How to have a blast on a rainy day with or without little ones.

Today started out like any other day. I was awakened by my 4-year-old whispering, "I'm hungry", which then led to us venturing into the living room, where we proceeded to open up all the blinds in order for the natural light to shine in. That's when I saw it. The gloomy clouds that lurked all around. The leftover of what was, apparently, a rainy night. Immediately I clicked the CBS app on our Roku, (if you don't already know about the Roku, check out my first blog post), and heard the weather man's prediction of a chilly day. Now, it wasn't exactly raining, but I tend to avoid the outside on cold days just the same, if I can, because I'd rather enjoy the sky's beauty from inside, where I can bundle up in my robe and drink hot coffee. 

After my intelligent son overheard the weather man, he immediately knew what it meant. We were having a day filled with loads of extra fun. I swear, I only do it for my son....alright maybe I enjoy arts and crafts after a pirate battle a wee bit, but I have never once said I was a regular adult. I am quite the unique human being overall. Since we indulge in such unconventional activities, I decided to share a few of them with you. Now, they aren't completely over the top, but I've noticed they aren't necessarily some of the more common things people do when they stay in all day. 

Also, to be completely honest, these things would be awesome to do even if you don't have kids. I'd do them regardless, but like previously mentioned, I'm "out there", as some say, and proud of it! So here are 4 of the unconventional ways we enjoy our gloomy/rainy days:

1. Create an indoor ball pit!
This is probably my favorite by far! I mean...my son's favorite...moving on! Simply inflate a medium-sized pool that wont completely overtake your entire living room -even if it does, is it really such a problem to have a giant ball pit- and fill it with a bunch of those colorful balls you used to throw at other kids while playing war in the Chuck-E-Cheese ball pit. Boom. You have yourself an awesome, clean, indoor ball pit. Need I say more? You can buy the balls at Toys-R-Us. They come in multiple sized packs. For example, 100, 150, or even 200 count. As of 02/18/2016, they have a pack of 150 balls on sale for $19.99 instead of $24.99!

2. Build a mini fort out of Popsicle sticks! 
All you need is a glue gun, Popsicle sticks, and something sharp to cut the round ends off. I used some pliers and just bent the ends back and forth until they ripped off. You can also search on Pinterest for inspiration. My son and I decided to add a felt "rug" along with a mini banner, which we created, using felt and yarn. You can buy a box of 1000 Popsicle sticks for $14.96 on Amazon, but they are also sold at Walmart, Target, Michael's, and other crafting stores. We love to create towns for his little "Trashies", and the other tiny characters he owns, out of pre-built toy houses, Popsicle stick houses, and Lego houses. Which brings me to my next one...

3. Build -or rebuild- a Harry Potter Lego set!
When Harry Potter first came out, I was knew I was born a Gryffindor who's owl got lost. Darn owl. I absolutely LOVE Lego's as well, which meant as soon as the Harry Potter Lego sets were released, I HAD TO HAVE THEM! Granted, I wasn't able to purchase all the sets, but it doesn't mean I didn't cherish the ones I was able to get my hands on. After multiple moves to different dwellings and having my son, my precious Harry Potter Lego sets were inevitably mixed in with the 1000's of other Legos we owned. I was slightly heart broken, but my son enjoyed them for his creations, so sharing was worth it. Today we went through EVERY SINGLE LEGO, and recreated the Harry Potter Lego set: Dumbledore's office. My favorite! It was a little difficult without instructions and trying to go off pictures, but afterwards, it was SO worth it. My son was amazed by how cool it turned out. The prices of the Harry Potter Lego sets have drastically risen since they first came out, but if you're interested, you can always look on Amazon. They even have our exact set HERE, although it's a bit pricey at $208.88 plus shipping.

4. Indoor soccer!
Normally, I'm against kicking a ball in the house, especially since my son has quite the forceful kick- one bad aim and there goes the living room window- but since I played soccer for over 21 years, the moment I found a stuffed soccer ball at Ikea, I knew I had to buy it. It's perfect for playing sports inside without damage. Well, it CAN still knock over things, and it is light, which means it can fly a little high, but we don't have glass or prized possessions hanging around, so we're in the clear. Now, our specific ball from Ikea is no longer available, but I've been told the brand, Melissa and Doug, carry a similar version in a pack, which comes with other stuffed sport balls, including a football and basketball. You can find and purchase the pack HERE.



I absolutely adore my son's smile, so being able to have a grand ol' time inside and making a "mess" with all his toys plus the crafts, is definitely worth the aftermath. If you'd like more unconventional fun ideas that you can enjoy with or without kiddos, just leave a comment here or on my Instagram @thewhiterockingchair

What are some of your favorite things to do when you're stuck in the house?