How to Keep Your Children Occupied During a Hurricane

If your child is getting antsy from being cooped up in the house and needs to release a little excess energy, there are a couple of safe indoor activities you can try. For starters, you can create a game of indoor basketball by placing a wastebasket or small garbage can on a short table and use balled up pieces of paper for the ball. To make things more interesting, you can put pieces of tapes in different spots around the room and turn it into a game of horse. Have each taped spot represent a letter in the word "horse" (or any other word) and take turns trying to collect each letter by scoring a basket. Another great distraction that combines imagination and physical activity is to have your children put on a play, musical, or talent show. You can choose an existing story from a book to act out, a favorite scene from a movie, or, for the truly ambitious, have your kid write their own play. For talent shows, have each family member pick a "talent" to perform and alternate who takes the spotlight. Shy away from rewarding points or declaring a winner, as this can quickly turn into bad feelings or arguments. Instead, focus on the "fun" of each talent and offer up plenty of applause. Finally, at the end of the day, a severe storm that keeps your family trapped indoors is the perfect opportunity to create a bonding moment. If you have some candles, flashlights, or battery-operated lanterns, gather your loved ones around it and make-pretend that it is a campfire. Then have each family member share a story. It can be a created tale, a favorite memory, or a conversation about the family history. All of the above activities will not only keep your children occupied during a hurricane or storm - they also present quality time, learning opportunities, and creative outlets that are all pivotal to early childhood development. And, at the end of the day, you will be creating memories the entire family can cherish for a lifetime.