We're Painting in the Rain!

Lots of learning can happen outside in rainy weather. Today it rained all day, but that didn't stop us going outside. We used buckets of paint with paintbrushes and the children loved painting in the rain. This included children who don't usually take part in mark making activities. They were attracted to this activity because it was outside, it was open-ended, it was exciting and there were interesting effects to explore. We talked about mixing colours and explored what happened when we put paint into small puddles and into big puddles.
Think about all the learning opportunities in this activity! There is science (Understanding the World) in exploring effects and noticing natural phenomena like rain and clouds. There is maths in exploring shape, size and colour. There is literacy and art (Expressive Arts and Design) in all the mark making opportunities. There is lots of physical activity and opportunities to work together, share and be sociable. And of course there are opportunities for talk.
Finally it's worth reminding ourselves that it's healthy to play outdoors. It's good for our bodies at any time but at the moment it's particularly important to spend time outside where there is lots of fresh air and where it is much harder for viruses to spread.