Why you should say yes to playing in the rain
Stop saying no to playing in the rain and start saying yes! By letting kids play in the rain you can improve their independence, provide them with sensory experiences, and improve their motor skills. When going out in the rain whether it’s to play or go to school, you should always dress appropriately. What better time to learn something than when you’re motivated by play? When planning to go out in the rain, you have to think about what you need to wear to remain dry such as rain boots, rain jackets, and maybe even an umbrella!
Playing outside in the rain provides children with different sensory opportunities through sounds, smells, and textures. You can listen to the sound water makes when it falls on different objects, the sound of water flowing down the street, and even the wind blowing. You can feel the different textures through the muddy ground and wet materials. Walking on dry grass feels a lot different than walking on wet grass. If it is warm enough out, you could even walk around the grass without shoes on and feel the mudd and feel that wet grass. While you are outside, you can smell the fresh earthy smells from the rain.
When playing outside in the rain the ground and play equipment is all wet and can be slippery. This gives kids an opportunity to increase their gross motor skills and balance when navigating the slippery terrain. This can be considered risky play which you can read more about in our previous blog about risky play. Kids need to use critical thinking skills to stop and think about if the equipment is too wet to use. While on the equipment kids use more effort to maintain their balance. So remember, when it’s raining outside and your kids says they want to play outside, say yes!
Written by Jenna Norris, MS OTR/L