Rainy Day Fun

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Celebrate National Library Week with a Great Book!
March 1, 2019
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March 1, 2019

Everyone is familiar with the old adage, “April showers bring May flowers.” In Houma, our average rainfall total for April is only about 3.58 inches. And luckily our average high temperature is 78 degrees. In my creative imagination, this means it’s warm enough to possibly play outside in the gentle rain showers that pass through this month! In my house, no thunder or lightening means puddle jumping for sure! We also enjoy making fun creations with the water that gathers around our house. It’s fun to see what happens when you mix water and chalk!

Sidewalk Chalk
Have you ever drawn on the wet sidewalk after a rain shower? Set aside a few sticks of sidewalk chalk that can be used wet (the water will “ruin” them). The texture of the chalk changes and becomes a bit crumbly. The colors are also twice as vibrant, taking on the look of oil pastels on your sidewalk.

Powdered Paint
While you can purchase powdered paint for these ideas, it’s also fun to make your own! Place several sticks of the same color chalk inside a zip seal bag. (You might want to use the freezer variety or even double bag!) Using a hammer (and a parent’s help!), crush the chalk until you have a consistent fine powder. Store the colors in a seal-tight container. Now let’s have some fun!


Rain Painting
Use the rain to your advantage! In a shallow pan, place a sheet of watercolor paper. Sprinkle spoonfuls of different powdered paint colors on the paper. Leave the pan and paper outside where the rain will wet it. The drops of rain will dampen the powdered paint, creating a masterpiece from nature.

Rainbow Puddles
After the rain, comes the rainbow, right? Why not make your own?! Sprinkle a little powdered paint into puddles on your driveway and sidewalk. They will magically turn colors! Enjoy splashing! •

 

Editor’s Note: If it turns out to be a dry April, you can still create with chalk and water! Wet your driveway down with a hose and get to drawing! You can also use a spray bottle of water to imitate the rain to paint.