I can be pretty scary when the power goes out, but it’s usually not catastrophic. Of course, if you’re sitting in the middle of a nasty storm, and a hurricane is coming through, maybe you do need to evacuate. Assuming it’s just a downed power line, or a transformer blew, here are some great things for your kids and teens to do that don’t involve technology.
Fill Up The Bathtub Immediately With Cold Water
Fill up your bathtub immediately with cold water. Why? Because this is going to be your source for drinking water, toilet-flushing, and cleaning.
Just make sure the bathtub is clean before you do it and that you keep toddlers away from the water (you know they will throw stuff in there).
This is more of a safety precaution, but it can be fun to do with the kids and you can teach them why you’re doing it.
Break Out The Legos
If your kids have Legos, your problem is basically solved. Break them out and let them entertain themselves for the rest of the day. End of story. You could, hypothetically, get involved in the act and build something with them that’s truly epic.
Read Books
Most kids like it when their parents read them a story. What about your kids? It’s easy to forget reading when we have “always on” Internet access, but reading is one of the best ways for you to connect with your child (assuming you’re reading to them). If they’re a bit older, then you can all sit around and quietly read your own thing.
Play Games
Break out the board games. No need to wait for family game night. Most tabletop games don’t require anything but a little light to play. So, relive your glory days by playing Risk, Monopoly or, for the younger ones, Chutes and Ladders and Candyland.
Or, you can always stock up on the newer games being sold by third party and independent gaming companies.
Create Something
Get out the glue, glitter, markers, and construction paper. Sit down and make something interesting with your kids. If you’re not into that kind of crafting, maybe you could try making jewelry with your kids or Christmas ornaments, or maybe some other kind of decoration.
When it’s all done, you’ll have a keepsake to remind you of the time you spend with your children – a time when the power went out, but you survived and even had fun together.
Start A Fire
This will show your kids your survivalist side. If you don’t already know how to start a fire, learn. In fact, learn 3 different ways to start a fire. Then, teach your kids how to do it. If you can start a bonfire in the back yard, that is an amazing way to spend the day and even the evening.
If you have a woodstove, having a fire in there can become a family event. You can all sit around the fire, stay warm, and tell stories until the lights come back on.
Brandon Baxter loves being a Father. Giving horse rides, playing games, letting his daughter paint his nails, it all goes on! Once the youngest kids are in bed Brandon takes out the laptop and writes. His articles appear on a range of parenting sites.
