Playing In The Rain
Rain doesn’t stop the fun. It is fun.
Rain doesn’t stop the learning. It is learning.
Marcello, our Forest School Leader writes about the importance of rain play and what wonderful learning opportunities it can bring.
Autumn. Such a wonderful season. The leaves on the trees are turning into yellow, red and brown. Clouds are painting the sky. The nature around us changes constantly, giving us many gifts. We say goodbye to some creatures, we say hello to some others. But something else amazing is happening. The rain brings us amazing opportunities to play, have fun and learn! Wonderful rain. Does that sound strange? Do you think rain is just something annoying and best to be avoided? Do you think children should be just be sheltered from the rain? Let’s see what playing under the rain can lead to…
- Experience the joy of the nature. Children can establish a deep connection with nature by playing under the rain. They can learn first-hand about all the seasons of the year being familiar all the possible weathers. They will get an understanding, for example, of the intensity of a particular rain or of the changes in visibility and in the slipperiness in their environment.
- A slippery world set totally different challenges from a dry world. This will help to develop motor skills and balance abilities. They will need more concentration, strength and agility.
- Children can access a beautiful sensory experience under the rain. So many different new sights, sounds, smells, touches (and possibly tastes) for the children to experience during a nice rain shower.
- They will grow in independence and responsibility. They will make choices about playing indoor or outdoor. They will realise how to look after themselves in different weather conditions and to care about their clothing.
- They will learn about water and its fantastic properties. Their experience with water will step definitely up to another level compared to a water from a tap or in a bottle.
- Here only some example of possible activities under the rain. Directly experience how the water interacts with other parts of nature like the soil or trees. How the water creates puddles of different sizes. Observe how the water works differently with objects that may sink or float or may have different reactions to the water depending from their surfaces. The mud kitchen becomes a magical place with a little bit of rain. Of course jumping in the puddles. And many more!
It’s crucial to keep children warm and safe while they enjoy their rain. It’s paramount to keep them fit and healthy. How can we make sure they can freely and happily play under the rain? The solution is easy. But a question first. Would you go trekking on a mountain wearing slippers? Would you walk on the moon wearing a t-shirt? Would you go running wearing a suit? Every situation requires appropriate equipment and so too does the rain. Let just be ready for a lovely rainy day!
We all know about the magic of the wellington boots. They are a must. But to fully experience the rain the children need to wear a waterproof coat. To take their experience to the next level they will need waterproof trousers too. This is the essential equipment. Now they have no limits and no one will stop them. They can live the rain at its finest. So let’s get ready and let’s have fun!
Here for you some links where to buy a rain basic kit. There’s no such a thing like bad weather, only bad clothing! Also, you don't have to spend a lot of money on rain kit; as long as the item you purchase is "waterproof" not "water resistant". Water resistant will eventually seep through the clothing if the item gets too wet.
