Books

“Raindrop Plop!” by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
“Rain” by Manya Stojic
“The Big Storm” by Nancy Tafuri

Windshield Wiper

This is a fun one to repeat several times and have children do it faster and slower.

I’m a windshield wiper (hold up arms)
This is how I go
Back and forth, back and forth (wave arms back and forth)
In the rain and show

Five Little Raindrops (tune: Itsy Bitsy)

Five little raindrops (hold up 5 fingers)
Dancing on the walk (wiggle hands down)
Pitter patter, pitter patter, that’s the way they talk (pat legs)
Out comes the yellow sun, shining in the sky (circle arms overhead)
And away goes one raindrop, bye, bye, bye (wave)

(count down)

Itsy Bitsy Spider

I like to use a spider puppet while singing. I inform everyone that it is a friendly spider and walk around saying hi to the children while we sing.

Rain is Falling (tune: Ants Go Marching)

The rain is falling down in drops (wiggle fingers down)
Drip drop, drip drop (tap thighs)
The rain is falling down in drops
Drip drop, drip drop
The rain is falling down in drops
We can’t go play until it stops (wag finger side to side)
Oh the rain is falling down
To the ground
Where it makes lots of mud
Squish, squish, squish (tap floor)

Stomping in the Rain (tune: Farmer in the Dell)

We’re stomping in the rain
We’re stomping in the rain
We can’t go yet, we must get wet
We’re stomping in the rain

(clapping in the rain)
(hopping in the rain)

Toilet Paper Raindrop Craft

For the craft I (tried to) shape a toilet paper roll into the shape of the raindrop. Children glued down their cloud, dipped their roll into blue paint and stamped it onto their paper.

How it Went: Rain is one of my favorite storytime themes, there are so many great books and songs. This craft was a huge hit. I had several parents and grandparents tell me how great it was and had some kids who decided to keep stamping instead of playing with toys. It goes to show you that sometimes the simplest crafts are the best ones!