9 Outdoor Rainy Day Activities for Kids

Wondering what to do with the kids on a rainy day in the summer time? It’s still warm outside and the kids are so bored! Head outside and have fun exploring and playing with these great ideas!

First, make sure you are ready to stay out in the rain for a long time, because once the kids see how fun the rain is, they won’t want to come inside. I have the most awesome one piece rain suit for my little one.

This is the ultimate rain suit that we take on hikes, camping and day trips up the canyon just in case it decides to rain. It keeps him dry all over.

We also got him these awesome rain boots. He loves these and wears them all the time because they are so easy to put on.

Now on to the fun activities to do outdoors with your kids on a rainy day. Just make sure you pick a lightening free day!

1. Make a boat with things found in nature.
When I was as kid we would make a boat out of just about anything we found outside. Tree bark, twigs, grass, etc. We would weave rafts out of grass and twigs. But my favorite thing to do was to pick a dandelion, pull the flower off the top and peel the stem like string cheese. As soon as you put the pieces of stem in the water they’d curl up really tightly.

2. Jump in puddles.
This is the kids favorite thing to do outside when it rains. They have a contest to see who can make the biggest splash.

3. Make wet chalk art.
After, or during a rain storm, you can send the kids outside to draw with chalk on the sidewalks or driveway. The rain makes the colors vibrant and helps them blur together like water color. So fun!

4. Be a scientist. 
Learn what will float or sink in the water. Watch the clouds and see if you can figure out which way they are traveling. Predict how long you think it will rain. Collect rain water and see how many inches fell at your house. So many fun things to do for your little scientists.

5. Catch raindrops. 
Use different containers and see which one will fill up the fastest. Put some drops of food coloring in clear containers and see what happens when they fill with rain water. You can add one drop red and one drop blue to one container and the kids can watch how the two colors get mixed together to make purple. Take a walk and see how the leaves and grass catch raindrops. See if you can count how many raindrops are on a leaf.

7. Take a walk around the yard.  
Rain makes all sorts of little critters come out of hiding. Take the kids around the yard and see if you can find any worms, snails, spiders, etc.

8. Make mud pies. 
There is never a more perfect time to make a mud pie than when it’s raining. Get some old pie tins out and let the kids go crazy filling them with mud and decorating the top of them with leaves, twigs, and dandelions.

9. Make a rain forest. 
Have your children bring out all their plastic miniature animals and make a mini rain forest for them in the garden. Their imagination is the limit.

Why not take advantage of natures sprinklers and splash pads and get outside and try these fun activities with your kids this summer? What are your favorite outdoor rainy day activities to do with your family?