25 Rainy-Day Activities for Toddlers in Brooklyn

A plan beats a perfect plan

Toddlers have short attention spans, so a rainy day goes better as a series of small activities than one big project. Aim for a rhythm: something active, something calm, a snack, then repeat. Many of the ideas below take five minutes to set up and buy you twenty minutes of happy play. Pick a few, keep the rest in your back pocket, and get out of the apartment once if you can. Even a short trip changes the whole mood of the day.

Get the wiggles out (at home)

Small spaces call for creative movement. Push the coffee table aside and try these:

• 1. Pillow obstacle course: couch cushions, a blanket tunnel and a laundry basket to climb into.
• 2. Dance party freeze: play music and freeze when it stops. Toddlers love being in charge of the pause button too.
• 3. Animal walks: hop like a frog, waddle like a penguin, stomp like an elephant down the hallway.
• 4. Balloon keep-up: keep a balloon off the floor using hands, heads or feet. Always supervise and pick up any popped pieces.
• 5. Masking tape roads: tape lines on the floor for walking, jumping or driving toy cars along.
• 6. Sock basketball: roll socks into balls and toss them into a bin.

Sensory and messy play

Sensory play is calming and absorbing for toddlers. Lay a towel or old sheet down and contain the mess on a tray or in a shallow bin:

• 7. Dry pasta or rice bin with cups and spoons for scooping and pouring (supervise closely with younger toddlers).
• 8. Water play in the tub or sink with cups, sponges and a funnel.
• 9. Homemade play dough with flour, salt, water and a little oil.
• 10. Ice cube painting: freeze water with a drop of food coloring and slide it across paper.
• 11. Shaving cream on a baking sheet for finger drawing.
• 12. Bubble wrap stomping, which is loud, silly and very satisfying.

Pretend play and quieter moments

Pretend play is where toddlers practice the big world in miniature. These are perfect for the calmer part of the day:

• 13. Cardboard box anything: a car, a boat, a house or a rocket ship.
• 14. Pretend grocery store with real cans and boxes from the pantry.
• 15. Teddy bear picnic on a blanket, with real or pretend snacks.
• 16. Dress-up with old scarves, hats and grown-up shoes.
• 17. Blanket fort reading nook with a flashlight and a stack of favorite books.
• 18. Sticker sorting by color or shape on a sheet of paper.
• 19. Window watching: count umbrellas, buses or puddle splashes from the window.

Getting out of the house

Sometimes the best rainy-day activity is a change of scenery. Brooklyn has plenty of covered options a short trip away:

• 20. Library story time: many Brooklyn Public Library branches run free programs for babies and toddlers. Check your branch calendar for times.
• 21. Indoor playground: an hour of slides, a ball pit and room to run does more for the afternoon than almost anything else.
• 22. A puddle walk: rain boots, a raincoat and a short walk around the block to splash. Warm bath afterward.
• 23. A grocery store adventure: let your toddler find items on a picture list and help push a small cart.
• 24. A ride on the bus to nowhere in particular. For many toddlers, the bus is the attraction.
• 25. A playdate swap: take turns hosting a friend so each family gets a change of scene.

Tips for a smoother rainy day

Rotate toys. Putting some toys away for a week and bringing them out on a rainy day makes them feel brand new. Keep a rainy-day box with a few special items, like a new sticker book or a roll of tape, that only comes out when the weather is bad.

Lower the bar. Screens, cereal for lunch and a long bath are not failures. Rainy days are about getting through together, and a little flexibility goes a long way.

Plan your outing around naps. A morning outing usually means a better nap, and a better nap means a better afternoon for everyone.

A rainy-day go-to in Brooklyn

WaWa Fun Island on Kings Highway is an easy rainy-day escape for kids 6 months to 7 years, with a ball pit, slides, an indoor sandbox and a dress-up and pretend play area. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 8 PM and Mondays from 12 to 8 PM. A full-day pass includes in and out privileges, so you can head home for a nap and come back for round two.

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