3 STEM Ideas to Brighten Up a Rainy Day

There are many things to look forward to about spring showers. Your family’s rainy days might be filled with splashing in puddles, watching for rainbows and spotting rain-loving animals like frogs, toads, snails and worms. However, for those of us who prefer to appreciate the rain from a dry place, storms don’t have to put an end to fun this season! To help you come up with ways to practice STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning inside, we’ve put together a few ideas your family can try the next time it rains.

Share Stories

Reading is a great way to explore the world around you without leaving the couch. Whether you want to glimpse inside the mind of a great innovator, answer some big questions or read a fantastic story that will take you on a global adventure, a good book will have exactly what you’re looking for. Check out these reading suggestions we’ve gathered to help your child grow this season.

If a surprise shower caught you before your family could make a trip to the local library, encourage your children to take turns making up their own silly stories and practice their awesome communication skills by presenting them to the whole family!

Get Creative With Indoor Play

Imaginative play can be just as open-ended indoors if you use a little creative thinking!

• If your child enjoys puzzles, you might try asking them to follow a detailed list of clues or riddles for a scavenger hunt around your home 
   
• If your child finds building interesting, you could work together to design and construct an indoor furniture fort 
   
• Your aspiring baker can learn all about math, mixtures and solutions while creating the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe 
   
• Your art lover might want to explore color mixing by painting a masterpiece fit to be displayed front and center on the refrigerator

To keep the fun going no matter the weather, while also teaching valuable STEM skills and inspiring your child to follow their innovative dreams, explore more awesome indoor activities.

Experiment by Measuring the Rainfall

Meteorology is a branch of science that studies the atmosphere and weather. It tells us that the amount of rain we normally see varies across the country and helps us to plan our days by forecasting weather changes. Rain might put a damper on some of your outdoor plans, but it’s incredibly important to the environment. Rain helps flowers grow, provides fresh water to animals, and fills ponds, lakes and streams — but too much rain can have harmful effects as well.

To explore meteorology and measure the rainfall at your home, your family can create a DIY rain gauge! After making observations from a nearby window and measuring your water collection once a storm has passed, you can determine the average amount of rainfall in your area and investigate what native plants and animals might benefit from a spring shower.

Keep Exploring!

For more fun and engaging ways to bring STEM learning to life for your family, check out our blog.