Play Along! Rainy Days

There are so many things to learn in Hot Toast Music Co.’s songs each week. Let’s learn together and make discoveries! Each week’s Singalong Saturdays will include ways to connect ideas in the songs to fun at-home activities you can do together as a family. Simple activities are multidisciplinary and appropriate for a wide variety of learners. They include storytime, artmaking, science explorations, film suggestions, discussion prompts, and more!

This week’s song is inspired by the storms that roll through town in the springtime. What do you like to do on rainy days?

Singalong

Story Time! Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle

Download Activity Guide

Get Outside!

If it is not lightning, there are several ways you can play in the rain! You will get wet, so have a towel ready!

1. Dance in the rain
2. Try to catch a raindrop on your tongue
3. Make swirls and patterns with your rain boots in the puddles
4. Take off your shoes and stick your toes in the mud! 
5. Look down into a puddle at your reflection. What do you see? Can you see the sky above you?

Talk about it!

Rainy Days. People either love them, or hate them. For some, rainy days fill them with excitement about the prospect of playing in the rain or cozying up on the couch. For others, rainy days can be kind of a bummer. Something as simple as a rainy day is an excellent opportunity to talk about feelings and emotions with young children.

What are your favorite things to do on a rainy day? Do you like playing outside in the puddles or do you like staying cozy inside?

Sometimes rain feels warm and sometimes rain feels cold. What is your favorite type of rain?

Just like you, we all need water to grow! Can you name some things that need rain to grow?

Creative Challenges: Rainy Day Fun!

Rain in a Bottle

Let’s make a Rain Stick Sensory Bottle!  Rain sound bottles will allow you to have the sound of rain wherever you go!

What you will need:

• Sticks (popsicle sticks or sticks from outside)
• Rice or beans
• Small pebbles or beads
• Bottle with lid  

Steps:

1. Start making your rain in a bottle by placing the sticks inside the bottle first. Since they are the biggest of your materials, you will want to make sure they fit.
2. Next, add your rice or beans. Close the bottle, and listen to the sound.
3. If you think your bottle needs some more rain-like sound, finish by adding small pebbles or beads. They weigh more than rice and will add a nice sound dimension to the bottle. 
4. Screw the lid back on, close your eyes, and listen to your rain!

Raindrop Printing

Bubble wrap is a super fun material to play with, but it’s also a great sensory painting tool too. Plus- the texture of bubble wrap reminds us of raindrops! Recycle the bubble wrap around your home, grab some tempera paint (washable), and make some art! Any size bubble wrap works for this, you just have different sized raindrops!

What you will need:

• Bubble wrap
• Paper
• Watercolor or tempera paint (washable- acrylic will work too, but it is not washable)
• Paintbrush
• Extra drawing materials 
• Extra paper to cut shapes 

Steps:

1. Start by covering areas of the bubble wrap in the color of your choice. Make sure not to soak the bubble wrap in paint, or the circles won’t shine through on your paper.
2. Using the bubble wrap as a stamp, gently stamp down onto your paper. Popping the bubbles is fun, but removes the texture. Best to wait until after you’re done stamping! You can easily wipe down the bubble wrap to switch colors and make whatever design you want.
3. After your background is stamped, you will want to create your image or design for your picture. Use drawing materials and paper shapes to create the visual you want- your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? Or your backyard or garden in the rain?

Download Activity Guide