How To Get A Toddler Outside In The Rain

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Quote of the Week
“Singing in the rain!
What a glorious feeling.
I’m happy again!”
~ Gene Kelly

Hello Spring!

This was a fun, but super cold, North of the Wall kind of winter for us Pacific Northerners. We had MOUNTAINS of snow which turned to slush and we were buried for weeks with no end in sight. Seattle doesn’t get snow that often so digging out of Winterfell… not our forte. 

But enough about Winter, because Spring is here! And it’s time to shed the fur layers, get our butts off the sofa and, as my son liked to say (as his first word), go OUSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE!

Now that it’s warm, rain or shine we are outside. Once you have the right gear, it’s easy to play no matter the weather.

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Pros and Cons of Playing In the Rain

Playing in the rain isn’t always fun and games…

Pros

What kid doesn’t LOVE splashing in the puddles? We get awesome puddles, practically lakes, at our nearby park and the kids just love making big splashes for hours.

Like my last post, about surviving the weekends, this is a GREAT way to tire them out for bedtime. So much running.

It’s critical for a child’s development to play outside. Actually in some states they are creating laws for schools in mandating recess - which weather permitting - is time outside. In Washington for our drop-in daycare, they have a whole basket of outdoor clothes for kids so they can go play outside, rain or shine, mud or dry.

Cons

Without the right gear, kids get soaked and if their sensitive, like my munchkins then they won’t want to walk home soggy. I actually remember trying to change my daughter’s pants in the middle of a wet field. Imagine it. She’s balancing on my hovering knee (because I don’t want to actually kneel on the wet ground and get my own pants wet), with her boots off trying to not touch the wet grass in her somewhat dry socks. It was quite the ordeal at the time and now completely comical because this is what we mom’s do… it was that or carrying her up hill while she cried. I chose the ridiculous option.

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Find Your Happy Medium

I found the best way to do this, and prevent the ridiculous option of trying to change a toddler’s pants mid park, is to gear up. Yes it takes MORE time to get ready to get out the door. Yes it’s more things to buy. BUT, the joy of them bounding through puddles dry as can be, and having dodged another tearfest is worth it. Also beats trying to entertain them inside all day. Gotta pick my battles and while we can’t prevent ALL the tears especially at dinner time and bedtime, this is one way I can.

So, when they were 18 months, I got them each a rain suit and boots and at a very young age we roamed through the neighborhood looking for the biggest puddles we could find. They actually still fit in the 2T suits at almost 3.5. They’re a little short, but thanks to rain boots it still does the job. BEST PURCHASE EVER.

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Tricks of the Trade

Rain Gear - and actually I just dropped a TON of layers under them and used it as snow gear too:

• Rain Suit: I recommend rounding to the next size up. So if they’re 18 months get a 2T. If they’re in their 2s, get a 3T. You can really roll the sleeves up and theres elastic at the bottom which goes inside the boots anyway so they won’t trip over anything.
• Rain Boots: I got my daughter these. Make sure they’re true to size. I got my son the same brand, but a size too big (because they don’t have half sizes and he’s somewhere RIGHT in the middle of a 7 and 8) and they’re pretty much unusable. He cannot walk in them. You can buy clothes that are slightly too big, but I do not reommend it with shoes. Here is a previous post on buying kids the right size shoe.
• Umbrella: Just for fun :-)