3 super-easy DIY activities to keep the wet weather blues away

The rain hasn’t stopped for days. Your rascals desperately need a break from the screens and you’re scrambling to figure out how to keep them entertained before they tear down the house and you tear your hair out completely.

Stop, let go of your hair! Here’s three easy indoor DIY ideas to keep you sane and your kids busy (even if for a little while).

Origami (paper folding)

See that newspaper that you’ve never read that has somehow made it into your home? Or that stack of old catalogues? How about that old note from school that’s stuck to the fridge? Surely there’s some paper lying around the house ready to be folded into something amazing.

Try folding these creations:

Easy: boat, heart 
Medium: traditional paper crane, ninja star  (for the TMNT fans!)
Expert: rose, dragon

Tip: Squares form the basis of a lot of origami pieces. You can easily make a square from a rectangle by folding one corner up diagonally and up against the long edge (to make a triangle), and then cutting off the excess (Here’s a great example)

Slime

If your kids love something a bit more goopy, how about some good ol’ slime! Check out this simple slime recipe from Stay At Home Mum.

All you need is:

A mixing bowl
2 cups cornflour
1 ½ cups water
food colouring

Slowly add the water to the cornflour while mixing. Add several drops of food colouring to complete the look!

Tip: You should get a consistency that lets you pull your fingers through when mixing slowly, but becomes quite difficult when stirred quickly!

Cardboard everything

If you’ve got any empty boxes stored in the garage you can get crafty with cardboard to make anything and everything. You just need some sturdy scissors or a Stanley knife (for parents’ use only!) and some strong tape and you’re good to go!

Here are a few ideas:

Cubby houses (or small versions for dolls and figurines
Mazes (if you’ve got absurd amounts of cardboard)
Robot costumes  (like Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba!)

Tip: if you’re out of cardboard, you can visit your local hardware store/warehouse and ask for their excess boxes.