Here is the list you have been wanting! It is a list of things for children to do sans electricity. Print it off and keep it on the fridge for easy reference.
Here it is! The list you need! Get it printed off and hung in a prominent place so you can find it when the power is off.
Window Fun
Bird watching
- Learn the names of birds in your area. Make a list of the ones you see. Look up facts about them in a bird guide or encyclopedia.
- Feed the birds. Make a pinecone into a bird feeder. Tie a piece of string or yarn (about 2 feet) to the pointed end of the pinecone. Lay out a sheet of newspaper or waxed paper. Smear peanut butter unto the pinecone and roll it in birdseed or dry bread crumbs. Hang it from a branch outside a good watching window.
- Water the birds. Use a plastic disk (like a trash can lid) as a water container. Turn it upside down and fill with water for the birds to drink. Turn the lid over after water freezes and dump out the ice. Replace with fresh water as long as the bad weather lasts.
Watching Passing Traffic
Keep tally of vehicles. Count birds, dogs, animals, people on foot, trees, clouds, anything outside.
Play Guessing Games
- I See Something You Don’t See. The first player chooses an item in view. He then gives a color clue. Everyone guesses until someone calls out the correct item. (
- Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button? One child has a large flat button. He pretends to pass it to each person in the circle. All the players pretend to have it. Then the guesser must try to guess the true button holder.
- Play a dictionary game. One person looks up words and the others guess at the meanings.
Storytelling
- How many can remember family stories to tell? Get started with the phrase: "I'll never forget the time..."
- Tall tales are fun—Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.
- Don’t forget the old time favorite children’s stories.
- Make up a fractured fairy tale. Begin with a well known story and add to it bits and pieces of other stories to come up with a whole new story. This is silly and little ones especially love it if they are familiar with fairy tales.
Tell Jokes
How about elephant jokes? Knock-knock jokes.
Riddle me
Entertain each other by thinking up riddles and guessing the answers.
Snow Fun
- Shovel snow. (Shovel for a neighbor.)
- Build a snow fort. Have a snow ball war.
- Make snow ice cream. Collect fresh fallen clean snow and mix 8 cups of snow with 1/2 cup of milk and ½ cup sugar. Stir to freeze and add a spoon of vanilla flavoring or a squirt of chocolate syrup to flavor.
- Make snow angels. Lay on your back in the fresh snow and move your arms in the snow up over your head and down like a jumping jack movement. Get up carefully to reveal your angel shape in the snow.
- Build a snow man. Dress him brightly with hat and scarf. Make a face with a carrot and stones or charcoal lumps. Add sticks for arms and give him a broom to hold.
- Try some snow and ice experiments.
Handwork
Knit and crochet, needlepoint, hand sewing, embroidery,
Games to Play
- String games,Yo-yo tricks, juggling, Pick-up sticks, dominoes,
- Board games, Yatzee. Monopoly, Scrabble, checkers, chess, Risk, Battleship, Candyland, etc.
- Card Games
- To help keep warm find an area free of furniture and breakables and try some somersaults and tumbling.
Play Little House on the Prairie
Wrap in blankets and sit by the fire. Cook popcorn on the fire or toast bread on sticks. Warm up with hot cocoa heated on stove top or in a kettle on the hearth. Try cooling different foods on the fire. Apples and potatoes can be wrapped in tin foil and baked in the ashes. Marshmallows and hot dogs can also be cooked on sticks in the fireplace. Use candles and light an oil lamp for light.
Warnings: Use extra caution when burning candles that a dish plate or glass holder is under the candle. Don’t play with matches or burning sticks. Never move or touch the globe of a lit oil lamp. Get adults to light candles or lamps.
Other Ideas
- Cut pictures out of old magazines and make up stories to match.
- Work a jigsaw puzzle.
- Have you been saving a craft kit for a better time? Dig it out and work on the craft project.
- Practice musical instruments
- Take pictures with a camera
- Make a home video.
- Use a battery operated cassette tape recorder to interview family member.
- Play hide and seek with flashlights.
- Hide a kitchen timer and let the players find it by its beeping.
Want more lists? Try these. Find more family night Ideas without electricity. Outdoor cold day activities for kids. Winter activities list for kids.
