It often happens that when the sky changes color and the air gets cooler, people start looking up as if to decide what to do.
It usually ends the same way: we go back inside, postpone, wait. Everything seems to turn grey, sometimes even our mood.
Why not try to change perspective?
What if, instead of waiting, we anticipated the rain and celebrated it with a colorful activity?
🎨 Let's prepare the activity: chalk painting
Before going out, mix some water with colored chalk powder and pour the mixture into small airtight jars.
The finer the powder, the more homogeneous and easy to apply the paint will be. The process is simple and quick, but the fun starts right here: children participate, mix, and watch the colors take shape.
And just like that, the driveway in front of the house changes its appearance!
And don't worry: if traces of color remain and you fear your four-legged friend might track them into the house for days, the rain itself will clean everything up!
☔ What if it starts raining afterwards?
When a few drops fall, it doesn't matter. The drawings begin to fade, the colors mix, and slowly wash away.
The driveway or the park are ready for a new creation.
Children observe and discover that change is also part of the game.
🌈 The Nordic mindset
In Nordic countries, rain is not a problem: if it's light, you continue; if it gets more intense, you slow down and adapt.
It doesn't mean acting carelessly, but living outdoors more naturally.
There's an idea that sums up this approach well:
there's no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!
Rain doesn't necessarily interrupt the day — it transforms it.
And with children, it can become an extra opportunity to observe, play, and discover.
If it rains heavily, you can continue playing at home with age-appropriate activities, which you can find in the ebooks Mani all’opera (Hands-on) and A tempo di bambino (In a Child's Time).