I can’t remember a winter when we’ve gotten so much rain. That’s just an observation, not a complaint. We’ve been in a drought for years and it is very nice to make headway in recovering from it. And who doesn’t love snuggling down while the rain pours down? The energetic youths who have been cooped up indoors for weeks on end with little reprieve at this point, that’s who! Lately when I pick up my son from after school, I’m greeted with a boisterous, “But we didn’t get to play outside today!” I hear you, kid!

Around the state, especially in the southern regions, many schools are closed today because of weather. Yesterday, the rain caused an accident involving a school bus in south Georgia. In other areas, school buses cannot safely travel down the many dirt roads in rural counties.

To combat the long stays indoors, we’ve put together a list of games to get kids moving inside and channel that pent-up energy in a positive way.

Monkey See, Monkey Do is a classic children’s game that can get the whole family moving while working on communication (listening) skills. What’s fun today may very well be essential as these adorable kids become teenagers.

Imitation is another follow the leader game that requires children to engage their memories while making patters. Sit in the floor and beat out patterns on your legs or the floor, include animals sounds, and see how many times you can repeat a pattern without making a mistake.

Cooperate is a fun game if you’ve got more than one kid or have the neighbor kids over to play. Place mats or hula hoops on the floor and have kids navigate from one to another while staying connected to each other like a train.

Host a Home Olympics. Yes, really. Grab pool noodles, chairs, sheets, hula hoops, balloons and string. Set up obstacle courses where kids can pretend to be horses jumping over each one. Push the furniture back and lay blankets in the floor for tumbling, the gymnastics portion of the day. Play indoor volleyball with a string “net” and balloon “ball.”

You can find loads more activities, organized by age and skills at PBS Parents. Also, don’t underestimate the classics like hide-and-seek and duck-duck-goose.

How are you getting through this rainy season? Share with us in the comments.