When it rains......

We had our first majorly wet day of the autumn a couple of weeks ago. I was going to take my son to a play group but it was too wet to make the journey. So what to do?  I decided to 'play' something different. We had a cardboard box in the hall from a package that arrived the day before so I grabbed that. We put the soft play blocks in the box and had fun taking them out, putting them back in and closing up the top of the box and re-opening. It lasted a few minutes at least. Then I decided we'd try some 'drawing'. Not a success - what was I thinking? At this stage coloured pencils are only good for putting in the mouth and paper is only good for screwing up.

We managed to pass the time shaking the maracas to Elvis and then I spotted a lull in the rain so put on the anorak and out we went. We took a stroll around the park which was deserted. I enjoyed the dark damp isolation and feeling like we had the whole park to ourselves but it was short-lived, as the rain started coming down heavy again and we headed home.

There are going to be a lot of days like this to come, so I decided to make a list of things to do with a baby when it rains:

• Put on your wellies and mac and go out for a walk anyway (if you are dressed appropriately and baby is cosy and safe under the protection of the buggy's raincover it's actually kind of nice to take a wander. Older children will have fun in their wellies, splashing in puddles)
• Invite someone over or make a dash for a nearby fellow mum's house for a playdate
• Go out to a shopping mall to pass a few hours browsing the shops, stopping for coffee/lunch, all without having to step outside
• If your baby is still fairly young, check your local cinemas for daytime baby-friendly screenings which are a great wet-weather activity
• Visit an art exhibition or museum. Your little one will be happy enough being pushed around whilst you enjoy the art (many museums have fun art activities for older children). Cafe and toilet facilities are usually good in these places, which is always helpful!
• If you can't face going out, make yourself a nice hot cuppa and have a sing-a-long and story session with baby or get out the paints and get their hand/foot prints onto paper (something I've been meaning to do and still haven't....)

How do you pass the time on a really wet rainy day?