1 Head outside
Explore the great outdoors with laminated bingo cards to help children learn to identify different plants, trees and wildlife, even in the city. Keep eyes peeled for creepy-crawlies that love wet weather.

2Dig it
Take buckets and spades outside for hours of fun, whether it’s making mud pies or digging over the allotment while the soil is soft and damp. Create prehistoric-looking landscapes for dinosaur toys to roam.

3Splash about
Make a rain-gauge or water collector using plastic bottles and use them as a starting point to explore eco-friendly ways to conserve rainwater for household and garden use.

4Get creative
Draw around puddles with chalk to create puddle monsters. Watch them evaporate and observe science in action. Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes for them to disappear – you can even make it into a race.

5Take shelter
If it’s really pouring, head indoors. Create a snug environment by building a pillow fort or den. Change into cosy loungewear to play board games and read story books. Fairy lights add the final flourish.

6Hunker down
Make popcorn (in a saucepan with a clear lid to make the most of the visual spectacle) and watch films while the rain patters on the windows. Naps almost guaranteed.