What to do when it rains?

I like to find things to do with my kids when it rains. There are all sorts of things to do when the weather is nice, and here in Southern California the weather is normally nice. But for those few times when the weather is bad and you have kids at home either during the week or on the weekend, I have tried to compile a list of things you can do.

Here are a few things you can do when it rains (most prices are inexpensive and some are free):

Visit a children's museum
La Habra Children's Museum: http://www.lahabracity.com/section.cfm?id=41

The Bowers Kidseum: http://www.bowers.org/kidseum.php/

Pretend City Children's Museum in Irvine:  http://www.pretendcity.org/
Visit an indoor play area:

McDonald's (Click on link, type in your desired zip code, and look for a location with a play place):
http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/rest_locator.html

Seascape Kids Fun (Anaheim indoor play area-check for open play times):
http://www.seascapekidsfun.com/


Go to the library:
 Orange County Public Libraries  http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/OC%20Public%20Libraries

Go to the mall for some exercise, window shopping, and a snack (some may be open-air):
Irvine Spectrum Center http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/ 

Enderle Center in Tustin  http://www.enderlecenter.com/


Little Saigon in Westminster  http://www.daytrippen.com/littlesaigon.html
and the Asian Garden Mall
http://www.asiangardenmall.com/main.html

Westminster Mall  http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=240


Citadel Factory Outlet Stores (actually LA County in Commerce)  http://www.citadeloutlets.com/

Brea Mall  http://www.simon.com/mall/?id=233

Ontario Mills Mall (actually in Riverside County, but close enough!)
http://www.simon.com/mall/?id=1258

The Village at Orange  http://www.thevillageatorange.com/

The Block at Orange  http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?id=1236

South Coast Plaza  http://www.southcoastplaza.com

Bella Terra Shopping Mall in Huntington Beach  http://www.bellaterra-hb.com/about.php

Some things to do if you don't mind spending some money:

Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana  http://www.discoverycube.org/default.aspx

Aquarium of the Pacific  http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/

Other things you can do in the home:

Play some board games, but be sure to stock up on games before a rainy day. Board games can be expensive but you can purchase them at your local discount store (like Wal Mart or Target), or you can get them even cheaper at a thrift store.

Create some art. Get out the paint, lots of paper, crayons, colored pencils, chalk, and a plastic cover for the table and floor and let the kids create some art. A great way for them to be creative is to spread out a plastic cover on the floor (even a plastic table cover from a dollar store will work great), put large pieces of paper (found at craft stores, discount stores and online) on the floor and let them do what they do best. Be sure to display the art on the walls or even in frames so they can be proud of their accomplishments.

Build something. You can use Lego, MegaBloks, Lincon Logs, blocks, or any other type of building toy and spread it out on a big table to create new things.

Keep a box of 'rainy day toys' for the preschool age children. I frequently take toys that my son hasn't played with in a while and store them on a shelf in the closet in an unmarked box. When it rains or when he seems to be unusually bored, I get out these 'new' toys and he has a great time. If you rotate his/her toys you can get more use out of them and keep them active without the dreaded electronic games.

Last, but not least:

Let them play with the electronic game systems like the Wii, Playstation, and XBox. Even educational hand-held toys from companies like Leap Frog and VTech are great for rainy days. On these days, you can let them play a little longer than normal without taking a break. The world won't end...they won't develop rotten brains...but you just might have an easier time at home during a not-so-beautiful day.  

I hope this has helped and has sparked your imagination to think of things to do with your kids on a rainy day.