JANUARY 2026
Too often have I arrived at work on a rainy day to find most educators deflated, irritable or feeling down. They will then often greet me with sarcastic comments about how great their day is going to be, having the children stuck inside all day. Even parents communicate this same sentiment, giving us looks of pity as they hand their child to us, and perhaps a sympathetic shake of the head as they gently tell us that they don’t know how we do our job on days like this.
When I first began my career in early childhood, yes, I certainly dreaded rainy days. But I chose to be proactive on rainy days, rather than reactive to the children’s mood and energy levels. After a number of years of developing my own hypothetical “rainy day tool box”, I no longer feel stressed when weather events restrict the children’s outdoor play time. Here are a few secrets I’ve learnt along the way.
Children Just love being out in the rain, playing in puddles, gathering falling water and experiencing the natural elements. As long as there is no danger, no thunder or lightning, no slippery or icy surfaces, and no unhygienic drainage running through the children’s play area, why not let them play in the rain? This way, the children are able to remain active outdoors, and they will likely be highly engaged as they participate in investigative play, active play and even imaginative play in the rain. I ensure that parents are informed, as soon as their child begins kindergarten with me, that they will need to provide at least two spare changes of clothes for their child each day, as spontaneous messy play or water play is likely.
Children still need to move and be active, even if they are stuck inside all day. I feel this is where a lot of educators make mistakes, feeling as though they need to engage the children in indoor play in a sedentary way. This is not logically possible; children need to move! I love throwing dance parties, even using the interactive board to play songs with dance actions for the children to dance along with. I’ve implemented dance experiences that have run for over thirty minutes, with the children still excited, engaged, and asking for more. I have implemented a “Mini Olympics” indoor event in which children rotate in small groups around six or so physical games and challenges. This event was well-received by the children, and they loved the challenges of walking on stilts, hula hooping, bean bag toss games and performing somersaults on mattresses.
To cater for those children who need to run, jump and climb, I have been known to clear a large area of floor space in the classroom, and set up an obstacle course indoors. Yes, expectations for rules, fairness and safety need to be set, but once the children understand this, they have a great time engaging in active play in a space they might otherwise have not been able to.
No child wants to spend all day participating in the same indoor experiences that are on offer. Without sufficient opportunities to meaningfully engage in a range of play and learning experiences, children will lose focus, lose the ability to regulate their emotions, and may begin behaving inappropriately. I have successfully been able to engage children in appropriate indoor play all day by:
- Rotating experiences (such as construction, art, puzzles, STEM investigations and small world play) at least twice during the day
- Implementing active group games (such as freeze, hide and seek with a toy, and other movement games) intermittently between play times and group times
- Providing new or novel experiences that I may not always do every day, such as setting up a large group art experience that involves the children using a wide range of media, setting up investigations and experiments, and throwing novel events for children to participate in (e.g. parties, indoor picnics, talent shows).
Get creative with this! Can you play a game in the hallway, or have story time in the foyer? Can you have small groups at a time using the verandah as a play space? Can you go on excursions with small groups to other classrooms? Can you do a room swap for an hour or so with another group of children during play time? Can you do “cleaning missions” with small groups to other areas of the service and equip the children with gloves and cleaning cloths? Could you play a “Follow the Leader” game around the entire service?
Rainy days need not be torture for early childhood teachers and educators. With a little planning and preparation, children can remain just as engaged and happy as they would be on any sunny day when they are able to venture outdoors.
What rainy day ideas have worked for you? Leave your comment below!
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