All parents have heard the dreaded rainy weekend weather forecasts and have found themselves wondering how to go about entertaining their children in the house all day. In some instances, when the weather is extreme and unsafe, there is little choice but to stay indoors for safety. A lot of times, however, rain showers do not mean that spending time outdoors is unsafe. If there is no lightning or severe weather warning, it can be a lot of fun for the whole family to explore various outdoor rainy-day activities. Children and adults should be adorned in proper rain attire, such as raincoats and rain boots to prevent potential discomfort. An umbrella may also be a good idea if the rainy-day activities take you away from shelter, in the instance of a heavier-than-expected downpour.
Once the proper precautions are taken, the rainy-day games can begin. The first outdoor activity that many think of on a rainy day is splashing in puddles, but while this activity is a highly popular one among children and adults, the fun does not have to end there. Parents and teachers alike can use the weather as a way to teach children about nature through the use of rain gauges and weather stations. For younger children, nothing can compare to the fun of making mud pies in the rain, spotting worms on sidewalks, or even creating beautiful artistic masterpieces with the help of the rain. Rainy-day games do not have to mean indoor board games - with a little creativity, outdoor rainy-day activities are endless.
Parents Magazine provides ideas for making the most out of every season, including outdoor rainy-day activities.
Rainy Day Outdoor Activities for Kids
A rainy day doesn't mean the kids are stuck inside! They can put on their rain gear and try out these fun games created for having fun outdoors on a day of drizzles.
Many children love to assist adults with outdoor projects. The University of California Cooperative Extension gives adults very descriptive instructions on how to create a rain garden, which children will surely enjoy tending to on rainy days.
Fun Outdoor Activities to Do in the Rain
Check out this list of fun suggestions to make the most of the great outdoors in the rainy weather.
This resource provides a list of thousands of kids' activities, including rainy-day games and activities. There are also creative snack ideas given for many occasions, rainy days being one of them.
Scholastic presents this activity based on the Native American tradition of rain dancing; discussing and partaking in a rain dance is a wonderful way to teach young children about Native American culture while spending time in rainy weather.
Preschool Indoor and Outdoor Rain Activities
Preschool Express gives parents and teachers ideas for entertaining and educating children of preschool age with artistic and amusing indoor and outdoor rain activities.
This lesson plan can be used at school or at home. The website provides instructions on how to build a weather station to teach children about weather, including rain.
The American Camp Association has a great list of outdoor rainy-day activities that are great for campers as well as those at home.
Thunderstorms: Safety and Fear for Kids
Thunder and rainstorms can prove to be scary for small children; this resource covers the topic of safety and addressing fear in young children during storms.
Safety is always of the utmost importance when it comes to weather; the Red Cross provides tips on how to prepare and act safely during thunderstorms.
Creating a rain gauge is an excellent way to get kids of all ages interested in the weather. Teachers and parents alike can use this activity to teach children about rainfall on rainy days.
Understanding the weather can be a difficult concept for young children; many facts are given on this website to help children understand weather changes in terms that they can understand.
Happy Hooligans lists ways to enjoy the outdoors; many of these activities can be enjoyed even more in the rain.
Healthy Children offers these tips for making sure the backyard is a safe place to play.
Huge List of Activities for Outdoor Sensory Fun
This list is full of fun outdoor games that are also sensory stimulating.
Let's Move! is an organization that strongly believes in keeping children active outdoors and lists some activity ideas.
Educators and parents will both find this resource on weather extremely helpful when it comes to explaining rain, weather, and the water cycle to children. There is also a large collection of weather-related poetry featured, which would make for a fun outdoor rainy-day poetry recital.
This lesson plan helps teachers plan for covering the water cycle but can also be helpful to parents in explaining the process to young children.
Texas A&M offers a lot of information about the uses of rainwater and the benefits of catching it for productive uses as part of outdoor rainy-day games.
Pennsylvania State University gives a variety of suggestions for keeping kids active in the instance that the weather is too severe for outdoor play. These activities mimic a lot of beloved outdoor rainy-day activities so that children will not feel as if they are missing out on a day full of puddle-jumping and splashing.
This resource provides outdoor rainy-day activities for kids.
This children's resource provides outdoor rainy-day games and activities that will have kids wishing the rain would stay.
Find more about the author: Kim Hart
