We all remember singing the traditional nursery rhyme when it started raining outside, when we were young. Many of us still sing this song with our own little ones.
But, why would we want the rain to go away? Or would we like to know 10 super fun outdoor rain activities for kids that we could all enjoy?
Sure, rain can be an inconvenience sometimes. It may feel like, due to the downpour, we will have to spend the day indoors with the kids, leaving them bored and restless… but, wait, who said that we have to spend the entire day inside the house?
There are so manyfun outdoor activities and games that can be played outside, even when it’s raining. Especially when it’s raining!
Depending on the temperature, rain can create tons of fun, allowing you and your family to splash around and enjoy some messy activities in the great outdoors. There are so many fun games that can be played, even in the comfort of your own backyard.
So, in this article, we have listed 10 super fun outdoor activities for kids that you and the whole family can enjoy outside, even if the heavens have opened up.
Just remember to wrap up warm, and always have some towels on hand for when you re enter your home!
Let’s get into it.
10 Super Fun Outdoor Rain Activities for Kids
Jumping Around And Splashing In Rain Puddles
Splashing in muddy puddles has been a favorite pastime of children for generations, long before Peppa Pig and her younger brother George popularized the term on the beloved children’s show.
This is essentially a natural instinct: even as adults, we still feel compelled to jump into a particularly enormous puddle if we see one in front of us.
Experiencing the sensation of water splashing beneath our feet as we stomp around in the rainwater is so very satisfying, no matter how old we get!
Grab your favorite raincoat and a pair of sturdy wellies, and let loose amongst the muddy puddles! You could even hold a competition to determine who can make the biggest splashes.
This activity will be a hit with the kids, and let’s face it, you’re going to love it just as much. It is in fact one of the best outdoor rain activities for kids of all ages. And that’s a fact!
Mud Pie Making In The Rain
Making mud pies is one of the messiest and best outdoor rain activities you can take part in with kids. All you’ll need is a little rainfall, a whole lot of dirt, and an imagination to create your own muddy sculptures!
Scoop out clumps of earth from the muddy ground with your hands, molding it into a pie. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a couple of creepy crawlies in there with the muck!
This is an excellent approach to teach your kids not to be afraid of insects, particularly worms and slugs. Show them that there is nothing to be afraid of, but also not to harm them.
Grab some old spoons and cups and help the kids make their own mud castles if you want to get really creative. If you have sandcastle buckets on hand, even better! Make your own town using sticks, leaves, and stones for added realism.
Race Toys/Paper Boats In The Water
Your kids, without a doubt, love to bring their favorite toys with them wherever they go, which includes taking them out in the pouring rain. Why not include these toys in the fun?
If you live on a hill or have a slope in your garden, you will observe that rainwater will run downhill, creating miniature streams. Create races with your kids’ favorite toys to see which one is the fastest!
This is also a fun method to teach your kids about the laws of physics, including how lighter, more streamlined objects will travel much faster and smoother than larger, heavier toys.
Make your own paper boats indoors to take outdoors and race in the rainfall for more fun! We’ll presume your kids haven’t seen the IT movies, but you should probably take extra precautions to ensure the boats don’t float down any sewers in any case…
Otherwise, this might soon change from one of the best outdoor rain activities for kids to the worst!
Make Your Own Outdoor Rain Music
Making music is regarded to be one of the most effective ways of teaching youngsters to learn via play.
Children will recall knowledge much more effectively if it is taught to them through song (e.g., the alphabet song).
When it rains, raindrops will create different sounds depending on what it falls onto, and the velocity of which it falls. When water drips onto mud, it doesn’t make much noise, whereas it will create louder sounds when it falls onto a metallic and/or hollow surface.
Collect some weatherproof pots and jars from around your house, and then venture out into the garden to fill them with different amounts of rainwater.
You’ll be able to try out these ‘instruments’ with shovels, kitchen utensils, or even giant sticks you’ve discovered in the garden to hear how they sound when beaten against some water-filled containers!
This is a great outdoor rain activity for kids to learn and have fun at the same time.
‘Watercolor’ With Chalk/Washable Paint
Next up, we have an activity that will definitely capture the attention of the kids with creative streaks! Another fantastic technique to teach your children to learn via play is through arts and crafts.
Using paints and other coloring tools inside the house often results in a lot of mess, which almost always takes way longer to clean up than taking part in the activity itself.
That is the beauty of outdoor painting while it is pouring down with rain: all the mess will get washed away naturally, leaving you with little to nothing to clean up afterwards. Grab some chalks and washable paints, and let the kids run wild with color, creating their own masterpieces in the rain!
They can even paint themselves, and can mix paints to learn which colors combined create different colors, e.g., mixing blue and yellow paints to make green.
We absolutely love outdoor rain activities like this as they’re super fun and fuel creativity.
Have A Water Fight In The Rain
During the summer, water fights are a must, grabbing some toy pistols and water balloons to have some fun in the sun. It’s a great way to cool down when it’s too warm outside.
However, what better time is there to have the ultimate water battle than when it’s pouring down with rain, when everyone is already drenched?
Providing it is a warm, drizzly summer’s day, get everybody to dress down into their swimsuits and have a massive water fight outdoors! If it is chilly outside, make sure everybody is suitably wrapped up so that they don’t get too cold.
Water fights in the rain are up there with the best outdoor rain activities for kids!
Come on, nothing beats some old-fashioned competitiveness between family members and friends. Fill up a bowl with a bunch of water balloons, and let the games begin!
Play Sports Outdoors In The Rain
Realistically, any sport can be played outside, no matter the weather. While we tend to believe that we shouldn’t go outside while it is raining, sometimes sports can be more fun when played in the pouring rain and can quickly become one of the best outdoor rain activities for kids!
While playing soccer in the rain, focus on the ball and notice how it moves differently while the ground is wet. Ask the kids if they find it easier or harder to play in muddy conditions.
You could even create your own obstacle course outdoors, allowing the kids to slip around in the mud while they’re running through the different obstacles.
Of course, the mud will make the floor more slippery, but on the plus side, the kids are less likely to injure themselves if they fall since the earth is wet from the rain, making it softer!
Create Slip-N-Slides In Your Backyard
If you own a Slip-N-Slide, you will know how much fun they can be to use during the warmer months. Alongside a swimming pool, there’s not much more fun a kid can have while cooling down under the scorching sun.
However, while it is raining outside, you won’t need a Slip-N-Slide. Just use the mud and dirt to slip and slide around the garden!
The whole family will love running around in the yard, sliding through the dirt, especially the kids. This is an extremely messy activity, but such a fun one to try!
For the ultimate fun experience, have races to see who can slide around the fastest!
Take An Outdoor Shower
This is an activity that the kids are going to love, even if they usually hate taking a shower. In fact, this is a great way to make showering fun!
Get the kids into their swimsuits, grab some soap and shampoo, and get clean while outdoors. It may seem ridiculous, but that’s what makes it so entertaining!
Of course, it is highly recommended that you only do this while it is warm outside. If it is a particularly cold day, you may want to wait for the kids to come back indoors before running a hot shower inside for them to get clean.
Check the temperature beforehand to make sure it is safe to stay outside that long whilst wearing a swimsuit. If it is warm, have fun showering in the garden! We can guarantee that the smaller kids are going to find this activity hilarious.
Dance in the Rain!
Last but not least is in our eyes the best of the best outdoor rain activities for kids, and the whole family to enjoy! Dancing in the rain is one of the easiest, more entertaining activities to take part in while it is pouring down with rain outside.
Singing and dancing is always fun, but is even better when you’re out in the rain! Get everybody moving while playing some music, ensuring that everybody has a healthy workout before returning indoors to dry off.
Again, if you want to have the ultimate fun experience, start a competition! You could play games such as ‘musical statues’, or you could even incorporate hula-hoops to see who can do it the longest!
Get everyone in the family up and grooving to the music whilst splashing around in the rain. Make sure you add some themed music for the occasion, like ‘It’s Raining Men’ and ‘Rain on Me’!
Final Thoughts
While a little rain never hurts anyone, be sure to keep the temperature in mind: getting your clothes soaking wet in particularly cold and windy weather could put you and your family at risk of catching serious illnesses, such as pneumonia.
Minimize your time outside during the colder months, and after you’ve returned indoors, make sure everyone has been wrapped up in dry, warm clothing as soon as possible!
Safety precautions aside, don’t be afraid to get all muddy and dirty while having fun outside! Children learn a lot during messy play, and it is also important to broaden their experiences by allowing them to let go and enjoy themselves.
Allow them to learn by using each of their five senses. These muddy memories will stay with them forever!
Through this article we have listed some of the best outdoor rain activities for kids .We hope you found at least one activity that you are looking forward to taking part in with your family the next time it rains.
My name is Joyce Bailey, and I am a mother of two wonderful children. When I had my first child five years ago, at first I struggled to know which method of parenting I wanted to adopt. Traditional parenting just did not seem right for my family.
