Having a power outage with little ones is rarely a fun event. Most kids get scared easily and then cling to you. Causing the difficulty meter on whatever you’re trying to do, to increase by 100.
Not only do I strongly suggest having a storm kit (read about that here) to be prepared for storms, but I also strongly suggest you have a plan to keep the little ones occupied and not afraid. My kids loved black outs. I made black outs and storms into giant slumber parties, so the kids would actually look forward to them. They’re now 14 and 18 and still get excited when a storm is supposed to hit.
Power Outage Kit For Kids
Before your next power outage, make sure you gather some stuff together for the kids to have during an outage. When my kids were little I gave them each a clear bin and took them to the Dollar Store.
They found:
- Flashlights
- Glow sticks
- Colouring books
- Crayons
- Cards
- Stickers
- Cheap toys, etc.
They can put these in their kit for when the power goes out next. Fun tip: The first power outage, make one of the activities be them decorating their kit. They can paint it, put stickers on it, whatever makes them happy.
Make sure you have a TON of flashlights. The main reason kids get scared is it’s dark. So eliminate that issue. Put flashlights everywhere in the house so its not scary. I don’t recommend candles with little ones. Accidents can happen, plus they really don’t give off a ton of light.
Things To Eat In a Power Outage
This is super important as it honestly sets the stage for kids. Power outages were where my kids were allowed to eat food I typically wouldn’t allow.
I always had a small stash of:
- Candy
- Chips
- Cookies
- Popcorn
- Juice
If I’m preparing for a power outage due to a storm, we usually have home made subs for dinner. I absolutely refuse to cook in a storm. There has been way too many incidents where the power went out mid cooking, and I forgot to turn the burner or oven off. I can’t be trusted. So instead, I purchase baguettes, lunch meats, and veggies, and everyone makes their own sub sandwich. When my kids were little they loved this.
Set The Scene
Turn your living room (or a bedroom, under the kitchen table could work too) into a giant slumber party room. Have the kids bring ALL the pillows, blankets, and throw blankets into one area. In the past, we’ve even been known to pull out a mattress to pop on the floor in front of couches. Make it fun.
Also, everyone should be comfy cozy in their pjs.
Things To Do:
Now that the kids have food, light, and are comfy cozy, you need to make sure they don’t get bored.
My fav activities are:
- Board games
- Card games
- Read a book (loved doing this when the kids were little)
- Watch a movie. (I download movies on my laptop that we can watch)
- Play video games on a hand held device (like the switch)
If you have any suggestions for making a power outage fun for kids, I would love to hear about it in the comment section.
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