Yes, the infamous Orlando rain. We can’t tell you when it is going to rain. Sometimes it looks like beautiful sunny skies and then, out of nowhere, a downpour! Usually within 5 minutes of the first thunder, a little munchkin will appear in the kitchen with the biggest bowl of eyes and say “What do we do today?” Maybe you can come up with something fun to do today. We have some ideas that we can share with you.

Yes, I love a cozy rainy day. But there is a difference between a homey, snuggle-up kind of day and “Mom, I’m bored” over and over again until it’s time for lunch. So for all of these kinds of days, there are plenty of things to do to keep the little ones busy and to prevent the older kids from scaling the couch (most of the couches, anyway).

The Orlando Science Center is another of my families’ favorite ways to spend the day. With a variety of hands-on activities, as well as DinoDigs – with real dinosaur bones – and other science activities to explore, kids will have SO much to do that they won’t even realize they’re learning. Jake is 9 so I know that he will enjoy lots of the different experiments and activities with moving parts and then explain to me how it all works (as if I were one of his college professors – Ha!). I went here recently with Rachel the Zen Mamma, who has her own Orlando Mom Blog and our kids had so much fun!

KidsTown is also a blast for the little ones and varies from day to day so be sure to check their schedule prior to your visit as the Science Center is typically closed on Wednesdays.

While you’re here to save the day for the kind of rainy day that suddenly appears in Orlando, you and your family can get creative at The Crayola Experience at The Florida Mall. In this colorful play space where every employee seems to love what they do, kids of every age can make their own crayons, explore the many uses of melted wax in art making and get active in a large play area including an indoor climbing structure. Loves art? Loves mess? This place is like heaven. And when you leave, you can take home a master piece (or two) including some very strongly held opinions on the best purple.

All kids have different needs. Sometimes they need more of a physical activity like running around playing games. Sometimes that can be at home or at the many playgrounds around Orlando. For interactive and more physical activities consider the WonderWorks on International Drive with its many hands on activities including a bubble lab, ropes course and so much more. End the night with some laser tag too. Other places to get your kids running around include the indoor playground, Monkey Joe’s located at Pointe Orlando. They have many large bounce houses that kids can run around in and play in until tired out for the night.

Invent an obstacle course in your living room using couch cushions as steps, tape on the floor to create a balance beam, and a laundry basket as the end of the course. You might even have to keep track of how long it takes each child to complete the course and keep a score board to keep track. I would definitely need a lot of snacks to be able to keep running between all of the kids and their various activities.

A Mystery Art Project is always fun. Set up the table with lots of paper, many markers, glue sticks and tons of other craft supplies. Then tell the kids to make something according to the following weird assignments: “Design a pet for an alien”, “Create a restaurant menu for dinosaurs”, etc. The kids will have lots of fun because there are no wrong answers! (Unless you count being too lazy to get up from the couch and search for your markers instead of asking for them).

Now, this does not have to be a big adventurous outing to one of the events or activities in the area. Many times, I find that a simple indoor picnic in the living room can be a very fun event for children. Set up a blanket, make some fun shapes in the sandwiches, bring out some snacks, and let the kids pick out a movie to watch. Serve it all up with an indoor picnic and you have a fun event for your family.

The days of rainy afternoons in Orlando where we spend hours wandering around the house looking for something to do to while away the time until dinner time, waiting for a day when we can leave the house again to go on another fun outing. Alternatively, many days can be spent being creative with lots of crafts, lots of popcorn, and many unevenly placed pillows in many odd and fun shaped forts.