In an ideal world the school summer holidays would be six weeks of endless sunshine: not so hot that you can’t get to sleep, but warm enough that picnics, days at the park and playing in the garden are always a possibility. 

But unfortunately, we live in Britain. And although we’ve had our fair share of sun in 2018, heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast across much of the country this week.  

So what do you do if you’re faced with days of wet play and you’ve got a household of children to entertain? One parent said: “Puddle suits and wellies: what is more fun than puddle jumping?”

But if you fancy staying dry indoors, we asked parents for their top rainy day recommendations.  

1. Arts and Crafts

Lisa Forde, director of Dotty About Paper, has two sons aged five and nine years old. She said: “I run an event stationery company so I let my boys help design new products and designs. Usually, it’s just for fun but sometimes we create them. I’m a huge fan of arts and crafts.

“Children have lost the art of creativity to tablets and screens, so arts and crafts help them to express their creativity and gain satisfaction from creating something. It can be anything, to painting, colouring, papier-mâché or play dough/clay making.” 

2. Food Play

Nutritionist Charlotte Stirling Reed said: “Food play all the way! Especially for those fussy little eaters. Get them making edible food paint, using food stamps or growing herbs indoors. So much food fun to be had.” 

3. Pillow Olympics

Karl Young said: “Pillow Olympics is my personal fave: Long jump (place the pillows on the floor). High jump (off a sofa). Dance-off (create a circle stage to perform on). Pillow fight. Lava floor (pillows are the stepping stones). Sumo wrestling (create a rectangle ring with the pillows).”  

4. Making Slime

Fran Boorman said: “We have been making slime and the kids have recorded their own YouTube video about it. Now teaching them how to edit and create some content rather than always consuming!” 

5. LEGO

Lisa Forde said: “I’m also a huge fan of lego and there are some great kits out there, or you can pick up boxes of bricks from charity shops. Kids love lego and they get to use their imagination. Try setting a story for them to build to, such as pirates or mermaids, or animals and they can sit and follow a theme.”

6. Go To Poundland

Kelly Ruston on Twitter said: “Poundland is a winner for this! Cake mix £1, colouring £1, crafts £1. My current fave is decorating smilestones – pebbles from the garden – FREE – paint and yacht varnish. Decorate them when raining, hide them [outside] when the sun returns.” 

7. Listen To Audio Books

Anisa Lewis said: “Lots of ideas for this! Reading books or listening to audio versions. A pyjama day with a possible movie marathon.”