When the weather outside is just too wet or too cold for extended outdoor play, you might start to run out of ideas to keep your kids entertained. Here are some ideas from a couple of Children’s activities blog that can keep your kids busy indoors. Click on the links below for some great ideas.

Create an indoor obstacle course – If your kids have tons of energy, but it’s miserable outside – try this activity – it can keep kids involved for hours. As you design the course, take into account the ages and abilities of the kids who are participating.

Blind Penny Hunt – Keep your children outside of the living room or finished basement while you scatter pennies over the open room. Remove breakables first. Then blindfold your children and have them crawl on hands and knees and see who finds the most pennies in this fun scavenger hunt.

How to Run a Library – If you love books, and your kids love books, let your child use the books in your house to learn about running a library.

Create a miniature house for dolls or action figures – At the beginning, this is an interactive project with you and your kids – work together to create the house and furnishings from cardboard boxes, fabric scraps and odds and ends. Then you can turn it over to them for hours of imaginary play.

Click here for a larger list from Family Education of bad weather indoor activities for children.

Kids and Bad Weather Ideas from Redbook Magazine

This site has 9 ideas in a slide show with great pics showing you the results. My favorite tip of theirs is getting your kids in the kitchen and helping you make their fav cookies. Also – the pitch a tent or build a fort indoors is a fun one too.

And from My Kids Adventures an A to Z list of 26 Rainy Day Activities for Kids.

Some of these ideas are better for warmer regions of the country (or seasons) and truly for rainy days, but others work great for those snow days when it’s just too cold for your children to go outdoors for long. The bonus on this site is the classic Gene Kelly clip from Singing in the Rain – where he walks and dances in the rain while signing that signature tune. I can’t get the “smile of my face.”

What are some of your favorite things to do when the weather brings your kids inside and cabin fever sets in?