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April Showers Bring May Flowers: A Reason to Play in the Rain

Enjoy the outdoors even when it pours

By Melissa Hucal April 1, 2023
April showers (or May, June, July, August) bring …

Of course, we know that that common way to complete that phrase is "May flowers," but what if this April we played it a little different and looked at April showers as a reason to play in the rain or at least let our kids get a little wet one afternoon?

Granted, our natural inclination is to find some "indoor" activities to keep everyone busy when the rain comes down, but we've got some suggestions for taking the activities outside. Sure, you may get a little (a lot?) wet, but it's a day your kids will long remember!

So, the next time it rains …

Be an artist! Before you head outside, color on a thick piece of white paper with a white crayon. Place a couple drops of food coloring on your paper and then let the raindrops create a beautiful pattern for your masterpiece. Or break out the sidewalk chalk and observe how the rain makes the pictures even more vibrant.

Be a scientist! Find a variety of containers in different shapes and sizes. Guess which one will fill up with rain the fastest and then take them outside to test your hypothesis.

Be an explorer! Take a walk around your backyard and discover which animals (worms, bugs, etc.) don't mind the rain. Buy a waterproof camera and take pictures of what you find outside with you on a rainy day.

Be a traditionalist! And who could forget the rainy day standbys of puddle splashing and mud pie making? Sometimes the most fun activities are the simple ones!