If you don't want to plunk them down in front of the TV, keeping kids busy and happy on a rainy day is a challenge. This checklist of things to keep on hand will ensure that your kids always have something creative to do!

Assortment of old buttons (the button box is a great favorite!)

Scissors

Glue

Tape - masking and scotch

Thin string

Colored yarn

Construction paper, many colors

Regular white paper

Crayons (I like to keep them sharpened)

Colored marking pens

Hole punch

Assortment of cardboard things: boxes, toilet paper tubes, etc.

Assortment plastic things: bottle lids, pen lids, plastic containers w/ lids, etc.

Old magazines or catalogs with lots of pictures to cut out (they especially like the toy catalogs...)

Popsickle sticks

Toothpicks

An old blanket (and a couple of chairs in a corner to drape it over)

Recipe for modeling clay (see below)

Snack stuff (see below for my grandkids' favorite tidbits..)

 EASY CLAY RECIPE

Mix together

2 /12 cups flour

1 cup water

1 cup salt

Food coloring, optional

Store in refrigerator.

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OUR FAVORITE TIDBITS

My grandchildren are fussy eaters. But they love our little tidbits, served on a plate in small bits and piles, and eaten with their fingers for the most part. The key is the smallness of everything. These are just a few of their favorites:

Raisins, dried apricots and other dried fruit

Almonds

Peanut butter on crackers

Cheese, sliced VERY thin, or in little cubes

Apple slices

Banana slices (leave the peeling on, just make a slice on one side so it's easy to peel off)

Fishy crackers (the ones shaped like little fishes)

Peanuts (not in a shell)

Pretzels

Carrot sticks (very thinly sliced)

Chocolate chips

Applesauce

Cinnamon toast, cut into small bitsized pieces

Chex snack mix (we love to make this ourselves - combine rice, corn and wheat Chex cereal with peanuts and pretzel sticks and a little seasoning salt)