Kids… Storms… Not usually the greatest combination. Our daughter has never been a fan of storms, especially thunderstorms. I was just talking to another mom about how scared her little one gets when the thunder rolls. It got me thinking about ways to counter that fear of storms. Here are a few that I came up with.
Top of Your Lungs
We’ve done this one when the thunder comes during the day. When we see the lightning, we wait…. and then yell as loud as we can. Our goal is to see if we can yell louder than the thunder. Of course, you could sing instead of yell or even bang a drum. Anything that makes noise can become thunder competition. And we usually end up in fits of giggles.
Stormy Day Box
Another idea I had was to put together a Stormy Day Box full of games that only get played when there’s a fear-worthy storm outside. Of course these games should be the super-cool kind that the kids beg to play. They might even be glad when a thunderstorm rolls in.
Flashlight Games
Unfortunately some storms come with power outages, and that added darkness can mean a greater fear for some kids. That’s when it’s time to break out the flashlights. You can put on a finger shadow puppet show, play Guess That Shape with shadow shapes, or draw a silhouette of someone on paper taped to the wall. You could even pretend that you’re camping or being pioneers who had no electricity.
Once Upon a Time
When the thunder booms, make up a story about what’s causing the thunder. Each time the thunder sounds, make that a new twist in the story. Maybe it’s God and the angels having a bowling party when all of the sudden **** BOOM **** God gets a strike! Or maybe it’s giants who are marching in a parade and throwing candy to the kids who are watching.
Of course we always talk about how God is with us through the storm. I think it must be sinking in, because during the last nighttime thunderstorm we had, Emma said she didn’t need us to stay with her. SHE reminded US that God was with her, and she informed us that she wasn’t afraid. 🙂 Can’t beat that one!
Do you have any other great ideas for helping kids cope with storms?
I’m sharing this post at :: Works for Me Wednesday hosted by We Are THAT Family
