There is a form of magic in the quiet of a rainy day; the children’s feet are restless, and there is a desire for something to be both fun and productive. One way to fill this desire is through indoor literacy games. These will create an atmosphere in the living room that supports growing attention, makes sense of new sounds, and encourages the development of the ability to connect words.
Here are some simple ideas and ways to incorporate these literacy games, and how to use them, where to set them up, and ways to encourage engagement from your children without creating a school environment.
4 Easy Indoor Literacy Games for Rainy Days
1) Sound Hop in the Lounge
What: Place 3-4 cushions on the floor, and put a letter card on each.
How: Call out a sound (do not call out the letter name). Ask them to hop to the cushion that has the sound you called out. Switch the letters after several minutes.
Where: Any open area of flooring in your home will work.
When: A great activity to do as a quick pick-me-up of energy between meals and/or storytime.
Why it helps: While engaging in movement, your child develops sound awareness; as a result, focus and fun can coexist.
2) Mystery Bag of Beginning Sounds
What: Collect various household items like a spoon, pen, sock, peg, etc. and put them inside a large ziplock bag.
How: They select an item from the bag, identify the sound of the item, and locate the corresponding letter card on the table.
Where: At the kitchen table, or at a coffee table.
When: Great to do during the process of making tea.
Tip: Add a funny timer to your cell phone for added excitement.
3) Fridge Words Using Sticky Notes
What: Write simple words on sticky notes and place them around the fridge or a door.
How: Have your child read one note and stick it next to the matching picture on a page you drew earlier. Start with CVC Words like cat, pin, sun, mop, then add digraph words such as ship, chin, that, shed to grow awareness of letter teams.
Where: Kitchen spaces are ideal since you can pair words with everyday objects.
When: Before dinner, while food is in the oven.
Growth idea: Let your child draw the pictures for tomorrow’s words.
4) Story Dice and Rainy Day Stories
What: Create a simple dice using paper, or you can use building blocks. On three sides of the dice, draw a person, a place, and an object.
How: Roll the dice, then tell a story about what was rolled. Speak first to model a sentence. Then ask your child to continue the story by adding another sentence.
Where: On the carpet with a cozy blanket.
When: Late in the afternoon, when energy levels drop.
Why it helps: Telling stories orally increases vocabulary, builds sequence, and provides encouragement for speaking confidently.
A Gentle Reminder For Parents
Rainy days can seem long and boring for kids. It’s perfectly normal if your child appears to be losing enthusiasm for an activity; this is completely fine. Limit the amount of time of each activity, give some positive feedback for what they are doing in order to help keep them motivated, and have them finish with a “high”.
The main goal of these activities is not to produce “perfect” work, but to spark interest and make tiny developmental strides. And if you’re looking for even more ways to fill the afternoon, check out our favorite non-literacy rainy day fun.
