Resources ~ Activity Ideas ~ Rainy Day Activities
First and foremost, you will NOT melt in the rain despite what your parents told
you.
The first thing and easiest thing to do in the rain with kids is play in it. There’s
nothing better than splashing in the puddles when you’re young, or young at heart.
Below are 25 outdoor things to do in the rain with kids.
Or if it’s too cold for rain play or the idea of splashing in the puddles isn’t
appealing to you, try some of the fun games we have listed in our Indoor Games Section.
- Puddle jumping- The most obvious of all rainy day activities, but certainly the
most fun. How far can you get around the block with only jumping in puddles?
- Catching rain on your tongue is always fun and thirst quenching.
- Boats and puddles fit together perfectly.
- Pool fun- On a hot summer day why not take advantage of natures free sprinklers
and play in the pool.
- Chalk Painting- When you add chalk to the rainy weather it becomes more like paint.
Children will love seeing the chalk-like paint spin around in the driveway as it
gets washed away.
- Mud Pies- What could be more fun to a kid than making a mess?
- Catching Rain- Which household bottles can catch the most rain?
- Bubbles- Pour just enough soap into a puddle to make bubbles and then enjoy.
- Food Dye- Experiment with colors in puddles and then mix together to make a rainbow.
- Take a nature walk and see all of the animals in their new wet environment.
- Worm hunting- See who can find the most worms.
- Bring out the bath toys and see how much fun they can be in puddles.
- Gather some water and toys in a bucket and pour them down the driveway-see which
toy makes it to the end first. You can even have a boat race!
- Fishing- You can fish in the baby pool with plastic fishing sets.
- Powder tempura paint- Put a few drops of the powder on the ground or a piece of
cardboard and watch to see what happens as the water drips into it, after it gets
a little wet, let the outdoor painting begin.
- Finger Paints- My daughter and I finger paint and get messy all of the time, so
why not do it in the rain where you’re sure to get rinsed off in the process.
- Tap dance in the rain puddles- The sound of water splashing will delight everyone.
You can also put some music on indoors and open a window to have something to dance
to.
- Water balloon toss- What kid doesn’t like throwing water balloons?
- Experiment to see what sinks and what floats (rocks vs. leafs…)
- We’ve always pretended we’re planes and run around the area flying through the rain.
- Set up a tent or a fort and watch the rain pour down.
- Watch the clouds change and talk about the water cycle.
- Sports- Soccer, volleyball, football, all of these sports are fun in a light rain
shower.
- Tag or Freeze Tag.
- Outdoor hide and seek- You can even look for dry places to hide to make it more
fun.
If the power goes out
Be Prepared! Along with candles, have flashlights and spare batteries ready.
We always have candles going during a storm so when the power goes out, it is not
scary. Then, let the games begin.
Here are a few ideas my husband and I use to help pass the time during a blackout.
- Hide stuffed animals, and go into the jungle looking for them with your flashlights.
- Shadow puppets are always fun.
- Flash light wars.
- Hide and Seek with flashlights
- Tell Scary stories and eat snacks with the older kids.
- If the rain has stopped and you have the ability, go outside and make smoores by
a campfire, and maybe grill a late night snack.
- Play board games by candlelight
- Play Charades
Try to make it a fun experience instead of a scary one for little kids.
Most importantly, be safe.