On Sunday night the lights flickered during our bedtime routine, and wind and rain raged outside as I spent a solid twenty minutes unsuccessfully searching for a favorite bedtime book. With my kids finally asleep, I watched the latest dispatches from the Midwest and Plains states devastated by the weekend's vicious storm system, making a mental note to put together an emergency kit. Beyond just the basics, what could make a storm less scary for the family?
The Apartment Therapy team has shared tips for stocking emergency kits here and here. These are a few additions that might help kids to pass the time, and take the edge off of a weird and unknown situation.
• Books – Stash duplicate copies of beloved titles along with the requisite flashlights and blankets.
• Music & Media – Get a few of the kids' favorite albums onto a smart phone or iPod, and keep some movies or shows loaded on a tablet or laptop.
• Games & Toys – Choose age-appropriate items that will keep kids entertained. Think blocks, memory games and play dough for younger children, Banangrams and Apples To Apples for big kids.
• Classics – Bubbles, Silly Putty, Slinky and a travel-sized Etch A Sketch or Magna Doodle are all great ways to keep kids occupied and add minimal bulk to an emergency kit.
What other non-essentials will you add to your family's emergency kit?
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You forgot a standard-by classic for both kids and adults - a pack of playing cards.
Figurines. My child can be occupied for hours with tiny Mickey figurines.
Needle, thread, and some patches to sew? or an embroidery hoop, fabric, and thread? Or, maybe that's for the mom, haha.
Search-and-Find kind of books ... hours of intense, quiet escape (helpful during church service, too) : )
These kinds of things should also be considered for car trips as well. A few extra little diversions in the trunk could be the difference between sanity and chaos. When I was a kid, we got stuck on the highway for hours due to road closures from ice. It was dark and cold, and my mom had three young kids in the back. To keep busy and stay positive, we played travel games (Battleship!), and enjoyed a few special treats (mini chocolate bars). And always travel with a roll of toilet paper in the glove box, just in case!!
If you have an unfinished basement, I definitely recommend setting up an area with camping/folding chairs and keeping some blankets and pillows in a plastic tub. We have spent a lot of time in our basement during tornado warnings recently and realized we needed a dedicated area set up to hang out in.