Rainy days can get boring for kids, especially when they can’t go outside to play for quite some time. Have them make their own fluffy balls of yarn that they can use inside. All you need is four ounces of yarn, cardboard, a 12″ piece of string, and scissors.

The first thing you will need to do is have the children draw an 8″ diameter circle with a compass or protractor. An 8″ plate or cake pan will also work for a circular pattern. Draw a 3″ circle in the center of the 8″ circle. Make two of these circular patterns. For both patterns, cut the outer circle, cut a cut on one side of the 3″ inner circle, and cut the 3″ circle. The pattern will look like a ring.

Wind the yarn into small balls that fit through the center 3″ circle. Place the two patterns on top of each other with the slits on opposite sides of each other. Wrap the yarn around the outside of the cardboard and through the center hole. Continuously wrap the yarn around the cardboard ring, keeping the yarn straight in the center.

Holding the thread through the center hole with one hand, place the outer edge of the cardboard through the thread with the other hand. Once you locate the outer edge of the cardboard, carefully cut the outer edge of the thread. Slide the piece of string down between the two pieces of cardboard and wrap around the cut string. Pull the rope tight and tie the ends together. This is the most difficult step for children, so have a friend help the couple with this tying process.

Carefully remove the cardboard, cut off the long ends of the string and trim the skein if necessary. Now the children have their own indoor ball to play with. These balls of yarn can be used as bean bags to play indoor shooting, tossing and catching games and indoor relay games. This rainy day activity for kids will keep them busy for hours.