Creative Activities for Hurricane Days

Living in Florida offers us so many great things—stunning beaches, peaceful rivers, and beautiful trees that make our surroundings special especially St. Johns County. However, hurricane season is one part of living here that we need to prepare for. As we get ready for the storms ahead, let’s remember that we’re all in this together. While we’re stuck inside during these storms, we’ve put together a list of fun activities to help us stay connected with our families, friends and partners and there are plenty of ways to make our indoor time enjoyable. Let’s keep our state and local community in our thoughts and support each other through this challenging time.

1. DIY Indoor Obstacle Course

-What You’ll Need: Chairs, pillows, blankets, string, tape, etc.

-How to Play: Turn your living room or hallway into an obstacle course! Kids can crawl under chairs, jump over pillows, or hop on one foot from one point to another. You can use tape or string to create a “laser” course they have to dodge.

2. Treasure Hunt

-What You’ll Need: Small toys, snacks, or household items to hide, plus some clues.

-How to Play: Create a simple treasure hunt around the house by hiding objects and giving kids clues to find them. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you like.

3. DIY Slime

-What You’ll Need: Glue, baking soda, and contact lens solution.

-How to Play: Mix together 4 oz of glue, ½ tsp baking soda, and 1½ tbsp contact lens solution to make slime. Add food coloring or glitter to make it extra fun.

4. DIY Cardboard Car Race

-What You’ll Need: Empty toilet paper rolls, markers, scissors, and string.

-How to Play: Decorate toilet paper rolls to look like cars. Attach a piece of string and race them down a slanted surface like a book or cardboard ramp.

5. Shadow Drawing

-What You’ll Need: Paper, pencils, toys or objects, and a flashlight or lamp.

-How to Play: Place toys or objects in front of a flashlight and let kids trace the shadows on paper. They can color them in and turn them into their own masterpiece.

6. Cook or Bake Together

-What You’ll Need: Whatever ingredients you have in your pantry!

-How to Play: Get kids involved in the kitchen by baking cookies, cupcakes, or even helping with dinner. It’s a fun way to teach them measurements and cooking basics.

7. DIY Balloon Tennis

-What You’ll Need: Balloons, paper plates, popsicle sticks or spoons.

-How to Play: Attach popsicle sticks to the back of paper plates to create

rackets and use a balloon as the tennis ball. Kids can hit the balloon back and forth, working off some their energy.

8. Build a Blanket Fort

-What You’ll Need: Blankets, sheets, pillows, and chairs

-How to Play: Let the kids get creative by building their own cozy hideaway. Add some flashlights and a few snacks to turn it into a movie-watching or story-telling den.

9. Candlelit Board Games or Card Games

-What You’ll Need: Board games, card games, or a deck of cards, and candles.

-How to Play: Break out a board game or a deck of cards for some friendly competition by candlelight. Like Monopoly, Scrabble, or just a simple game of cards!

10. Storytelling or "Would You Rather" Games

-What You’ll Need: Just your imagination!

-How to Play: Take turns telling funny or creative stories, or play a game of "Would You Rather" to get to know each other in a new way. You can make the questions light-hearted or dive into some fun deep conversations.

11. Who Am I?

-What You’ll Need: Sticky notes or paper.

-How to Play: Write the names of famous people, fictional characters, or friends on sticky notes. Stick one on your partner’s forehead without them seeing it. They then ask yes-or-no questions to guess who they are!

12. Memory Game

-What You’ll Need: A collection of random household items.

-How to Play: Place several items on a tray and let your partner observe them for a minute. Cover the tray, and see how many items they can remember.

13. DIY Wine or Cocktail Tasting

-What You’ll Need: A few bottles of wine or different liquors, mixers, and snacks.

-How to Play: Turn your kitchen or living room into a cozy wine or cocktail tasting. Pick a few different drinks, create tasting notes, and pair them with small bites like cheese or chocolate. You can even rate the drinks and find new favorites!

Stay grounded, stay safe. This storm will pass. We are stronger together.
XX,

SJM