Rainy Day Games You Can Play Outside

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Rainy Day Games You Can Play Outside

Just because it’s raining outside doesn’t mean that your students can’t have fun outdoors. Playing out in the rain has numerous benefits. This includes improved motor skills and psychological well-being benefits.

So, here are some activities you can do with your children out in the rain.

Painting In The Rain

Art and rain make a great combination. When it’s raining, you can put coloured powdered paints on the floor outside and get the children to use brushes to make beautiful artwork. This is best done when there isn’t too much rain as some paints will be washed away, and is also best done in smaller groups, but it can be great fun and a large photo of it looks great on the walls of your setting.

Rain Shapes

Do you know that it’s going to rain overnight? Then why not leave some objects outside and see what shapes they leave for the morning? Children can having fun while learning about different shapes and how they’re created. You can also ask children to draw some of the shapes on a pavement area with some chalk.

Puddle Jumping

This is a favourite activity of many children and it does have lots of benefits. First it helps their motor and movement skill development which is a priority for younger children. It is also a great way to encourage exercise, which is often limited when it’s raining.

Musical Puddles

You can enhance their play with puddles by playing musical puddles. Just like musical chairs but when the music stops, all the children have to find a puddle to stand in.

Discovering Waterproof Items

Add a little science into the day by having the children test different objects out in the rain to see if they’re waterproof. Test different materials like plastic sheeting, paper, cardboard, etc. Children can have a competition to see who can correctly guess which materials will let water through and which ones don’t.

Measuring Rainfall

Set up rain collection tools and get the children to measure how much rain is falling per hour and if different locations get more or less rain. This is a great way to improve number recognition and general reasoning skills as well as a good way to have fun.

So, if you’re stuck in the rain, use one of the ideas above to get your educational setting using your outdoor space, even when its raining while helping the children to improve their physical and mental skills. Many of the above activities can be carried out or studied afterwards under a school canopy to make the most of the outdoors whilst it’s raining.

What games do you play outside in the rain?

Let us know in the comments below.

Able Canopies Ltd. design, manufacture and install canopies and shade structures
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Rainy Day Games You Can Play Outside

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