25 Outdoor Rainy Day Activities for Toddlers and Outdoor Toys
Kristina
—Mar 09, 2022
A rainy day doesn’t have to mean a day inside, toddlers love getting wet and splashing in all the puddles. The bigger the puddles the better, according to them. Looking for great outdoor rainy day activities? I got you covered.
First order of business ensure your toddler is dressed for the wet. You can read my article on Best Rain Gear for Toddlers to get you started.
Once you cover your toddler’s outer layer, make sure they are dressed appropriately below their rain gear. In colder weather add more warm layers below! Toddlers can get very cranky when they are cold.
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In this article:
Safety Tips for Playing In The Rain With A Toddler
- Never go outside in a thunderstorm
- Never play in a river/creek or any body of water in a thunderstorm
- Make sure their footwear is appropriate to reduce chances of slipping
- Always supervise your toddler
Best Rainy Day Toys for Playing Outside With A Toddler
No special toy is needed for fun in the rain. Splashing in puddles and the use of their imagination is enough to keep them entertained. However, toys can increase the length of play outside or add to their enjoyment.
Below are the top normal toys my toddlers love to use in the rain.
Toddler Scooter
Scooting through puddles and splashing the water around is pretty exciting. My 3 year old always grabs for his scooter when I take him out in the rain. He finds the biggest puddle he can and rides his scooter through it over and over again.
Looking for the best scooter for a 3 year old? Check out my article here.
Toddler Bike
Just like a scooter, a bike is equally as fun to ride through the puddles. Watching the tires hit the water and spraying water along as you go. Talk about optimal childhood memories.
Looking for the perfect bike for your toddler? Find my top picks here and what my toddlers ride.
Bucket and shovel
Watch as the rain collects in buckets, or use the buckets to scoop up water. Toddlers will find many different ways to use buckets in the rain. A favorite of my toddlers is to transfer water from one bucket to another and back again.
The shovel is often used as well to add mud to the water or small pebbles or rocks. After a rainy day outside, play baths are normally on the cards!
See how many outdoor rainy day activities your toddler can think of using a shovel and a bucket! Mine find at least 5 ways to play with them!
Trucks
Pushing outdoor trucks around gets more entertaining in the rain. A dump truck can collect water, mud or pinecones and your toddler can push the truck around and empty it into puddles or wherever. Just stand back and watch your toddler’s imagination at work.
Water table
Water tables are great for sensory play and in warmer weather. The addition of rain as your toddler plays at their water table will add a new dimension to their play. The table will fill up with more water and be less work for you; you no longer have to keep refilling the table as they inevitably dump water out.
Rubber Ducks
I don’t know what it is about rubber ducks, but toddlers love them. Place them in a puddle or a small stream and watch as they move with the water. Ducks are the perfect size for a toddler's hand and a great rain toy!
25 Outdoor Rainy Day Activities for Toddlers
1.Go on a walk and splash in every puddle
Let them jump over and over again in every puddle they can find.
2. Go on a rainy day scavenger hunt designed for toddlers:
Make a list of items for your toddler to find and go outside and try to find each one together. Award your toddler with a prize or treat afterwards. Example of items to find on a wet day
- Find a person using an umbrella
- Find the biggest puddle
- Find 4 worms
- Find animals that live in ponds and lakes (frogs, ducks)
- Find rainbows
- Find a mushroom
- Find a wet dog
3. Make designs in the mud with sticks:
Let your toddler collect sticks and encourage them to draw pictures in the mud.
4. Make mud pies:
Mix dirt with water and let them sculpt mud pies, cookies or whatever their imagination desires.
5. Make mud angels:
Find a big mud pile and let them lay down and make a mud angel. Toddlers are meant to get dirty!
6. Go on a hike and explore creeks and rivers:
Creeks, rivers, waterfalls flow even faster in the rain. Let your toddler watch and be mesmerized. T
7. Throw rocks, stones and sticks in streams/creeks/puddles:
Once you find some good bodies of water let them skip rocks or toss them in the water. See who can make the biggest splash!
8. Go on a bike/scooter ride and ride through the puddles:
Cruising through the puddles on wheels is thrilling. Just make sure your toddler is safe and wears a helmet.
My 3 Year Old Riding His Scooter
9. Catch rain drops in buckets:
Place buckets of different sizes in the rain and see how long each takes to fill up.
10. Pour water from one bucket to another:
Let one bucket fill with water or scoop up a puddle and transfer the water to other buckets and back again.
11. Get even wetter while playing with your water table:
Set up the water table and let them get wet. Water tables often have slides and different ways for water to flow that adds fun.
12. Drive trucks through the puddles:
Outdoor friendly trucks are great in the rain. Load them up with stones, water, dirt or anything you can find and push them through the puddles.
13. Race leaves down small streams:
Let your toddler collect leaves and see if they float in a puddle or race down a stream.
14. Race ducks down small streams:
Just like leaves but instead find your rubber ducks.
15. Search for rainbows:
It might be the perfect day to search for rainbows if there is a mix of clouds and sun. See who can be the first to spot one.
16. Collect worms:
See how many worms you can find and if you're brave enough collect them in a truck or bucket.
17. Try to catch rain drops in your mouth:
Sing songs and open your mouth and let them experience rain on their face.
18. Build a dam:
Use rocks and dirt and find a small stream of water. Pretend to be a beaver and create a dam and watch the water build up. After a while, break the dam and follow the water as it escapes.
19. Draw with chalk:
Playing with wet chalk is different from dry chalk, let them explore and see the brighter colors wet chalk brings.
20. Make paint with nature:
Find flowers and squash them with rocks and add to water. Use paint brushes or your hands and paint the sidewalk or driveway.
21. Play in the sandbox:
Wet sand is awesome. You can mold it better and it might be the right consistency to make epic sand castles.
22. Wash your toys:
Get a sponge and some soap and let your toddler wash some of their toys. Think bikes, plastic toys, or even your car!
23. Dig in the garden:
Get your toddlers gardening tools and let them help you in the garden. Water will make the soil easier to handle and messier.
24. Make Outdoor Music:
Turn the buckets over or bring out some pots and pans and use sticks to drum in the rain. The rain hitting pots will also add a beat to your music.
25. Play in the toddler pool:
The sensation of being in water as water is falling around you is unique. As long as the weather is not storming let them swim.
Hope these outdoor rainy day activities ideas help you to explore the wet outdoors with your toddler!
When it is not raining check out my 24 simple backyard activities for toddlers!