Pinning with Purpose: Embrace the Rain

"Rainy days and Mondays always get me down." But why? Why not enjoy that wonderful rain. And I'm not just talking about watching it from the window. No, no, no! I'm talking about going out side and experiencing it! Some of my best memories as a child happened in the rain. I will share a few of those in the following list of 20 activities you can actually do IN the rain.

Go on a walk - There's almost nothing better than walking in the rain and listening to the pitter-patter on your umbrella. I took my munchkins on a walk during our last spatter of rain. My girls love using their umbrellas! After our walk they spent the rest of the day playing with their umbrellas in the house.
Play with the worms - Yep, you read that right. I find worms fascinating. I even did a science report on worms in 6th grade. Whenever it rained I would pick up some worms and chase the other neighbor kids with them. (I never said I was always particularly nice.)
Watch the birds - With the worms come the birds. My kids absolutely love bird watching. The girls like to count the birds whenever they fly by. You could also count how many different species of bird you see during the storm.
Race leaves/boats in the gutter - Who honestly has not raced leaves in the gutter? All of the kids in my neighborhood would pick a leaf, drop it into the gutter, and follow it to the storm drain to see which leaf was the fastest. We would cheer our favorite leaf on. I remember trying to scoop up the winner of each race to let it race another round.
Splash in the puddles - Another one of my favorite rainy day activities. Splash your friends. See who can make the biggest splash. This is a rainy day must!
Get drenched! - Waaaaaay back when I was in high school (I hope you sense my sarcasm because I am NOT that old) my brother and I were in the chamber choir together. We were supposed to sing early in the morning on a Saturday for a Memorial Day service, but it got rained out. After driving home, we had an unspoken need to get drenched in our choir clothes. So, my brother in his tux, and I in my dress ran down the street until we were soaked. I'm sure my mom wasn't amused, but she never did punish us as kids for enjoying the rain.
Play in the mud - This picture has some of my very favorite people in the world on it. These are the kids I grew up with! We loved playing together in the rain, but notice the kids in the front completely covered in mud. Yep, we did more than just make mud pies.
Wash the car - Have a car that sits outside and you know it's going to get streaky? Grab a bucket and washcloth! Let your kids go to town "washing" the car. You'll be surprised how much fun the kids will have. Heck, you could even join them *wink, wink.*
Sit on the porch and watch the lightning and thunder - Use good judgement when you do this of course. When the lightning gets too close, for heaven's sake go inside! But until then, have fun counting the seconds between the thunder and watching the storm roll in.
Get the cars to splash you - Again, use caution with this one. This is one of my favorite ways to get drenched in the rain. I remember finding large puddles on a busy street and coaxing cars to drive through the puddles and splash me.
Float in the large puddles - If the puddles get big enough thrown on a fluffy coat and snow pants, lay in the puddle, and see if you can float. There was a time when I was growing up that the rain completely flooded the streets. I laid back in the water and was amazed to find that I was floating. It was incredible! You haven't lived until you've floated down a water-logged street.
Dance and sing - Go watch Singing in the Rain. Right now. I'll wait... Welcome back! Now you must be filled with the unspeakable desire to sing and dance in the rain. Admit it! Sometimes when my friends and I would see dark clouds in the horizon, we would make up rain dances pleading with the clouds to send rain. (Don't judge!) I'm sure we looked ridiculous, but it was lots of fun and if it rained all the better!
Fill up different containers - Lay out a bunch of different containers and see which ones fill up first. Listen to the different sounds the rain makes in each containers. Princess particularly likes filling up containers to water the plants.
Play in a sandbox and create sand castles - If you have a sandbox you will be able to make the best sandcastles and moats of your life. Bonus - they won't wash away like the ones on the beach!
Go down a slide - Going down a slide is enjoyable. Going down a slide in the rain is thrilling! It's like going down a water slide fully dressed. The ride is much faster paced.
Build your own swimming pool - If it's raining particularly hard, get creative! Find materials around the house and try to build your own swimming pool. My little brother build one with his friends using chairs and a tarp. What will you use?
Lay down and let the rain hit your face - I know it seems silly, but give it a try. I liken it to that feeling you get when you let the shower-water hit you in the face in the morning.
Smell everything! - Rain brings out the BEST smells! I open my doors and windows (as long as the rain isn't getting inside) and let it permeate my home. Go on a hike and smell the trees, the dirt, the flowers, etc. You won't be disappointed.
Play outdoor sports (like football) - Are you a hard-core athlete? Add an additional level of difficulty to your game. You will slip and slide in the mud; your vision will be impaired; everyone will be harder to catch. What are you waiting for? Get out there!
Set up a tent in the backyard - Set up a tent before the rain hits. Huddle inside and tell stories, listen to the rain hitting the tent, sing songs, drink something warm, whatever you can think of!