For kids fresh out of school and excited for summer vacation, waking up to a gray, rainy day can be pretty disappointing. Games are cancelled. The grass is a muddy mess. Lightning branches across the sky and puts puddle-splashing plans on hold. Thankfully, for most kids, the disappointment is temporary. It’s summer vacation, and there’s still plenty of fun, creative activities to do indoors. Here are a few rainy day activities for kids that will help pass the time and transform a drizzly afternoon into an exciting indoor adventure.

Creative Campsite

When the rain is falling, the living room can be just as appealing as the backyard. With a Build-a-Fort Kit, kids can construct their very own fortress. Use the fabric panels, rope, clips and suction cups to design the fort. Once it’s built, kids can bring their toys inside and use the included glow wands as an exciting way to illuminate a favorite activity. Kit also includes a storage bag. Adult supervision suggested during assembly.

Rain Delay Ready

Just because the ballgame is delayed doesn’t mean your kids can’t spend an afternoon on the diamond. They can easily celebrate their favorite home field with the MLB 1,000-Pc. Panoramic Puzzle. The large puzzle is perfect for the entire family, satisfying puzzle enthusiasts as well as die-hard baseball fans. Each puzzle offers a sweeping view of their favorite field from inside the stadium, and the humongous piece count provides a challenge that rivals hitting a grand slam or striking out the side with runners in scoring position.

Sci-Fi Solution

A rainy day is the perfect occasion for a little friendly competition. With the dual player Discovery Kids Spaceship Laser Tag game, kids can score hits by firing invisible infrared beams. With each direct hit, the spaceship-shaped shooter makes intergalactic sound effects and vibrations. The shooters have a dome on top that lights up and an easy-to-grip handle with a ‘fire’ button. Effective shooting range up to 33 feet. For indoor and outdoor play. Reset and reload button. On/off switch. Requires 6 “AAA” batteries.

Great Mind Game

Whenever your kids need a break from running around, they can still enjoy a friendly, competitive activity at the table or on the family room floor. With the Wood Shut the Box Game, kids have the opportunity to hone their math skills while trying to defeat their opponents. A traditional game of counting and probability dating back to the 18^th century, the strategy game involves rolling dice and using combinations to shut down your numbers 1 through 10 before the other players. For 1 to 4 players. For ages 8 and up.

Play with the Pup

Dogs are stuck inside on rainy days just like everyone else, and are almost always excited to get involved in your kids’ fun games. With the Stuffing-Free Animal Dog Toys, your kids can pass the time playing fetch, tug-of-war and much more. Sold as a set of four, the durable toys will bring out your dog’s natural instincts, and the stuffing-free design means they won’t make a mess if they get too wild and accidentally tear open a hole. The soft, easy-to-grab toys have two squeakers inside for double the fun!