Oklahoma City family fun takes place in all kinds of weather. Sometimes, due to that unpredictable factor, it has to take place at home and in the dark.
Taking an unscheduled break from electronics is one plus when the power is out. There are days when I wish the power would go out so we could all reconnect with each other.
I think my sons, ages 8, 3 and almost 1, will remember some of our inclement weather activities more than the average afternoon of movies or tablet time. Click here for 14 things to do instead of watching TV and find MetroFamily’s list of inclement weather activities here.
Here are three old-fashioned activities for kids of all ages that don’t depend on having electricity:
- Flashlight hide-and-seek: Hide-and-seek is a favorite game at our house anyway but playing in the dark adds an extra element of fun. Designate which areas of your house are off-limits to minimize the possibility of bumps and bruises (i.e., no playing on the stairs, etc.). If you have flashlights on-hand, they add to the game but aren’t strictly necessary.
- Storytelling: Reading in the dark isn’t my idea of a fun afternoon but sharing folktales that are surprisingly new to kids more familiar with “Phineas and Ferb” than Hansel and Grettel makes for a much better time. Another way to play is to start a story and pause a key points in a sentence then invite your child to finish the phrase. “Once there was a prince who loved….,” my toddler stares up at me because he knows it’s his turn, “…to eat pizza! He ordered one thousand pizzas for dinner every night because that’s what he wanted to do.” And so begins a story that can grow and grow. Ghost stories are fun for older children too and the dark, of course, only enhances their scary effects.
- Crafts: Depending on just how dark the dark actually is and what time of day you find yourself seeking an activity, an afternoon without power may be the perfect time to pull out a craft. Paper folding, drawing, painting, kits of any kind: there’s suddenly time for handicrafts when other entertainment options disappear and going out isn’t possible.
Click here for more inclement weather fun ideas.
Enjoy a snow day if you’re having one! We’ll all be back to the usual routine before we know it.
