Indoor Kids Birthday Party Ideas For Rainy Days
Even in the height of summer, British weather can’t be relied on. You might have planned an exciting outdoor football party, only for the grey clouds to creep in just hours before festivities are meant to begin.
But there’s no such thing as ‘bad weather’. If you plan ahead, you can adapt your day to accommodate everything from blazing sunshine to a torrential downpour.
We’ve helped thousands of parents all across the UK to deliver a memorable party in all kinds of weather, so we know a thing or two about indoor birthday party ideas. Let’s run through some of the best kids birthday party ideas for rainy days, so that you can be prepared no matter what the weather report is saying.
Living Room Olympics
One of the trickiest problems to solve with an indoor kids party is that your guests will still be filled with energy – even if they can’t get outside. The solution? Indoor Olympic Games.
This could involve a number of sports adapted for the living room, such as:
- Paper Plane Javelin: Get each of your guests to build their own paper airplane, and see who can get theirs to fly the furthest. Bonus points should be given out for the coolest design!
- Low-stakes Balance Beam: Stick a length of tape along the floor, and you’ve got yourself an instant balance beam (without the risk of anybody getting hurt!).
- Balloon Volleyball: Tie a piece of string at head-height, blow up some balloons, and suddenly, your party space is transformed into a volleyball court.
For all of these Olympic variants, make sure to clear away any valuable or fragile items that you might have lying around. You don’t want your enthusiastic guests to break a priceless vase when they dive to return a serve!
Expert tip: Our Soccer Superstar or All-Star Sports Party packages can be held indoors, and provide just as much fun and excitement for your guests as outdoor gatherings. We can also host these in your home, or at a nearby indoor venue.
Disco Raves for Rainy Days
You don’t need sunshine to bust a move. Almost all of our parties include some kind of music-themed game, and these work best indoors, whether the sun is shining or it’s raining cats and dogs.
Add these fun musical games to your list of indoor birthday party ideas, and you’ll have everybody grooving no matter the weather:
- Animal Freeze: When the music stops, guests need to freeze. But rather than just standing still, you can theme the game around animals by asking them to freeze like a particular jungle creature (e.g. “Freeze like a gorilla!”).
- Balloon Dance-Off: Tie a balloon around every child’s ankle, and get the music bumping. Their goal is to pop everybody else’s balloon while protecting their own.
- Sinking Islands: Think of this like a reverse game of musical chairs. Rather than guests getting out if they don’t sit down when the music stops, you remove ‘islands’ from the floor. These can be cut-out paper circles, and as they reduce, your guests need to work out how to all balance on the remaining islands.
Expert tip: Our Cool Kids Disco Party is a favourite for parents who want to bring musical fun to any kind of party venue. With smoke machines and bubbles, we’ll create an exciting atmosphere come rain or shine.
DIY Arts & Crafts
When you’re spending a rainy day with your kids, there’s nothing better than putting down the screens, turning off the TV, and getting hands-on with something crafty. And when planning a rainy day birthday party, you can bring this same low-key energy to a larger group.
If you want to calm down the room for a bit after a few hectic games, these hands-on activities are the perfect choice:
- Indoor Fort Building: Save up boxes from your Amazon deliveries, and task your guests with building an indestructible box castle fit for a princess.
- Handmade Decorations: Get your guests involved in decorating for the party itself! You could task them with drawing and cutting out spooky Halloween spiders from paper plates, or highly personalised paper snowflakes for a wintery theme.
- Messy Experiments: Kids love getting messy, and hands-on crafts are the perfect way to blend their curiosity and creativity. You could task them with creating a ‘nebula jar’, which is as easy as stuffing a plastic bottle with cotton wool, water, paint, and glitter. Give it a shake and you’ve got a mesmerising galaxy in your hand!
Expert tip: Lots of our parties allow kids to get hands-on. Our Wacky Science Party is packed with exciting experiments and messy activities that’ll get their creative juices flowing.
Let’s throw the best party ever, no matter the weather
Hopefully these indoor birthday party ideas have inspired you, but if you have any other questions, please get in touch with our friendly team, who will be happy to help. And don’t forget to browse our parent-approved party packages, with immersive themes to suit all interests!
