Rainy day? Restless kids? Empty fridge of ideas? We've got you. Here are five science-based crafts that'll keep little ones entertained, educated, and away from the TV. Best bit is they all use ingredients you already have at home, and they’re the perfect rainy day kids crafts.

 

Dancing Kernels

Popcorn is well known for its jumpy enthusiasm during the cooking process, but did you know kernels will actually dance when submerged in the right combination of ingredients?

You'll need:

• Transparent jar (jam jars are perfect)
• Popcorn kernels
• Water
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Optional: food coloring

How to:

1. Half fill your jar with water
2. Stir in ½ tablespoon baking soda
3. Add a handful of popcorn kernels
4. Slowly pour in white vinegar until the jar is ¾ full
5. Watch them dance!

For extra fun, add a few drops of food coloring, and use two different colors to sneak in a lesson on color theory.

 

Oobleck

What kid doesn't love a tactile, semi-messy activity? Oobleck, or non-Newtonian fluid, is a global favourite, especially amongst families with SEN children. And with only two ingredients, it's easy to see why.

Worried about clean-up? Wash it down the drain with plenty of water, pop their clothes in a normal wash, and rinse their skin. Easy.

You'll need:

• A large bowl
• Cornstarch
• Water
• Optional: food coloring

How to:

1. Add 75g cornstarch to a bowl
2. Pour in 50–60ml water
3. Mix until no dry lumps remain
4. Add food coloring for extra fun

 

Slime That Won't Stick to the Carpet

Ooey-gooey slime is a childhood staple, but it has a habit of ending up embedded in your home forever. This version uses the same ingredients as oobleck, just in a different ratio, so kids can find their perfect consistency with the same easy clean-up. Plus it’s taste safe and non-toxic.

You'll need:

• 3 bowls
• Cornstarch
• Water
• Food coloring

How to:

1. Fill one bowl with cornstarch, a second with water, and leave the third empty in the centre
2. Add a scoop or spoon to each filled bowl
3. Let them experiment, adding and mixing until they find their perfect slime consistency

 

Fizzy Sandscapes

Colored sand with a secret fizzing trick hidden inside. This one buys you a solid rainy afternoon. A great starting point: mix green and blue sand to build a world, let them arrange their toy animals across land and sea, then hand over the pipette and watch the magic happen.

You'll need:

• A tray or bowl
• Baking soda
• Food coloring
• Small wooden or plastic toys
• White vinegar
• A pipette or spray bottle

How to:

1. Mix baking soda with a couple of drops of food coloring to create your colored sand
2. Arrange it in the tray in whatever pattern or design you like
3. Add toys for them to play and organize
4. Spray or drop white vinegar over the sand and watch it fizz

 

Reusable Coloring

Want something calm, mess-free, screen-free, and educational? Our space explorer textile coloring lets kids learn about space while they color. Then it goes straight in the washing machine, the ink washes out, and they can start all over again.

Choose from a pencil case or placemat for on-the-go entertainment, or pajamas and a pillowcase for a wind-down evening activity. Everything is made from 100% cotton and comes with 10 magic wash-out markers.

You'll need:

• An eatsleepdoodle space explorer product (magic markers included)
• A washing machine

How to:

1. Color in and explore space using our online learning resource
2. Pop it in the next laundry load to remove the ink
3. Repeat. As many times as you like.

Which craft will you try first? We'd love to see your experiments over on Instagram and TikTok. And if reusable coloring sounds like your thing but space isn't quite the theme, browse our full range of designs on the website.