Activities/Rainy Day Exploration

Rainy Day Exploration

Parents are very predictable. We tell our children not to jump on furniture, we insist on bicycle helmets, and we try to provide semi-healthy foods. Children know exactly what we’ll say or do. Throw your children for a loop by doing something totally unpredictable. The next time it rains, run through the house yelling, “Everyone get boots and rain-coats and meet me at the front door in two minutes!” You’ll have children rushing to find long-lost boots and wondering if dear old mom and dad have finally Lost their senses.
As everyone gathers by the front door, change your demeanor and act as if this is an everyday occurrence. Calmly state, “Since it’s 7:00 P.M. and raining, I think this is the perfect time for a delightful walk in the rain. Please follow me and be sure to jump in lots of mud puddles.” Can you imagine the look on your child’s face? Being open to new experiences, they’ll willingly take a rain walk. Try these activities:

• Take turns jumping over mud puddles. A running start helps them get over the huge puddles. If you can’t make it over the puddle.. .that’s what boots are for.
• Reenact the popular musical Singing in the Rain. Link arms, pick a song, and walk down the
street singing like Broadway chorus line singers.
• Help clear away any debris caught in street drains by the sidewalk. It’s fun watching the
dammed-up water gush toward the drain.
• Wave to people inside their dry homes. They’ll wonder what you are up to.
• When you get home, sit around with cups of hot chocolate and listen to your children tell you what a great parent you are.