Don’t let stormy weather give your family the blues. Take advantage of the next gray day in Glenview, Illinois, with our guide. Here are some terrific ideas for fun things for kids and adults.

Get Cooking

Two Girls Playing With Flour on a Wooden Kitchen Counter by Polesie Toys is licensed with Pexels License

One of the best ways to stay out of wet weather is to spend time in the kitchen. Cooking with the kids has plenty of benefits that far exceed staying warm and cozy inside. For example, baking a batch of warm brownies can help your children practice their math skills, learn about chemistry, and learn how to follow directions. Try preparing a kid-friendly dish from another culture and discuss how the ingredients differ from your own, like spaghetti or burritos.

They’ll unleash their inner Gordon Ramsey with this fun activity, and if you don’t know how to cook, take a virtual class from home. There are numerous culinary educational options available, like The Kids’ Table. This popular virtual school also touts a studio right in Chicago, where your child can take a one-hour course, a day off camp, or work with parents to make a healthy family dinner whenever the skies turn gray. Your child can even chef it up at school with Crème de la Crème’s exciting curriculum elements. 

Stage a Live Performance

Most children are natural performers, and it doesn’t take much to get them laughing at their own antics on stage. Whether they’re acting out their favorite movie or belting out America’s Top 40 on their guitar, a jam session is a terrific way for the whole family to forget about the stormy weather outside.

If their instruments make more squeaks and squawks than a flock of geese, you’re in luck. There are plenty of places that offer music classes for kids around Glenview. According to a recent article in the American Scientist, learning music as a child can boost their brain and cognitive functions — for life. With a bit of formal instruction, you may also see their creativity and confidence soar.

Take a Mommy and Me Class

Next time it’s raining cats and dogs, grab your umbrellas and head to a local mommy and me class. It’s terrific if you and your little one are into art, dance, or yoga because you’ll find a spot near your Glenview home that caters to your interests. Instructors gear these courses specifically to your youngest children, usually from birth to preschool.

Kids can get hands-on and indulge their creative passions with paint at The Paintbrush. At this studio, you’ll find a bit more than merely finger paints. With its Little ART Explorers class, babies as young as 12 months will learn to recognize colors and shapes under the guidance of professional art teachers. So whether their subject is a warm yellow sun or thunderclouds, it’s a fantastic way to get out of the rain.

Visit a Local Museum

Thanks to Glenview’s proximity to Chicago, we are lucky to have access to so many outstanding museums. One of our favorite destinations is the Kohl Children’s Museum. Kids of all ages love its engaging exhibits, including permanent installations like Build It, City on the Move, and Pet Vet, plus special temporary displays like Nature Cat: Backyard and Beyond.

You’ll discover many other ways for kids to play, learn, and explore at the museum. Inspire your child’s creativity and imagination with special programs, from story time and science experiments to art adventures and theater games. They’re free with museum admission.

Get To Know the Library

Get out of the weather and get inside your public library. It’s not just for books anymore. The branch in Glenview offers a wide range of innovative programs for all ages, like Monday Movers. So put on your dancing shoes and join the youth services librarians for a twirling good time or drop in with your older kids for games and activities. There’s chess, Dungeons & Dragons groups, and Smash Bros Tournaments. Yes, all at the library.

Beyond the traditional paper books, you can help inspire a lifelong love of reading and encourage your kids to check out e-books and audiobooks or stream a movie. Then, stop by for story time with your toddler on Tuesday mornings. Hopefully, the sun will be back out after this fun and interactive 30-minute activity.

Play a Board Game

Next time gloomy weather has your kids pacing from room to room, get out a board game. Sure, you’ll likely be met with boos instead of cheers, but persevere. While a classic round of Monopoly may not come with the action, lights, and sounds that the latest video game does, there’s something magical about moving your piece around the board. This activity can also develop cognitive skills, reasoning, and critical thinking while teaching kids social-emotional development, patience, and turn-taking.

If your family doesn’t have a stash of board games, check one out from the library after story time. It’s a wholesome substitute for two hours of screen time, so ask them to put down their techy toys and gather around the dining room table. By the time you land at your child’s Park Place hotel, the skies may be clearing, and it’ll be time to head outside.

Do a Workout

One of the best things about exercise is that it releases endorphins, those feel-good chemicals in your brain. So when you put on a dance video or get out the yoga mats, unfavorable weather conditions won’t get you down. There are many activities you and the kids can do from the comfort of home to burn off that extra energy.

We recommend hosting a snowball fight with crinkled-up paper balls or playing parachute with a bed sheet. A living room obstacle course or a round of The Floor is Lava will make the time fly by. Even something as simple as a round of calisthenics, like jumping jacks and sit-ups, will get your blood flowing on a cold day.

Gray days can provide an excellent opportunity for family time, so take advantage of this moment with our list of things to do. Which suggestion did you like best? Let us know, and don’t hesitate to drop us a line if we missed your favorite rainy-day activity.