April Showers

"Some people feel the rain, others just get wet."
Roger Miller

In many places, April means spring rain- hence the phrase 'April Showers.' In my opinion, there is little else so beautiful and refreshing as a warm spring-time rain- the cleansing smell of wet soil, the muffled drumming of rainfall on the roof, and the joy of a world turned "puddle wonderful."  As the welcome rain cleanses the earth of dust and debris, I can't help but feel like it also washes my soul.

While it doesn't rain a whole lot where we live, I was so excited that we did get one good rainy afternoon this April. My little boy had a riveting time playing in the rain - splashing through puddles and trying to catch water running off the roof. He was soaked but sooooo happy! Its sad how as adults we forget to stop, as we did when we were kids, and feel the rain with all of their senses!

Our rainy April day also made for the perfect afternoon of fun with my handy Rainy Day Box!  You too can turn rainy days into an afternoon of magical fun with your own Rainy Day Box that will  have your kids singing "rain rain, please come our way!" And, the best part is - these fantastic ideas from my mom's list of April traditions are perfect for any rainy day, no matter the time of year.

Rainy Day Box How-To

My mom first got the idea for a Rainy Day Box from Sarah Ban Breathnach's Mrs. Sharp's Traditions, which suggests having a cupboard filled with craft supplies to have on hand for rainy days spent indoors. My mom of course turned it up a notch, and created a Rainy Day Box filled with amazing books and other themed activities to keep her children busy on rainy afternoons.

To make your own, first get a plastic storage container, a box, or even an empty drawer or cupboard- just some place you can neatly keep your rainy day materials out of sight and out of reach of your kids (until it rains!) {The only rule is that under no circumstances can you bring this box out at any other time- it must be reserved only for rainy days (that way the things inside it will always be exciting and entertaining).}

Next, fill your box with books, activities, and art supplies that can help keep your kids occupied during an afternoon indoors.

{TIP: I chose to theme all of the items that went into my box (just like my mom did) with RAIN and  NOAH'S ARK - because what better story is there about rain than Noah's Ark?! }

Take a look at what's inside my box and the rainy day activities  that go along with it! Hopefully it will give you some ideas for your own rainy days!

Have Fun with Noah's Ark Stickers 

I have a stash of Noah's Ark stickers in my box since my little boy loves stickers! He'll have fun putting together his own Noah's Ark scenes! 

Play Noah's Ark

There are so many darling Noah's Ark play sets out there. I'm sure some of you even own one or two! I stuck one in my box that I thought my little guy would enjoy! Its sure to keep its appeal since he'll only see it on rainy days!

Make Edible Noah's Ark Animals

Photo courtesy: elenis.com

Just use animal-shaped cookie cutters to make your own set of animals ready to board the ark! You can make sugar cookies, homemade graham crackers, or in our case... animal-shaped veggie nuggets!
Store bought brands are full of fillers and unnecessary ingredients, so this homemade version from Weelicious (recipe below) are a healthier and cheaper way to go! The recipe makes a ton so just freeze them and pull a few out to bake whenever you want!

These are an awesome way to serve your kids veggies too- they're loaded with carrots, broccoli, peas and potatoes!  My little guy loves to dip them in ketchup!

(Get the recipe from Weelicious!)
Note: I substituted peas for the corn in the recipe to make them even just a bit healthier.


Put Together a Puzzle

Stay busy on a rainy day with a fun puzzle. Mine is a Mary Engelbreit rendition of Noah's Ark! So cute!

Snuggle Up on the Couch and 
Read Books About Rain

Use this book to learn alongside your kids how raindrops form!

Listen to the Story of Noah's Ark 

If you can still get your hands on one of these (they're hard to come by), Burl Ives tells the story of Noah's Ark that your children can follow along to in an illustrated book. 

Or,  author Jan Brett offers her own version! Listen to and follow along with the beautifully illustrated book.

 Make Raindrop Cookies

My mom would sometimes have us make these cookies on rainy days because the chocolate kisses look like raindrops.  :)

You could even keep a bag of chocolate kisses in your Rainy Day Box so you're all set for a rainy afternoon of baking!

Raindrop Cookie Recipe

Sing Rainy Day Songs

April Showers, by L. Silvers and B. Sylva

Soft Rain, by Janet Cox

I Like to Look for Rainbows (When I Am Baptized), 
LDS Children's Songbook, 103.
Its Raining, Its Pouring
Rain, Rain Go Away

When April showers may come your way
They bring the flowers that bloom in May
So when it's raining have no regrets
Because it isn't raining rain you know
It's raining violets
And when you see clouds up on a hill
You know they'll bring crowds of daffodils
So just keep looking for a bluebird
And listening for his song
Whenever April showers come along

April Showers

A Few More Ideas for Rainy Days:

Build a blanket fort!

Paint mud pictures on the sidewalk
 using a paint brush.

Make a rainy day scene by tearing colored construction paper (no scissors allowed!)

Gather puddle water in a glass jar and fill another jar up with tap water. Observe the two jars over time. What happens to the water? What differences do you observe between them? Maybe give your kids notebooks to jot down their scientific observations!

Make paper bag puppets and do a puppet show.

Watercolor a Rainbow

Have Creative Art Time
You might include in your box:

Paint and brushes

Small sponges

String, yarn

Straws

Glue, scissors and tape

Art Paper

Egg Cartons

Scraps of Fabric

Stickers

Playing Cards

Pipe cleaners

Popsicles sticks

Modeling Clay

Felt

Paper Lunch Sacks

Crayons

Happy rainy days! I hope my Rainy Day Box has given you some fun ideas of how to make your own! 

"Rain falls, soft rain at my window,

I will go outside where the sleepy rain blows,

Feel the wet on my face, feel the wet on my clothes

And like the columbine I want to bow my head in the rain."

From the song Soft Rain