suitable for your child's age and supervise closely, particularly where small items are involved.

10. Have a Cosy Cinema Afternoon

And finally, sometimes you don't need another activity.

Close the curtains. Bring down the duvets and cushions. Choose a family film. Prepare some age-appropriate snacks.

You could even make pretend cinema tickets beforehand and let your children hand them over as they enter.

Then sit down together.

Because keeping children entertained doesn't have to mean entertaining them every second of the day.

Sometimes a rainy afternoon under a blanket is exactly what's needed.

Need More Rainy Day Ideas?

If you've reached activity number ten and it's still raining, we've got you. ☔

The Love & Tiers Ultimate Rainy Day Rescue Kit contains even more ideas and activities designed to help take some of the “What are we going to do today?” out of wet days at home.

Download the FREE Ultimate Rainy Day Rescue Kit

Keep it somewhere handy and the next time you wake up to rain hammering against the window, you'll already have a plan.

Because rainy days don't have to be perfect.

Sometimes all you need is a blanket fort, a packet of crayons and a little imagination.