It's raining, its pouring…

The internet is flooded with articles stating about how child obesity is rife and that our future generations are obsessed with a culture full of electronic screens. There is a huge push to try and encourage our children to play outdoors, play sports and interact with our external environments but what happens when it rains?
Autumn and winter often seems like a lost cause because of this scenario of wet weather days, and there is nothing worse for teachers or parents to try and entertain children when it’s raining. The easy option is to put on a TV or a video game console, but with some creative thinking there are lots children can do outdoors.
The first option is to actually embrace the wet and go outdoors anyway. Let’s be honest, when we were kids it was always great fun to jump in puddles, much to the annoyance of adults! There are also all-weather areas everywhere now, and tarmac areas can be turned into MUGA areas for football, cricket and netball. There is a large numbers of surfacing available such as rubber wetpour which eliminates muddy patches on grass or even artificial grass. Athletics is another good sport for the wet, such as javelin throwing and long jump. Just be careful however that any used surface doesn’t become dangerous and slippy.
Large canopies can provide outdoor shelter from which equipment can be placed for use when it rains. Table tennis is perfect for under a canopy, as well as climbing frames and trim trails. With safety surfacing and a big enough area there is no limit as to what you can’t put underneath this covered area.
Local swimming baths are a great source of sports for bad weather. Pre-booking for lessons over the winter months will not only provide a form of exercise but also teach life saving skills. Make use of other indoor spaces such as school halls to keep sporting activities whilst its raining.
Whatever the weather there are options available and we should encourage children not to be put off by the rain, as it is often only the adults that mind the wet.