Floyd: 5 rainy day activities for fussy kids

I spent a few days cooped up with my 22 month old this January. What with the unexpected rain and Charlie's small cold, I had only a few hours of uninspired playtime. But once she starts sprinting in circles around the kitchen island, I know I have to distract her with an energy outlet.

Here are five rainy day activities:

Fort/ Obsticle Course

There is nothing Charlie enjoys more than helping me pull cushions off the couch, push chairs into the living room and throw blankets all across the top. Crawling in and out of her forts is no longer enough now, though. It is all about the climbing and jumping for her now, so obstacle courses are a new one for us, especially if I want to keep her from climbing and jumping on me. Just stacking pillows and couch cushions into an Aggro Crag inspired mountain elicits squeals and giggles from both of us.

Arts and Crafts

For a one year old, Charlie really has a problem with being told what to do or following instructions of any kind. So arts and crafts are few and far between if I want to keep tantrums to a minimum. But I really do love hanging colorful paper acorns and tissue paper butterflys on the fridge, so arts and crafts we do.

There is simply something so enraging to Charlie about when I ask her to please color on the paper, not the table.

And heaven help me if I try to switch out the marker she's using.

Bath Time for toys

Water sensory tables are a huge deal in many day-cares and nurseries. If you can't go outside, why not throw some washable paints in the tub, or sponges or toys you don't usually allow in water. Instead of scrubbing baby and toweling off, just let the items prune up and splash to your heart's content.

When I am feeling braver, Charlie gets a kick out of helping bathe our dog. But that is easier in the large stall shower with our hand-held sprayer.

(Early) Spring Cleaning

This might not work when Charlie gets a little older, but she and I can go through old toys and clothes without breaks until the job is done.

We haven't yet mastered folding but she enjoys pretending she can, or just pulling them over her head and asking, "Where's baby?"

With her help, I can also easily decide which toys go in the donate box and which can stay here just a little bit longer.

Puddle Jumping

When the cabin fever sets in, I strap Charlie in some sandals, put her in some old cotton pants, a jacket and hat and let her stomp in any puddle she wants until she whines about being too wet.

Once, she refused to go out in the rain, but mostly she ignores it if she gets to step in all the puddles. This activity, of course, is reliant on just how cold it is outside and how hard it's raining.

Katelyn Floyd is the mother of a toddler who lives in Bluffton. She can be reached at katelyn.j.floyd@gmail.com.

This story was originally published January 18, 2016 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Floyd: 5 rainy day activities for fussy kids."