Rain Rain Go Away Lyrics
Every child stuck indoors on a wet afternoon understands this one. A version of Rain Rain Go Away was already in a book of English proverbs in 1659.
Rain Rain Go Away
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day;
Little Johnny wants to play.
Another old version
Rain, rain, go to Spain,
And never come back again.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/rain-rain-go-away/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- First published
- 1659 (early version)
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 1 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Rain, rain, go away | Wiggle your fingers downward like falling rain, then push your hands away. |
| Come again another day | Wave goodbye to the rain. |
| Little Johnny wants to play | Point to your child and swap in their name. |
What Does Rain Rain Go Away Mean?
It is a wish, sung at the window: rain, please stop so I can go outside. Children usually put their own name in place of "little Johnny", which makes it feel like a small spell they are casting.
History and Origin
The idea is very old. The writer James Howell included the line "Raine raine goe to Spain: faire weather come againe" in a collection of English proverbs published in 1659, and similar wishes about sending rain away to Spain turn up in other old sources. The version with little Johnny became the standard nursery rhyme in the 1800s.
Learning Activities
- Name swap: sing it with every family member's name, including the dog.
- Rain gauge: put a clear cup outside and check how much rain fell by bedtime.
- Window drawings: draw raindrops on the fogged-up window and count them.
- Puddle day: if the rain doesn't stop, put on boots and go splash anyway.