A long walk in the woods and then a trip to the playground—your weekend plans with your little explorer were already set. If only the weather didn’t spoil everything: it’s pouring rain, and there’s no end in sight. To keep worst-case scenarios—an under-stimulated child and frazzled parents—from becoming reality, we’ve put together five rainy-day games for toddlers from 18 months old. And the best part: everything you need is probably already at home!

Make and test noise-making toys

In a noisy apartment with sensitive neighbors, this might not be the right activity ;), but otherwise, (homemade) instruments are a wonderful way to spend a bad-weather day. The different sounds won’t just bring your baby lots of fun—they’ll also introduce them to rhythm and tone. This playful approach helps them discover music and supports their overall development. For example, you can rhythmically accompany your little explorer with spoken verses. This trains their sense of language and supports their linguistic development . Children often find it difficult at first to hold an instrument and use it in a controlled way. You can also practice switching between playing and being still.

You can easily make these "noise makers" from household items:

• One Honk made from a toilet paper roll and a piece of parchment paper that you stretch over one end of the roll with a rubber band

• Drums made from various upside-down bowls and a wooden spoon

• Sound sticks made from two wooden cooking spoons

• A Rainmaker made from a kitchen paper roll, into which you stick nails all around from the outside. They should be short enough that they do not protrude on the other side. To prevent your child from pulling out the nails and injuring themselves, it’s best to wrap the tube with adhesive tape and not leave it unattended during play. Close one end of the roll by folding some paper over it and securing it with adhesive tape. Then fill the tube with rice, lentils, or something similar, and close the other end in the same way. When you slowly let the filling trickle through the tube, it almost sounds like it’s raining in your apartment.

• Rattles made from securely sealable containers, filled with rice, lentils, or something similar (Tip: Try it with your child to see how different fillings sound.)

• Castanets made from a cardboard strip and two bottle caps: Fold the cardboard in the middle and glue the bottle caps inside so they can hit each other.

Get creative with the LILLYDOO box

When you take apart your LILLYDOO monthly box, the white interior with the dandelions becomes a giant coloring book. Just add a few wax crayons, and your little one can unleash their artistic talents. Maybe you can also come up with more ideas for reusing our cardboard. Inspiration can be found in our magazine article "". For example, how about a homemade tipi where you can have the most exciting adventures in the living room—even in bad weather? Or you can build a wonderful knight’s castle or a princess castle together—the video shows you how to do it.

Make your own dough and knead it

Even young children can spend hours with modeling clay: shaping, rolling out, cutting out, or making "spaghetti" with a garlic press… However, store-bought modeling clay often contains unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. You can also easily make this colorful mixture yourself using common household ingredients.

You need this:

• 500 grams of flour

• 175 grams of salt

• 3 tablespoons of citric acid in powder form

• 7 tablespoons of cooking oil (for example, sunflower or rapeseed oil)

• 500 milliliters of boiling water

• Liquid food coloring

Here's how to proceed:

Mix the dry ingredients together and add the cooking oil. Then gradually pour in the boiling water and knead (preferably with an electric mixer so you don’t burn your fingers) until a smooth dough forms. Divide it into as many parts as you have food-coloring shades. Add the respective color and knead the dough pieces until the color is evenly distributed. Your safe, child-friendly play dough is ready (but your child shouldn’t eat it due to the high salt content)!

To help your child enjoy it for as long as possible, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This way, the play dough stays soft for several months, and the oil doesn’t go rancid as quickly.

Set up a barefoot course in the apartment

Create your own barefoot adventure trail using objects with different textures. Your imagination knows no limits: from a fluffy bath mat to a bowl of marbles to a water basin—your little explorer will have lots of fun discovering the different surfaces with their feet. In addition, walking barefoot strengthens their foot muscles and trains their sensory skills. You can’t always go for a walk in the forest. ;)

Organize a treasure hunt in the apartment

Who says treasures are only hidden on deserted pirate islands? Host your own little treasure hunt at home! Maybe you’ll have to cross a rushing river of water buckets or find safety from a dangerous house tiger along the way…

You probably know best what kind of prize your child will be most excited about. A sweet treat, a small book, or a little toy are all great options, for example. For very young treasure hunters, it’s best not to hide the treasure too deeply in the living-room jungle, as they’ll also need your support during the search.

We hope these game ideas have given you some inspiration for the next bad-weather day. Make yourself comfortable with your child and get creative together with the items you already have at home. And surely the sun will be shining again soon! :)