When it is cold and rainy out, it can feel hard to decide what to do! Especially when you wake up with one plan and the weather has other plans! Here are our top 25 Rainy Day Things to Do in Manhattan with Kids!
Indoor Places
1. Explore the Flint Hills Discovery Center
Always a crowd pleaser, visit the Flint Hills Discovery Center where everyone in your group will find something to explore! From the rotating exhibit to the regular play equipment, and of course learning about the history of the Flint Hills this is the perfect spot to stop in for a few rainy hours that will also offer some educational fun!
2. Visit the Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum
Looking for a hands-on experience for your crew? Look no further than the Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum! This little hidden gem is in a renovated house that is great place to spend a rainy morning trying new things. From STEM to crafts, they have you covered!
3. Jump at Leap Trampoline Park
Grab your jumping socks and head over to Leap Trampoline Park where the parents will start to feel like kids again! Spend time playing in the arcade, go bowling and of course get ready for the main event – the trampoline park! With options of dodgeball, ninja courses, and jumbo open trampolines, everyone will find somewhere to play!
4. Browse Books at Manhattan Public Library 
When it is raining outside expect the library to be packed but for good reason! With books for all levels and additional options to check out from DVD’s, Blu-ray, Readers and events for all ages, they library is not a spot to be missed!
5. Visit the Beach Art Museum
Located on the south end of campus, the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art is a great way to spend a few hours on a rainy day! Admission is free and great for all ages. Look ahead and aim to join one of their art classes or simply explore the exhibit. Ask the front desk for an ARTote to give little hands something to do as you explore the museum and take a break towards the back of the museum for the children’s play area.
6. Meet new friends at the K-State Insect Zoo
This hidden gem is one of our families’ favorite spots in town! Located on campus inside of the K-State Gardens, the K-State Insect Zoo is such a neat place to explore. Book a private tour ahead or visit during their open tour hours and use a flashlight to look up close at ants, bees, scorpions and even tarantulas! Use flashlights to find out what insect lights up under a blacklight!
7. Go Bowling 
Looking for a bowling alley? We have you covered. Check out Little Apple Lanes, Wabash Cannon Lanes, Leap, Goolsby and the K-State Union! With different options for everyone, each alley has different availability you will be sure to find a location that fits your needs! Don’t forget to sign up for Kids Bowl Free this summer.
8. Catch a movie at the AMC Dine-In Manhattan 13
Put on your comfy clothes and head over to the AMC movie theater to cuddle up and stay cozy on a rainy day! Grab a full meal or even a yummy popcorn and candy snack and enjoy a few hours of some down time! Book tickets online since the theater fills up on rainy days!
9. Explore Manhattan Town Center
While you are right there already at the movie theater, step inside the mall to explore! Spend $5 at the arcade, have your kids take a turn on the plush ride on toys, try your hand at mini-golf and even try out the giant trampolines with the bungie cords! Grab a famous cinnamon roll from Mrs. Powell’s and explore the shops in-between the play!
10. Do some taste testing at Call Hall Ice Cream
Located on the K-State campus, Call Hall is so much fun to go do an ice cream taste test with kids! With 16 flavors to choose from daily, grab a few top choices and then do a taste test as your narrow down the winner! Even turn it into a math lesson and bring blank paper to chart and then graph your family’s top choices! Or leave the paper at home and do a verbal rating scale to find the clear winner for the top ice cream flavor! ** Currently closed for relocation. Re-opening Fall 2026.
11. Take a creative art class
With several local places to choose from, check out a local art studio to explore your inner artist! With class options such as pottery, drawing and even 3D printing, every artist can find what they want to explore! Learn more.
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Try a family escape room
Looking for something for tweens and teens? Check out the escape rooms at Locked to give everyone something to think about! Work together as a team to solve the clues to get out of the locked room in time or bring a group and race each other in different rooms!
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Grab coffee or hot chocolate from one of your favorite local coffee spots
An oldie but goodie for a reason, on rainy days, all coffee shops will be packed! Meet some friends or have some quality family time over a cozy drink! Try out a coffee or milk flight with some cookies on the side!
Rainy Day Activities at Home
When it feels too cold and rainy to head out the door, make home feel like a fun adventure in itself! Try out of one these ideas for a rainy morning or afternoon!
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Build a giant living room fort
This is a classic that will never go out of style! Move furniture and grab sheets, blankets, couch cushions and chairs to build a giant fort in the middle of your living room! Not only does this give your children a chance to build their confidence, but it also allows you the chance to sneak in some cuddles after the excitement slows down and some flashlight reading takes place! Bonus if everyone ends up taking a little cat nap as you listen to the rain!
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Bake something together
For some reason, rainy days always bring everyone together in our kitchen! Try making some kid-led recipes like muffins, chocolate chip cookies or homemade pizza for dinner later. Bonus points if you bake cookies, build a fort and then eat the cookies in the fort!
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Make a cardboard box city
Instead of a fort out of blankets and sheets, use up those Amazon boxes and build a box city that your kids can color after you get done designing together! Grab some painters tape and scissors to make houses, stores, roads and even garages! Grab some toy cars to explore your new city!
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Create an indoor scavenger hunt
If your kids need some movement and maybe you want to practice a few skills like reading for your bigger kids, create a cute indoor scavenger hunt with a fun prize at the end! Bonus if your ending prize ends in some of the chocolate chip cookies you made earlier in the day but had to allow to cool!
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DIY science experiments
If you don’t’ want to bake, head to the kitchen or the bathtub for science instead! A classic everyone loves is making a baking soda and vinegar volcano or try out the classic rainbow milk experiment instead! Head over to Pinterest to quickly find a science project with the ingredients you already have in your kitchen!=.
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Make homemade play-dough
Maybe skip traditional science and instead make homemade play dough! Quick and easy, mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt and 4 tsps cream of tart. Stir in 2 cups of water, 2 tbsp oil and add optional food coloring. Heat on medium, continually stirring until a ball forms. Allow to cool and you are all set! Kids love measuring, mixing and picking their own colors and it is super low steaks if you need to toss it out later!
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Host a family game tournament
What better way to spend a rainy day with family than to have a family game tournament! Depending on your children’s ages, play games like Uno, Guess Who, Candy Land and Connect 4. No physical games? No problem! Use painters to tape to make a hopscotch board and simple pencil and paper to make tix-tack-toe!
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Indoor obstacle course
Need movement? Have your kids help create an indoor obstacle course! Bonus if they can create it all on their own! Use couch cushions or even books as your landing spots and then add either masking tape or painters’ tape to create balance lines. Pull chairs out to make tunnels under chairs and under your table! Bonus point if you turn on “The Floor is Lava” so kids and adults have the use the obstacle course when the floor becomes lava!
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Lead a living room dance party
Speaking of music, get those wiggles out with a dance party in the living room! Turn off the lights and add flashlights or glow sticks since its already dark outside to really turn the storm into fun!
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Create an art afternoon
Use old newspaper or old wrapping paper to line your dining room table and then set out arts and crafts supplies to let your kids take the lead on their own projects! Set out things like paper with crayons and markers, scissors and glue sticks, stickers, pom poms, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. Make some little rain monsters or whatever else your kids can dream up!
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Movie theater at home
Sometimes a rainy days also means it’s the perfect time for mom to have a little break too! Grab some Pirate Booty or Puffs, dim the lights, and grab snuggly blankets and pillows for everyone! Create a giant bed one the floor or cuddle up on the couch. You might feel like you should be doing something more but remember, you are doing the most important job in the world just being present with your kids. Bonus if you turn your phone on silent and focus on cuddling your kids instead of your phone!
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Play in the Rain
When the weather is warm enough and there is no lightening, toss on your rainboots and raincoat and go outside with your kids to splash in the rain! What a fun memory you will have together to keep forever!
Bonus Mom Tip
If the day allows, try to pair one out of the house activity with one or two indoor activities for the perfect rainy day. Think Flint Hills Discovery Center in the morning followed by lunch before making some cookies and a movie in the afternoon! Enjoy the Spring Showers!
