As I sit here on this rainy day and think of all the things we could be doing, why aren’t we just doing them?

Rain has a funny way of making us stop. We stare out the window, sigh dramatically, check the weather app for the seventeenth time and somehow convince ourselves the day is ruined. Meanwhile, children are standing at the door wearing gumboots on the wrong feet asking if they can go outside.

And honestly… maybe they’re onto something.

There’s a quote by Alfred Wainwright that perfectly sums it up:

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

A little rain has never actually stopped children from having fun. Adults? Absolutely. Children? Never. Give them a puddle, a stick and five uninterrupted minutes and suddenly they’re living their best lives.

Rainy days can become the most memorable days — slower, muddier, sillier and surprisingly magical. So instead of waiting for sunshine, here are 25 ways to play in the rain to embrace the wet weather, survive school holidays and maybe even enjoy the chaos.

25 Things To Do With Children In The Rain

1.     Don a raincoat and gumboots and go for a walk

2.     Jump in puddles

3.     Sing and dance in the rain

4.     Collect water from the rain

5.     Make mud pies

6.     Observe what’s happening in nature while it rains

7.     Make paper boats and float them in puddles

8.     Go on a worm hunt

9.     Make an outdoor shelter using a tarp

10.  Make a nature soup

11.  Create a ‘rain carwash’ and wash your bikes

12.  Ride your bikes through puddles

13.  Make a rain slide

14.  Draw with chalk on the rainy path

15.  Water colouring

16.  Go barefoot in the puddles and mud

17.  Collect mud, clay and charcoal to natural paint with

18.  Catch the water in your mouth

19.  Through different objects into puddles

20.  Leave different materials in the rain to see how they react

21.  Build bridges to get over streams and puddles

22.  Use pipes and tubes to divert water

23.  Create dams, lakes and rivers in the mud or sandpit

24.  Rainy day scavenger hunt

25.  Play in the rain without a raincoat!

Because the truth is, children rarely remember whether the weather was perfect.

They remember the puddles. The muddy socks. The warm hot chocolate afterwards. The laughter when everyone got absolutely soaked.

So next time the rain rolls in, maybe don’t wait for it to stop.

Put on the suitable clothing and go make memories anyway.