Hurricane Sandy, aka Frakenstorm, is on its way, with the worst of the storm possibly hitting us Monday into Tuesday. Baristanet has tips on how to prepare, but we know, as parents, that you need some help to prepare the kids. So what to do?
Here’s a list of hurricane survival tips for parents:
1) Get out today while you can. Bring the kids to the playground, ride bikes, jump rope, play hopscotch… Do something active, before they have to be stuck inside the next couple of days. And take advantage of today’s Halloween events, as Wednesday may be a wash.
2) Bake!
- I’m baking a few batches of oatmeal raisin cookies today. It will give us something to do and we’ll have healthy non-perishable food in case we need it.
- Make Lisa Davies’ “Flapjack,” aka Granola Bars. They are the perfect food when you can’t cook, but need something healthy and filling.
3) Do crafts! Here are some of Holly’s craft ideas to keep the kids busy:
- Cabin Fever Art Projects
- Halloween Duct Tape accessories
- Tsumami Kanzashi
- Flower Barrettes
- Scavenger Hunt
4) Make lots of popcorn and watch movies (before, and IF, your electricity goes out.) I’m charging our portable DVD player for backup.
5) Speaking of charging things. Make sure to charge your iPhone, iPad, Kid’s DS game and any other electronic device you have today. It will give you a couple of hours of playing, listening to music, etc..
6) Play games. Our current favorites are Mancala and checkers.
7) Make a big pot of coffee and refrigerate for iced coffee in case you can’t use your coffeemaker. Buy, or make, lots of ice today and have a cooler handy. If you have to entertain your kids for a couple of days inside, you’re going to need your energy!
8) Learn about Hurricanes. Kids feel more secure if they have information–knowledge is power.
- We just happened to have a copy of The Magic School Bus: Inside a Hurricane, so we read it together.
- Kids can also play at NASA Kids, which offers information, games and resources about weather.
- Sesame Street Workshop has put together a toolkit of five Sesame Street videos for helping young kids understand and cope with Hurricanes. They also offer great tips for parents.
9) Give your child her own flashlight. If you can get a cute one like our lion flashlight, even better.
What are your best survival tips?
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Miss Twiggly’s Tree is a good hurricane read for kids, too.
It sounds like I should just send my kids to your house. You are much more fun than we are!
Don’t hunker down too soon!
Montclair Cooperative School is in its final day of their Bookapalooza! festival in conjunction with Watchung Booksellers today at 65 Chestnut Street (corner of Chestnut and Forest). From 11-3 there will be arts and crafts for the kids, tasty treats for lunch at the cafe, and book signings and readings to entice young and not-so-young readers.
Stacey Antine, author of “Appetite for Life: The Thumbs-Up, No-Yucks Guide to Getting Your Kid to be a Great Eater,” and nutrition expert with HealthBarn USA, is doing a cooking demo today at 11:30. A tasty way to occupy the family before we all possibly head indoors for a day or two!
Thanks for these, Georgette (I especially love the coffee idea). It’s only 11am and already my kids are going crazy!