BusyBeesRainy day activities for 3 year olds at home
Nine BusyBees games from age 3 for a wet day at home: Cushion Island Rescue, Cushion Obstacle Course, Cushion Reading Den, Teddy Clinic, Torn Paper Animals, Pretend Restaurant, Shadow Puppet Theater, Rainbow Scavenger Hunt and Cardboard Castle. They take between 10 and 30 minutes each.
- 9 games
- From age 3
- 10 to 30 minutes each
- 2 written out in full
Pick one for right now
| Game | From age | Minutes | You need |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cushion Island Rescue | 3 | 15 | Sofa cushions or pillows, 3 to 5 stuffed animals, A timer |
 Cushion Obstacle Course | 3 | 15 | Cushions, A sturdy table, A timer |
 Cushion Reading Den | 3 | 20 | Sofa cushions, A light sheet, A few books |
 Teddy Clinic | 3 | 15 | Soft toys, Flannels or clean socks for bandages, Paper and a crayon |
 Torn Paper Animals | 3 | 15 | Scrap paper or old envelopes, Tape, Crayons |
 Pretend Restaurant | 3 | 20 | Paper for menus, Play food, A tea towel |
 Shadow Puppet Theater | 3 | 15 | A torch, A blank wall, Paper and tape (optional) |
 Rainbow Scavenger Hunt | 3 | 10 | A timer, Your eyes |
 Cardboard Castle | 3 | 30 | A cardboard box, Crayons, Scissors (adult job) |
The 9 games
Game 1 of 9
Cushion Island Rescue
The floor is lava! Hop across cushion islands to rescue the stuffed animals stranded on the far side.
- From age 3
- 15 min
- Indoors
- Active
- No prep
You need
- Sofa cushions or pillows
- 3 to 5 stuffed animals
- A timer
Keep an eye on
Keep the islands on carpet or a rug, close together, and away from table edges and corners.
With you
Stay in the room while they play.
Game 2 of 9
Cushion Obstacle Course
Crawl under the table, hop over cushions, spin three times and beat the clock.
- From age 3
- 15 min
- Indoors
- Active
- 5 min prep
You need
- Cushions
- A sturdy table
- A timer
Keep an eye on
Use a sturdy table that cannot tip, keep the course on carpet, and move anything with sharp corners.
With you
Stay in the room while they play. Step 1 is a grown-up's job.
The steps for Cushion Obstacle Course, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 3 of 9
Cushion Reading Den
Build a small den from cushions and a sheet, then crawl in with a pile of books. A good one for a rainy afternoon.
- From age 3
- 20 min
- Indoors
- Calm
- 5 min prep
You need
- Sofa cushions
- A light sheet
- A few books
Keep an eye on
Only cushions and a light sheet, on the floor: nothing heavy on top, and no chairs or other furniture holding it up.
With you
Stay in the room while they play. Step 1 and step 2 are a grown-up's job.
The steps for Cushion Reading Den, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 4 of 9
Teddy Clinic
The soft toys are feeling poorly and your child is the vet. A quiet game that can run beside you while you cook or get on with something.
- From age 3
- 15 min
- Indoors
- Pretend
- No prep
You need
- Soft toys
- Flannels or clean socks for bandages
- Paper and a crayon
Keep an eye on
Bandages are flannels or socks, tucked in and not tied, and only for the toys: on a paw or a tummy, never round a neck.
With you
Stay in the room while they play.
Game 5 of 9
Torn Paper Animals
No scissors needed. Tear paper into shapes, tape them down and turn them into animals. Easy to set up at the table while you cook nearby.
- From age 3
- 15 min
- Indoors
- Creative
- No prep
You need
- Scrap paper or old envelopes
- Tape
- Crayons
Keep an eye on
A grown-up keeps the roll of tape and hands out short bits, and the paper scraps go in the bin at the end.
With you
Stay in the room while they play. Step 3 is a grown-up's job.
The steps for Torn Paper Animals, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 6 of 9
Pretend Restaurant
Kids run the kitchen, you are the fussy customer. Menus, orders, and dramatic reviews.
- From age 3
- 20 min
- Indoors
- Pretend
- 5 min prep
You need
- Paper for menus
- Play food
- A tea towel
Keep an eye on
The tea towel is a tablecloth or goes round the waist, never round the neck.
With you
Play together the whole time.
The steps for Pretend Restaurant, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 7 of 9
Shadow Puppet Theater
Dim the lights, grab a torch, and put on a shadow puppet show with your hands and paper cutouts.
- From age 3
- 15 min
- Indoors
- Creative
- 5 min prep
You need
- A torch
- A blank wall
- Paper and tape (optional)
Keep an eye on
A grown-up places the torch and does the cutting. Nobody shines the torch into eyes.
With you
Play together the whole time. Step 1 and step 3 are a grown-up's job.
The steps for Shadow Puppet Theater, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 8 of 9
Rainbow Scavenger Hunt
Race to find one object for every colour of the rainbow before the timer runs out.
- From age 3
- 10 min
- Indoors
- Active
- No prep
You need
- A timer
- Your eyes
Keep an eye on
Say which rooms are in the game, and keep the stairs and the kitchen out of it.
With you
Stay in the room while they play.
The steps for Rainbow Scavenger Hunt, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Game 9 of 9
Cardboard Castle
Turn a box into a castle for the toys: cut a door, decorate with crayons, then defend it from stuffed-animal invaders.
- From age 3
- 30 min
- Creative
You need
- A cardboard box
- Crayons
- Scissors (adult job)
Keep an eye on
A grown-up does all the cutting and checks for sharp card edges. The castle is for the toys: nobody climbs inside.
With you
Play together the whole time. Step 1 is a grown-up's job.
The steps for Cardboard Castle, with a picture for each, are in the BusyBees app.
Questions parents ask
What can I do on a rainy day with my toddler?
From age 3, any of these nine. If your child is younger than 3 these are not for them yet, because the app only offers a game from its starting age. The guide to games for 1 year olds has seven for the very youngest.
How do I entertain a 3 year old indoors at home?
With cushions you can do three different things: hop between islands, run an obstacle course, or build a reading den. With paper you can tear animals or draw a restaurant menu. With a torch and a blank wall you can put on a shadow show.
What fills a whole afternoon?
Three games in a row, each a different kind: a moving game, then a making game, then a quiet one. For example Cushion Island Rescue (about 15 minutes), Cardboard Castle (about 30) and Cushion Reading Den (about 20). That is a little over an hour of playing, with the setting up and clearing away around it.
What this guide does not do
All nine start at age 3. Shadow Puppet Theater, Pretend Restaurant and Cardboard Castle are marked "Play together the whole time", and in several of the games a grown-up does the cutting, places the torch or builds the den.
A grown-up is always responsible for safety and supervises play. The age on each game is where it starts in the app, and a game marked for age 3 is never offered for a 2 year old.