A Little Rain, A Lot of Play: Ideas for Rainy Day Nature Play 

For children who spend much of the year under blue skies, a little wind and rain can feel wonderfully exciting. There’s something magical about raindrops on your face, the wind ruffling your hair, and the irresistible temptation to splash through puddles.  

For children, wet weather transforms familiar places into brand new adventures, inviting curiosity, exploration and plenty of laughter. Plus, experiencing the outdoors in all kinds of weather helps children build confidence, adaptability, and resilience, enriching sensory experiences and deepening their connection with the natural world. Every change in the weather offers something new to discover. 

Whether you’re a parent looking to brighten a rainy afternoon or an educator planning outdoor learning experiences, we hope that our wet weather tips and rainy day play ideas will encourage you to spend time outdoors with children even on wet weather days, giving children the opportunity to discover that a little rain can actually be the beginning of the very best play adventures. 

Makuru and Djilba: Seasons of Change

One of the wonderful things about regularly spending time outdoors is learning to notice the small changes that happen in nature throughout the year. The Noongar six seasons highlights these seasonal rhythms, with each season marked by changes in weather, plants and wildlife. Makuru is the coldest and wettest Noongar season, typically occurring from June to July. Marked by frequent rain, strong winds and cool mornings, Makuru invites children to splash through puddles, follow the paths of flowing rainwater, search for fungi, and discover how the landscape transforms after rain. 

Usually spanning both August and September, Djilba is a season of contrast. Rainy, windy days are balanced with increasing periods of sunshine. Djilba offers children plenty to discover outdoors – from the first wildflowers and fresh green growth to busily nesting birds and increased insect activity. The mix of crisp mornings, rain showers and warmer afternoons make each day’s adventure a little different to the one before. 

Tips for Being Prepared for Rainy Day Play

With the right clothing and a willingness to embrace the forecast, there’s no reason children can’t enjoy time outdoors almost every day of the year. Here are our top tips making the most of rainy days: 

• A raincoat, gumboots and a sense of adventure are handy for rainy day play. But all clothing can withstand a bit of rain, as long as a change of clothes is available afterwards.  
• Dress children in layers for warmth, choosing play clothes that are safe to get messy. 
• Be prepared with spare clothes, a towel and a bag for messy clothes. 
• Observe how children are responding to the weather and adjust the length of outdoor play times accordingly, with opportunities to warm up or take shelter as needed. 

Additionally, in childcare and school settings:

• Check the forecast and, wherever possible, be flexible about when you head outdoors with children. 
• Share outdoor supervision during wet weather by rotating educators, ensuring everyone takes an equal turn. 
• Set up some of your planned outdoor activities undercover. 

For both school and family adventures in wet weather, make coming back indoors lots of fun too with a mug of hot chocolate or your favourite soup – perfect for warming up after rainy day play!

Making the Most of Wet Weather Days: Our Rainy Day Playlist

These rainy day play ideas are sure to transform grey skies into memorable outdoor adventures! Scroll down to the bottom of the list for a printable version – teachers and other educators may like to print the list as a resource to share with parents. 

1. Go out into the rain to catch raindrops on your tongue. 
2. Can you find any mud or muddy puddles? Try making a mud sculpture with any mud you find. 
3. Have a go at jumping in puddles. 
4. Search for worms or snails after a rain shower. 
5. Drop items from nature into a puddle to see which makes the biggest splash. 
6. See how deep you can push a stick into the ground after it has rained. 
7. Make potions in a puddle, mixing in grass, leaves and petals. 
8. Can you find something outside to use to collect some rain? How much can you collect? 
9. Can you swirl a stick very quickly around in a puddle to make a whirlpool? Float a small leaf on the surface and see what happens. 
10. Try to splash all of the water out of a puddle. 

11. Build a dam or bridge using sticks and leaves in a flowing stream of rainwater. 
12. Stand under a tree after it has rained and gently shake the branches to create your own rain shower. 
13. Float a large leaf on a puddle. Can you balance a stone on the leaf? Does it sink? 
14. Make a mud masterpiece, using dirt, rainwater and nature items to whip up some muddy art. 
15. Visit a waterfall. Try Lesmurdie Falls at Mundy Regional Park, Serpentine Falls, Hovea Falls or National Park Falls at John Forrest National Park. 
16. Make a “rain trail”. Walk barefoot in wet grass or puddles and see the prints you leave behind. 
17. Practise your rock skimming skills! Find some flat rocks and skim them across the surface of a pond, lake or stream. 
18. Enjoy a stompy sing-a-long on a patch of muddy ground. 
19. Open a mud restaurant. Serve up muddy dishes to your family or friends. 
20. Count the seconds between the flash of lighting and the sound of thunder on a stormy day. 
21. Look for birds while it’s raining. Are they huddled in a tree?

Looking for play ideas for other weather conditions, check out our other nature playlists (click on an image below to be take to the related article);