Teaching Expertise

Many of us stay inside when it’s raining but playing in the water is a surefire way to develop important fine and gross motor skills in kids. Plus; it’s an easy way to get in some good STEM practice without them even knowing it! Why not turn that rainy day to your advantage, after all, there is a famous Norwegian saying “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”. Get your little ones outside and learn with the help of these 22 captivating rain activities. 

1. Rain Painting

Don’t waste that rainwater! Grab paintbrushes and use the rainwater as  “paint” by simply adding a small amount of food coloring or fruits and berries to create a natural eco-friendly stain. A super fun way to get kids to create art outdoors! 

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2. Paper Boats

Puddles are great ways to explore early science and math skills. Have a go at making your own paper boats and race them across puddles. Kids will love the competitive nature of this activity and it’s great for STEM and art skills too!

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3. Catch Raindrops On Your Tongue

So simple, but great for mindfulness practice! Ask your students to think about their senses- what can they see, hear, touch, and smell, and then write up what comes to mind. Alternatively, enjoy the sounds of the rain even on dry days with some rainwater music as you create a calm and regulated learning space.

Learn More: Mr. Colin Dodds

4. Puddle Jumping Contest

Set up a board beside a big puddle; an old sheet of cardboard will do. Then, challenge the littles to see who can splash the highest. Keep an eye on the mud splatters on your board after the highest splash, and assign the title Puddle Champion to one of your competitors. 

Learn More: AdaptedMind

5. DIY Rain Gauge

What better way to recycle and practice STEM skills than by using an old soda bottle that learners can use to create their own rain gauge? A great kid-friendly way to assess rainfall! 

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6. Kick Off Your Shoes

Sensory time is important for kids and adults alike. Have learners take their shoes off and explore the earth with their toes. Adding in extra textures, such as crunchy leaves, twigs, and stones will further add to the experience! Feet are full of sensitive nerve endings that teach the body about the world. Going shoe-free also improves balance and coordination. 

Learn More: Joyous Sprouts Edu Care

7. Paint With Mud

For kids, painting with anything but paint provides a thrill! Get your learners to craft a painting using mud and a paintbrush. This activity is great for fine motor skills, is eco-friendly, and is heaps of fun! 

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8. Build A Den

Create a sense of adventure and get little ones to develop teamwork skills by creating dens to protect them from the rain. All you need is some tarpaulin or old sheets of fabric, as well as some large sticks. Turn the woodland into your play area and let them use their imagination to build a cozy den.

Learn More: Woodland Forest School

9. Chalk Paint

Make your own chalk paint to use outside and make fun art in the rain. Little ones will love to see how the colors mix together and the activity opens up discussions about color mixing, primary and secondary colors!

Learn More: On My Kids Plate

10. Clean The Animals

Set up a cleaning station with a selection of cleaning tools and wash some animals or cars etc. This station-type activity is great for developing fine and gross motor skills. Throw in as many different shaped and sized cleaning tools as you can and add dish soap for some bubbly, sensory fun!

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11. Ground Is Lava

Kids have so much fun playing in puddles, so why not set up their play area so that the ground is “lava” and the puddles are “safe zones”! Watch them run, jump and play and have the time of their lives trying to stay out of the “lava”. This is a great energy burner for those days they just need to run wild!

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12. Rain Soup

All you need here is some old kitchen gear such as bowls, cups, and a few spoons. Let the students use the rainwater to make “rain soup”. Use rain, twigs, leaves, etc. and have them record their findings; what did they find for their soup, how many leaves or twigs were used, etc.?

Learn More: The Crazy Outdoor Mama

13. Puddle Bridges

Build bridges over the puddles using twigs, branches, and mud. Encourage learners to explore their surroundings and see what they come up with. Which bridge worked the best and why? Take photos and get them to write up their experiment.

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14. Nature Walk

Go for a nature walk, and ask the kids to think about their senses- what can they see, feel, hear, and smell? What kind of animals would live there? Can they hear any birds or see any animal tracks? Once you are back, you could draw or paint a favorite tree, animal, or insect from the walk.

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15. Rainy Pictures

Draw pictures on paper towels using eco-friendly markers and take them out into the rain to watch them transform. Which colors run more than others? Let students observe which colors mix together before talking about primary and secondary colors.

Learn More: Amazon

16. Rain Art

Using eco-friendly paint and paintbrushes, ask the children to paint the mud and grass; exploring all outdoor textures as they work. You could also have them paint leaves and make some leaf art to enjoy once everyone’s back indoors. 

Learn More: ConservaMome

17. Build A Dam

Put your student’s engineering skills to the test with some dam building. What can they find in the environment around them? What works best and what doesn’t work as well? Record your findings and discuss what you would change next time.

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18. Become Scientists

Using cups or beakers have them fill up three different-sized containers. How many beakers of rainwater does it take to fill each container? Have them record their results. For added interest, you could use sponges and spoons to work on fine motor skills too.

Learn More: Amazon

19. Mud Pies

Let learners get their hands dirty and explore the wet outdoors with some mud pie-making! Little ones love the sensory feel of mud in their hands and it’s great for developing fine motor skills too. Feel free to add some tools, like wooden spoons, sticks, and bowls so they feel like little chefs.

Learn More: B-Inspired Mama

20. Worm Rescue

See how many worms your children can rescue and return to the grass. Remind them to say encouraging words to the worms to practice compassion such as “here you go little guy” and “back to your home”. See if they can come up with a few ways that they can help humans too.

Learn More: Homeschool Super Freak

21. Draw In The Mud

Using paper or cards, write down some words and cut them into individual letters. Scramble them up and have the kids unscramble the word and write it in the mud. Whoever has the most mud words at the end wins!

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22. Raindrop Races

From inside the classroom, have each child mark a line on the window and write their initials. Put a small amount of food coloring and rainwater in some pipettes. Head outside and drop some of the colored water onto the window. See which color makes it to the finish line first.

Learn More: Raindrop Races