Rainy Day Outdoor Activities
Playing in the rain is amazing because it breaks the routine and turns things
upside down. So take advantage of a rainy day and go outside for some rainy
PLAYwith these outdoor activities!
Puddle jumping! How high will your splash go?
Sing in the rain! You can make up a silly rain song; sing "It's Raining, It's Pouring," or
belt out the lyrics to "Singing in the Rain"!
Race Sticks! On a very rainy day, put two sticks in one of the streamlets of water
running down the street (or a real live stream, if you're near one) and see which stick
"wins" the race.
Make mud pies! Kids won't need your help to figure out how to have splashy fun in the
rain, but sometimes they need your encouragement to get those hands and fingers
gooey and muddy. Be sure to have a camera on hand for some good pics.
Take the mud pie theme a step further, by creating your own mud pie kit! Collect
some old spoons, pie tins, and measuring cups or cookie cutters. Have any orange juice
jugs or small milk cartons around? Use these as molds for mud bricks, which your kids
can dry out another day when the sun is shining.
Take a rain shower! If you really want to make your kids laugh, suggest they wash
their hair outside. Kids will love the quirkiness of shampooing their hair in the rain!
Look for animal tracks, especially in muddy areas or near water. Try to figure out or
imagine what it is.
Dig for worms in a hole in the ground or in a compost bin.
While outdoor rainy day activities are fun, when it's just too cold or wet, have a "campin" inside the house! Either pitch your tents in the living room or just pile up blankets and
pillows and let everyone play games, tell stories, and fall asleep in the same room.
Driveway Chalk Painting
Many children love to draw on the driveway or sidewalks with big pieces of chalk.
However, this is usually done on warm, sunny days. Next time it rains, gather up your
chalk and head out to the driveway.
In the rain, the chalk will become more like paint. If you have a flat driveway, your
children can enjoy swirling the chalk together in puddles. If your driveway is sloped, they
can create masterpieces with colors running down hill.
Bubble Fortress
Another great driveway or patio rainy day bit of fun is making bubble fortresses. These
work best on days with light rain. To make a bubble fortress, you need a large puddle
and some biodegradable dish soap. Pour some of the soap into the puddle and use
straws to blow piles of bubbles on the driveway. Experiment with different sizes of straw
and other tools. See how far you can spread the bubble fortress before the rain pops
the bubbles.
Water Pipe Building
For children with an interest in contraptions and gadgets, building water pipes in the
yard is a great rainy day activity. Set a goal on getting the most water into a bucket just
with the rain. Using cardboard paper towel rolls or other materials, try to funnel and
direct the water from a dripping tree, across the yard, and into the bucket.
Rainy Day Nature Walk
Going on a nature walk on a rainy day allows you and your children to see many things
you would not normally see. You can make !;tudies of how water runs down trees, or
what type of leaf is best at protecting you from the rain. You can jump in mud puddles.
Insects and animals do different things in the rain as well. During your rainy day nature
walk, try to find animals taking shelter from the rain. Imagine where you would hide if
you were a butterfly or a beetle.
Try out these rainy day activities that won't make your kids "melt" in the rain. Getting out
in the wet world is a great way to explore and experience. This type of rainy day fun will
teach your children a lot about art, nature, literacy, science and life itself, to name a few.