What's Rain Rain Go Away About?
Sing along to this timeless nursery rhyme and watch your child discover the wonder of weather! Through gentle repetition and catchy melody, little ones learn about rain, patience, and the joy of anticipating sunny playtime.
2.5 minutes
Ages 1-4
Skill: Weather awareness & language development through music
Your kid watches friendly characters sing about waiting for sunshine. You get 2.5 minutes to finish that cup of coffee.
Colorful animated characters sing the classic "Rain Rain Go Away" nursery rhyme while raindrops fall gently on screen. The repetitive verses create a soothing, musical experience with bright visuals that capture little eyes. Each verse reinforces the same simple lyrics, perfect for early language learners.
What your child learns:
This classic nursery rhyme builds foundational language skills through musical repetition. Your child absorbs new vocabulary naturally while developing an understanding of weather concepts and the patience to wait for what they want.
- Recognizes rain as a weather pattern
- Builds vocabulary through repeated lyrics
- Develops memory skills by learning song patterns
- Practices patience and delayed gratification concepts
- Strengthens listening and auditory processing skills
They'll use these skills when:
- Looking out the window and naming the weather they see
- Waiting patiently for a turn on the playground
- Remembering and singing songs with family
- Understanding why outdoor plans sometimes change
The Story (what keeps them watching)
Someone wants to play outside, but the rain has other plans! This cheerful nursery rhyme follows the classic wish for the rain to go away so playtime can begin. Through six melodic verses, little viewers sing along with the hopeful request for sunny skies. The simple, repetitive structure makes it easy for even the youngest learners to join in, while the gentle message about weather and waiting keeps them engaged from start to finish.
How We Teach It (the clever part)
- First 45 seconds: The familiar melody introduces the concept of rain and the wish for it to stop, establishing the rhythm and key vocabulary.
- Minutes 1-2: Repeated verses reinforce the lyrics, allowing children to anticipate words and join in singing, building memory and confidence.
- Final 30 seconds: The song concludes with a satisfying repetition, cementing the melody and words in your child's memory.
Teaching trick: The identical verse structure repeated six times isn't lazy—it's intentional! Young brains need 6-8 repetitions to move information into long-term memory. By the third verse, your child is already mouthing along.
After Watching: Quick Wins to Reinforce Learning
- Window weather check: "Let's look outside—is it rainy or sunny today?" (Practices weather observation and vocabulary)
- Car ride sing-along: "Can you remember how the rain song goes?" (Reinforces memory and language through repetition)
- Bedtime chat: "What do you like to do on rainy days? What about sunny days?" (Builds conversational skills and weather associations)
- Anytime finger play: Wiggle fingers downward like falling rain while singing the song together. (Adds movement to reinforce learning through kinesthetic connection)
When Kids Get Stuck. And How to Help.
"My child just watches but won't sing along yet." - Totally normal! Children often listen for weeks before joining in. They're absorbing everything—one day they'll surprise you by singing the whole thing.
"They don't understand what 'go away' means." - Use real moments to demonstrate. When a bug visits, say "Bug, bug, go away!" and gently shoo it. They'll connect the phrase to the action.
"Is this too simple for my 4-year-old?" - Classic nursery rhymes build phonemic awareness that supports reading readiness. Challenge older kids to make up new verses: "Rain, rain, go away, little puppy wants to play!"
What Your Child Will Learn
Prerequisites and Building Blocks
This nursery rhyme is perfect for beginners with no prerequisites needed—it's often one of a child's first songs! It builds on basic listening skills and prepares children for more complex weather concepts, seasonal learning, and phonics instruction. The repetitive structure serves as a foundation for pattern recognition that supports future math and reading skills.
Cognitive Development and Teaching Methodology
Repetition is the cornerstone of early childhood memory formation, and this video leverages that principle beautifully. The musical delivery activates multiple brain regions simultaneously—auditory processing, language centers, and emotional engagement. Visual learners benefit from the animated rain imagery, auditory learners from the melody, and kinesthetic learners can clap or sway along.
Alignment with Educational Standards
This video supports early learning standards for language development, specifically vocabulary acquisition and phonological awareness. It aligns with kindergarten readiness indicators for recognizing weather patterns and expressing ideas through song. Teachers expect entering students to know common nursery rhymes, making this essential preparation.
Extended Learning Opportunities
Pair this video with simple rain-themed art activities like finger painting raindrops or creating paper umbrellas. Explore other weather videos in the Kokotree library to build a complete understanding of sunny, cloudy, and rainy days. A simple rain gauge made from a clear cup extends learning into basic science measurement.
Transcript Highlights
- "Rain, rain, go away" - Introduces weather vocabulary and the concept of making wishes
- "Come again another day" - Teaches patience and the cyclical nature of weather
- "Little Johnny wants to play" - Connects weather to daily activities and child experiences
- Repeated verse structure - Demonstrates how songs use patterns to aid memory
Character Development and Story Arc
The song's narrator models healthy emotional expression—wanting something (to play outside) while accepting current circumstances (it's raining). This demonstrates early emotional regulation and patience. The hopeful tone of asking rain to "come again another day" shows children how to cope with disappointment while maintaining optimism about the future.
Music and Language Development Deep Dive
Nursery rhymes are far more than simple entertainment—they're powerful tools for early literacy development. "Rain Rain Go Away" exemplifies several key principles that support language acquisition in young children.
Phonological Awareness: The rhyming pattern of "away/day/play/away" trains the ear to recognize similar sounds, a critical pre-reading skill. Research shows children who know nursery rhymes by age three are often stronger readers by age six.
Prosody and Rhythm: The musical meter helps children understand the natural rhythm of language. The stressed and unstressed syllables in "RAIN, rain, GO a-WAY" mirror patterns found in everyday speech, helping children develop natural-sounding language production.
Vocabulary Building: Simple weather words like "rain" become deeply encoded through musical repetition. The brain processes music and language in overlapping regions, making sung vocabulary particularly sticky.
Memory Development: The song's structure—identical verses repeated six times—aligns perfectly with how young brains consolidate information. Each repetition strengthens neural pathways, moving the content from short-term to long-term memory.
Social-Emotional Connection: Singing together creates bonding opportunities and helps children understand that everyone experiences rainy days—both literal weather and metaphorical disappointments. The song's gentle message about patience and hope provides early emotional vocabulary without complex psychological concepts.
