7 Outdoor Kids Activities To Do In The Rain

The UK is a beautiful place to live. We’ve got everything from striking white cliffs to sandy beaches to dense forests and everything in between. No matter where you live in Britain, there’s one universal truth that you must embrace: It rains. A lot.

No doubt you’ve come up with ways to occupy yourself on a rainy British day, but what about your little ones? For kids, staying indoors can be tantamount to torture no matter the weather outside. That’s why it’s important to embrace your inner child and get outside – yes, yes, even when it’s raining – and explore a few fun outdoor activities for kids. Grab your showerproof parka and try a few of these activities for kids in the rain.

First – Gear Up!

Before you can jump into the nearest puddle, you need to think about what you’re going to wear to stop the splash. It’s important to layer up to protect your body from the elements but not go so far as to restrict how high you can kick your leg or bend your knees to really get down in the mud.

You need a base layer of cotton (normal clothes will probably do just fine); if it’s cold out then think about some long underwear too. However, the key to success for outdoor play on a rainy day is a waterproof outer layer. A waterproof mac with a hood or a women’s showerproof parka with rain boots should do the trick.

Properly gearing up allows you to stay outdoors for longer and that equals loads more fun!

Be a Puddle Jumper

Let’s start with one of the most fun (and obvious) things you can do when it’s raining out: go puddle stomping!

One of the best activities for kids in the rain – puddle jumping!

Splish, splash and jump in the gathering puddles of rain. You can even turn it into a scientific exercise by looking at the way water reflects and ripples or seeing what kind of patterns can be made in a muddy puddle. Play games that involve moving around your lawn by only walking in puddles and see who can go the farthest.

Art in the Rain

Rain art is a fun way to add a little colour to a gloomy day. Simply take a paper towel and create a design using water-soluble pens. Then take it outside and let the rain fall on the paper. The colours will begin to separate and spread, creating new art in the process. Take it back inside and allow it to dry and then voila! Rainy day art has been created!

Muddy Treasure

No one knows why exactly, but kids love digging. Give them a shovel, a spade, an old spoon – kids will dig, especially in the mud. Find a place in your back garden that you don’t mind disturbing and let those kids dig to their hearts’ content. Who knows what they’ll find back there but they’ll have fun no matter what.

A Nature Hunt

When it rains, something spectacular happens outside. Animals that you don’t have the pleasure of seeing each day come out to play. Snails, worms and even frogs and turtles might come out of the woodwork and treat you to a sighting. Just grab your umbrellas, wellies, a waterproof mac with hood, and rain boots then head outside with a magnifying glass or even a camera to see what you can discover.

No outdoor kid activity would be complete without mud!

Create an Outdoor Kitchen

Remember how much kids love to dig in the mud? Well, they also love to create in the mud. Give them old buckets, bowls, and utensils and let them create some muddy culinary wonders for you. Once the rain clears up, you can leave the mud pies to “bake” in the sun.

If you’ve got an old pot lying around then it might be time to cook up a little leaf stew. Help your child collect sticks and leaves and let them mix until they’re satisfied and then serve it up as their (pretend!) dinner.

More Mud Play

Mud has so many uses! If your kids love crafts more than culinary arts then get them some paintbrushes or just use your hands to gather mud and smear it on anything they can find. The pavement, the driveway, a tree – the best part is, the rain cleans up for you.

Build a Bridge

Inspire your child’s inner engineer by building a bridge across puddles. They can use toys, sticks – whatever they can find to build a mini bridge. You can even play a game of ‘sink or float’ by asking them which items they think will stay on top of the water and then put them to the test.

As long as you have the right foundation, such as a women’s waterproof mac or showerproof parka, even the rainy world is you and your children’s oyster. Outdoor activities for kids on a rainy day can also help to bring out the kid in you, so pull on that parka and head out for a soaking wet fiesta on every day that the heavens decide to open…knowing the UK, they’ll probably be one or two this winter!