If the rhyme is “April Showers Bring May Flowers” is true, then what do June showers bring? Because it’s been raining a ton here lately! I thought it would be proper for our last post in our summer play series for me to share our favorite ideas for playing in the rain. (You know, the reasonable kind of “playing in the rain” ideas. Not the kind where there’s a tornado on the way or you might get hit by lightning!)

Collect water for your garden. Whether you have a flower bed, herbs on the windowsill, or a full-blown vegetable patch, your plants need water! Put out a bowl or bucket to collect the rain. For older kids, have them measure what they collect.

Look for bugs. All kinds of creepy crawlies come out in the rain. Worms, ants, these lovely snails. I remember when I could be grossed out by things like this. Now I have to try to stay neutral or even try to be impressed so I don’t give my girls a complex.

Color with sidewalk chalk on wet pavement. (It’s a different, brighter color!)

Use a puddle to test which things (leaves, sticks, outdoor toys) sink or float. Or race ice cube boats across a puddle.

Paint with rain. Here are five fun rain-painting ideas!

Puddle jump. Parents, you can play too! My favorite pair of shoes is my rain boots. We picked them up a few years ago for $15 at a farm supply store, and my girls love it when I put them on and splash in puddles with them.

Make mud pies. We have an outdoor kitchen that we picked up secondhand for $10. It’s perfect for mud pies, stone soup, and pretend grilled cheese.

A rainy day is the perfect time to explore weather and weather patterns. Rainbows. Clouds. Weather forecasting. Buggy and Buddy has 20 great weather books for kids that may pique your child’s interest!

Ask your child questions. I find that asking our three-year-old a question often gives me a great glimpse into her imagination and creative potential. Open-ended questions also give kids the chance to process and explain things they already know or have learned. Why don’t you see many airplanes in the storms? Where do the birds go when it rains? What happens to all of the water? Why is there a raccoon running across our lawn in this storm?! (Our daughter’s answer to the last question: he was running away from the neighbor’s dog who was obviously trying to catch him.)

Go fishing. Fish often are eager to bite before or after the rain!

Did you catch the first posts in our summer play series? We made sunshine clay and the perfect summer smoothie!

Before you go, check out these other fun summer ideas shared by my lovely blogging friends. They’re all awesome, creative moms who are excited to help you and your kiddos have a blast this summer!

Taste-Safe Coconut Cloud Dough from Fun-A-Day!

Mini Sand Play Set from Play Trains

Rocky Shore Small World Ocean Play Dough from Buggy and Buddy

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles from My Nearest and Dearest