As the parent of an adult, I can tell you that the time your children are young is really very short - really! You turn around and they are all grown up, doing their own thing, and you've missed the opportunity to have quiet times with them. Here are some fun rainy day activities to do with the kids indoors while it's blowing and rainy outdoors. Some are good even when the weather is nice. So give some of these a try, and make some fun memories for your children to someday repeat with their children.

1. Christmas is over, and I'm sure your kids got a few new toys. What about the old ones? One of the more productive rainy day activities is having a sorting day and sort the toys into three piles: Keep, Give Away, and Toss. Let them race against a timer. It will be fun, as well as teach them about giving to those less fortunate, and that it's OK to discard something you really don't use.

2. This is a suggestion to be carried out monthly but can be done as one of your rainy day activities: Have a Family Date Night or a Special Family Night. Have a family pow-wow, so everyone can plan. Choose a night and a theme. Come up with a menu for dinner. Pick games to play after dinner. Have the kids find things around the house or on the Internet to decorate. Idea: Italian night, where you make your own pizza, decorating with flags or pictures depicting famous things in Italy. Play a word game - guessing what common words in Italian mean, such as sedia = chair, base = bed, amore = love, even pantomiming the meanings.

3. Pencil and Paper Games can be found on the www.todaysparent.com website, including hangman, tic-tac-toe, and more. An Indoor Greenhouse would be a fun activity that comes with lessons in science and responsibility and is one of the more educational rainy day activities. Instructions can be found at www.atozkidsstuff.com. They also have some fun recipes, including a Green Drink made with (yellow) lemonade and (blue) Kool-Aid, and Sun-Baked S'mores.

4. Camp out in your living room for the most sporty of our rainy day activities: pitch a tent and bring out the sleeping bags. Spend the night, (with the TV off) and even invite a few friends.

5. More food fun: Supervise the cutting up of fruits and vegetables, and make a picture on a paper plate. Rule: They must eat what they create. Don't forget the camera!

6. A fun Valentine's Day craft for someone special and the sweetest of the rainy day activities is to make a "pocket full of love." Cut a pocket from the back of an old pair of jeans, including the pocket back. Decorate the front of the pocket with permanent markers or fabric paint. Fill the pocket with candy and or fake flowers. Cut out a paper heart and write, "Here's a pocket full of love for you!" Tuck the heart into the pocket. Present to your loved one. Another fun craft project is using construction paper and paper doilies to make Valentine's Day cards for friends and family. Let your kids make Valentines that are creative, but kind.

7. Here's a fun little project that I did as a child, and repeated as a teacher and a mother and can be done as one of your rainy day activities: Magic Crystals. Put 3-5 pieces of coal or charcoal briquets in an old aluminum pie tin. Mix together 1 4 c salt, 1 4 c water, 1 4 liquid bluing (check the laundry aisle in the grocery store) and 1 Tbsp ammonia. Pour over coal or charcoal. Sprinkle a few drops of food coloring here and there. Put the pan in a safe place and watch the crystals grow. Caution- if you touch the crystals, they will crumble.

8. Have your child start a note-writing journey with a cousin or friend in another state or country. A Pen Pal can be a life-long connection with someone not often seen. What great writing and English practice, as well!

9. Last, but certainly not least - READ to your children; let them read to you -- this is the best of the rainy day activities. Take turns 'going around the table', each reading a page or two. Encourage your kids to start a journal. Start a scrapbook about your family, going as far back as you are able.

This time with your kids can turn into something they really look forward to, instead of the usual, "Do we have to?" sentiments. What matters most is that you spend time with your children, laughing and even being silly. These are treasured memories. These are your rainy day activities.