Power Outage…Let’s Read!
Heavy downpours of rain and gusty winds over 50-60 miles per hour from hurricane Dorian caused many areas in the Low Country of South Carolina and other places to lose power. Trees bent back and forth appearing to try to stand firm during the storm. Branches broke off one by one and ponds overflowed with excess water. Effects from the hurricane were felt before, during and after the storm.
One major inconvenience of the dangerous winds and rain were power outages. Have you ever lost power at your home? Everything is fine and all of a sudden the lights flicker and turn off, television and radio become quiet and the computer screen turns dark. When power is lost, children may ask, “What can we do? There are no lights to see.” Darkness can be scary. Finding fun things to pass the time often helps everyone.
A fun activity to do during a power outage is to bring out the flashlights and read to each other. Make a tent by covering a few chairs with a blanket or sheet. Place a few pillows inside the newly created area. Find a comfortable position in the tent and position the flashlights so everyone can see the book. Be sure to make the tent tall enough for adults and children to easily crawl inside.
Each person can take turns choosing a book, holding the book and reading to everyone. Special memories can be created during times of power outages. Read the book and discuss what everyone thought about the characters, the story line and the illustrations. Have each person suggest the possibilities of books to read.
Another fun idea is to create books. Encourage each person to draw something special and write a story to go along with the drawing. Then, share with each other.
While the storm is raging outside, this time of reading and sharing can ease anxiousness and worry. Sharing feelings about the storm is helpful, too. You may even have books about hurricanes or other storms for everyone to read and talk about their feelings.
No worries about a power outage. Just bring out the flashlights, make a tent and read, write and share. Wonderful, special memories can happen even during a storm.
Blessings,
Melissa Henderson