10 Fun Things to Do Outdoors in Nature When It Rains (Mindful & Uplifting Ideas)
- Jo Moore
- 5 hours ago
- 7 min read
Embracing the Healing, Playful, and Mindful Side of Rainy Days
Most people see rain as a reason to cancel plans, hide indoors, or wait for the sun to return. But in the world of mindful walking and nature connection, rain isn’t a hindrance - it’s an invitation.
When it rains, nature changes tempo. Scents deepen, colours saturate, and sounds soften into a soothing rhythm. Every drop brings renewal. The world feels freshly alive - and so can you.
So rather than closing the door on your next rainy day, open it. Step outside with curiosity and playfulness. Here are 10 fun and nourishing things to do outdoors when it rains - each one designed to awaken your senses, lift your mood, and connect you more deeply with the living world.
“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” - Bob Marley
1. Take a Mindful Rain Walk
A gentle walk in the rain can be one of the most healing and grounding experiences in nature. The familiar paths you know by heart transform into something new - quieter, slower, softer.
As you walk, notice how the air feels cooler and the earth smells richer. Listen to the rhythm of raindrops on leaves, and the way puddles ripple under each drop. Let your senses lead the way, rather than your thoughts.
This is mindfulness in motion: being fully present in what’s happening right now. Let the rain remind you to slow down, breathe, and simply be.
Tip: Choose a safe path with good footing. A lightweight waterproof coat and sturdy boots are all you need - there’s no need to fight the weather, only to flow with it.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass - it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”Vivian Greene
2. Dance in the Rain (and Reclaim Your Inner Child)
One of the most freeing things you can do outdoors in the rain is to simply dance. Forget form, forget how you look - just move. The rain gives you permission to be playful, spontaneous, and delightfully imperfect.
So jump in puddles. Twirl under dripping trees. Laugh. Feel the cool drops run down your cheeks like a blessing.
When we allow ourselves to play again, something inside us heals. The rain becomes a partner in that process - a gentle reminder that joy doesn’t depend on perfect conditions. It’s available here, now, in the mess and the mud.
Mindful twist: As you dance, imagine the rain washing away old heaviness - tension, self-doubt, or stress. Let every movement feel like renewal.
3. Go Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) in the Rain
Forest bathing - the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku - is about immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest for wellbeing. Rain deepens that experience beautifully.
The forest in rain is a living cathedral. The air is filled with the earthy scent of soil and pine; leaves glisten, and the whole landscape hums quietly with life. Find a peaceful place to stand or sit beneath the canopy and simply breathe.
The rain helps soften the edges of your thoughts and draws your awareness deeper into your senses. This is nature therapy at its best - a full sensory reset for the nervous system.
Tip: Skip the umbrella; wear a hood or hat instead so you can feel and hear the rain fully.
4. Capture the Beauty: Rainy-Day Photography or Journaling
Rain creates a completely different kind of beauty - subtle, reflective, and poetic. The world looks softer, more mysterious.
If you love photography, this is your moment. Puddles mirror trees, droplets sparkle on petals, and mist drifts like smoke across hillsides. Overcast light brings out rich, moody tones that are perfect for capturing emotion.
If you prefer journaling, find a dry spot under a tree or shelter. Describe what you see, smell, and feel. Write about what the rain stirs within you - memories, emotions, or sensations. These rainy-day reflections can be some of the most meaningful pages in your journal.
Tip: Keep your camera or notebook in a waterproof bag or wrap. Don’t worry about perfection - it’s the noticing that matters.
5. Enjoy a Cozy Rain Picnic
Yes, you can picnic in the rain! With a little preparation, it can be one of the most heart-warming experiences in nature.
Pack a waterproof blanket, a thermos of tea or soup, and maybe some homemade treats. Find a sheltered spot - under a large tree, in a gazebo, or by a riverside ledge. Listen to the soft drumming of rain as you sip something warm.
Rainy picnics slow everything down. They invite presence, gratitude, and quiet conversation. The world around you is refreshed, and you’ll feel it too.
Mindful twist: Before you eat, take a moment to thank the rain for nourishing the food you’re enjoying - a simple act of reverence for nature’s cycles.
6. Go Wildlife Watching
Rain often stirs animals into gentle activity. Birds fluff their feathers and sing softer songs. Frogs and snails emerge. Deer wander more freely in misty woods.
Take a slow, quiet walk and watch for life responding to the weather. You might see raindrops clinging to a spider’s web like jewels or a family of ducks blissfully swimming through drizzle.
Watching animals go about their business in the rain reminds us of our own resilience — how all life adapts, endures, and thrives.
Tip: Bring binoculars or a small waterproof notebook if you like to record what you observe.
7. Follow the Flow of Water
Rain is water in motion - endlessly curious, endlessly adaptive. Find a slope, woodland, or path and trace where the water goes. Watch how it gathers, splits, and merges again.
This simple activity can be surprisingly meditative. As you follow the water’s flow, reflect on your own journey. Where are you moving freely? Where are you meeting obstacles? Can you, like the rain, find a gentler way forward?
This practice turns a grey afternoon into a quiet metaphor for life itself.
Tip: Kneel down to watch the details - the miniature streams, the patterns forming in mud, the reflections in puddles. Rain reveals the artistry of the earth.
8. Create a Rain Ritual or Collect Rainwater
Rain has always been a symbol of cleansing, renewal, and gratitude. You can turn a rainy moment into a small personal ritual - a way to reconnect spiritually with nature.
Stand under the open sky and hold your palms out. Let the drops fall and imagine they’re washing away what no longer serves you. Offer a word of thanks - to the clouds, the earth, the cycle that keeps life thriving.
If you like, collect a little rainwater in a jar to use later for watering plants or blessing your garden. Some people use rainwater as a reminder that everything we take in should also be shared back out - a balance of receiving and giving.
Tip: Label your jar with the date and where it was collected - a lovely keepsake from a mindful rainy day.
9. Try Outdoor Yoga or Meditation
Practicing yoga or meditation outdoors in the rain can be deeply cleansing for body and mind. The sound of rainfall naturally slows your breath and quiets your inner chatter.
Choose grounding poses like Mountain, Warrior, or Tree. Feel your feet pressing into the damp earth, your breath syncing with the rhythm of the rain. If sitting in meditation, imagine each drop as a thought - landing, rippling, and fading away.
The experience can be profound - a reminder that peace doesn’t depend on stillness in the world, only stillness within.
Safety note: Avoid yoga during storms or heavy downpours. Light, steady rain is perfect.
10. Create Rain-Inspired Nature Art
Rain is the perfect co-artist. It softens soil, moves colour, and transforms ordinary objects into something magical.
Use natural materials - stones, leaves, petals, or twigs - to create a temporary mandala or sculpture. Let the rain alter it, blur it, or wash it away. There’s beauty in letting go of permanence, in creating something meant to be transient.
If you’re walking with a group, invite everyone to make their own small “rain art” and then share what the process felt like. It’s a gentle, creative exercise in surrender - and a wonderful way to connect with both nature and one another.
“The rain began again. It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfilment of its own nature.” - Helen Garner
Why Rain Feels So Healing
Beyond the poetic and the playful, there’s science behind why rain feels good. The air is charged with negative ions during rainstorms - particles that have been shown to elevate mood and increase feelings of wellbeing.
The sound of rain also mimics the natural frequencies that calm our nervous system. It helps shift the brain into alpha-wave states - the same relaxed focus we experience during meditation.
Emotionally, being outdoors in the rain encourages surrender. We can’t control the weather, but we can choose how we meet it. When we let go of resistance, we often find renewal waiting on the other side.
Bringing It All Together : 10 Fun Things to Do When It Rains
Walking in the rain, dancing, meditating, or simply noticing - each of these activities is a form of communion with nature. They remind us that healing isn’t always found in sunshine or stillness. Sometimes, it’s in the soft, steady rhythm of falling rain, the cool touch on our skin, and the courage to stay open when the world feels grey.
Rain teaches acceptance. It reminds us that everything - joy, sadness, growth, rest - is part of the cycle. When we walk through it rather than away from it, we learn resilience and gratitude in their truest forms.
So the next time clouds gather and the first drops begin to fall, take it as an invitation. Step outside. Feel the pulse of the living world around you. Let the rain refresh not just the land, but your spirit too.
A Note from the Path
On our walking holidays and nature therapy journeys, rain is never an interruption - it’s part of the experience. We walk mindfully through drizzle and mist, learning to trust the rhythm of nature rather than resist it. Each droplet brings its own lesson in presence, patience, and play. Whether we pause beneath trees to listen or step joyfully into puddles, we remember that connection and healing don’t depend on perfect weather - they grow from our willingness to meet the moment as it is.