On rainy days, the tents are set up first. If there is a wind blowing, they can be set at an angle, with their “backs” to the rain. Then, the blankets and ground sheet can lie well inside the borders of the tent.
Wet days, with blankets sheltered beneath the tent, mean less room for everyone. These days do not call for many peripherals like skipping ropes or sidewalk chalk. On such days, it is worthwhile bringing fewer books. Since books too will get wet, it is helpful to divide the full collection into morning and afternoon books, thereby ensuring a dry selection of titles for the whole day.
Blankets will get wet on foggy or rainy days, or even mornings with a heavy dew or frost. If more than one tent is to be delivered in a day, extra blankets will probably be needed. In any case, blankets will need to be dried at the end of the day. Groundsheets too can become too wet to reuse, and will also require drying. On very wet days, canopies can become saturated, and may need to be replaced for a second tent. Extra groundsheets stretched over top a tent can help with leaks and keep a canopy drier for later use.
Here's just a sample "Rainy Day Set-Up." A rainy day Storytent has packed:
- 1 – 2 tents
- 1 large / 2 small book boxes per tent
- 1 box with teen/adult books
- 1 box with snack
- 1 box Summer Reading Club materials
- 1 or 2 large boxes for blankets and tarps
