Kids Activity :: Raindrop Umbrella

The last few days in Texas we’ve been lucky to get some rain – like the all day drizzly kind of rain, and we needed it.  The dry spots on my lawn have greened up and I swear I can see the trees reaching a little higher as if they’re taking a big sigh of relief.   The best part?  Yesterday I opened the door to find the steamy sauna that usually greets me every morning had been replaced by a fresh almost crisp breath of air. I had to get out in it, and decided a quick trip to the store was in order.

After a surprising trip to Walmart the came in less than $100 (am I the only one that has a problem walking out of the store for less than that?) we ran to the car in a down pour.  On the way home I saw an umbrella stuffed in between the seats in my car and remembered a fun activity Aubrey had done with her kiddos last year.  A raindrop umbrella – which is simply an umbrella with paper raindrops taped to it.  Each raindrop has a simple activity written on it and through out the day the kids can pick one off to see what fun thing the rainy day will bring next.

So I came home, admittedly a little too excited for the task, found some paper and thought of a few simple activities the kids would think of as new.  Here’s what I came up with:

• build a fort with mom and read books with popcorn
• get a roll of tape and cardboard and see what we can make (a favorite activity in my house)
• run out in the rain and play in the mud (this one surprised them) then come in and take a hot bath
• play pick up cards (throw a deck of cards in the air and see who can quickly pick up the most matches)
• make cards to send to Grandparents while eating a treat
• turn on our favorite music and have a dance showdown
• get out some of mom’s paints and paint on cardboard

Satisfied with the list I’d come up with I added the string to the raindrops and taped them to the umbrella.  I called the kids in and explained what kind of fun we’d be having with the umbrella, how each raindrop had a “special activity” in store for them.  Then the wild rumpus began.  We had a great day, that afforded me plenty of time to get things done.

I love to see my kids get excited about things they have done dozens of times before, but when presented in different way all of the sudden it’s a new treat.  I find if I get super excited about it, the kids do too.

When I put the kids to bed last night I asked them if they liked their rainy day.  My son promptly declared it the “best day ever” and my four year old asked if it was going to rain tomorrow – mission accomplished.  I put me mental gold star right on my forehead :).

You can check out Aubrey’s full post for the Raindrop Umbrella here and see her list of activities too.

Do you have a favorite rainy day activity?  I think I can only bring this one out every once and awhile and would love to have some new ideas.

Well, it’s sunny today and I am off to run some errands – the kind that involve the county tax assessor and the DMV – if you have any ideas on how to make that fun I’ll give you two gold stars!

Hope you have a “best day ever”,

Destri