Rainy days doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck indoors with restless kids. In fact, with the right gear, like a trusty pair of toddler wellies, you can turn a grey, soggy afternoon into a fun and memorable adventure with the kids.
It’s not always easy to get out in the wet weather, especially when you just know that the kids are itching for some fresh air. But once you do get outside, it will change. You need to be able to make the most of your rainy days, so let’s take a look at how you can do that with your little ones.
Photo by Stephen Andrews on Unsplash
- Go puddle jumping. There is something completely magical about puddles when you’re a toddler. Encouraging your child to stomp, splash, and giggle their way through the rain is fun. Choose a safe and open area like a park path or a backyard and let them explore at their own pace. The whole point is for them to get wet, but you can dress them in an all-in-one puddle suit if you are nervous about ruining any clothes. You can always bring a towel and spare clothes for the car ride home and even a short walk there turns into a full on sensory experience and memories are made.
- Themed activities. If it’s raining too hard to venture outside, turn the day into a cosy story telling session. Gather some rain themed book like The Rainy Day, by Anna Milbourne or Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse. Cuddle up under a blanket with some warm drinks and read together while listening to the rhythmic sound of the rain tapping on the windows. You can even have a flashlight or build a reading Fort to make it feel like a special indoor adventure.
- Indulge in some crafts. Getting creative with rainy day art is so much fun. Try placing washable markers or watercolour paints on thick paper and then let the rain turn it into a masterpiece. Kids will love to watch the colours swell and mix into the drizzle, and you can also put paper under a colander or a strainer outside to create drip dot designs. It’s a good way to introduce the kids to the beauty of the process of art, where the act of making is more important than the final result.
- Set up an outdoor mud kitchen. Toddlers love imaginative play, and a rain kitchen is the perfect outlet. You can use old pots, pans, spoons and plastic cups outside to cook with rainwater, grass, mud and leaves. Let them mix up pretend soups and stews without any real recipe required. You’ll be surprised by how focused and engaged they can be when given the freedom to explore nature with the simplest of tools. Just remember to address them in waterproof layers and old clothes. And don’t forget those toddler wellies.
- Go on a rainy day scavenger hunt. You can turn a rainy outing into a nature hunt. Create a list of things to find, like a worm, a bird shaking water from its wings, a soggy leaf, or a flower collecting raindrops. Bring a magnifying glass for close-up observations. It’s a quiet but exciting game that keeps toddlers active and attentive even in the wet weather. It’s also a great opportunity to talk about the water cycle, animals and how plants drink the rain.