* When the Power Goes Out: 10 Low-Tech Things to Keep You Busy
There’s one thing people enjoy doing when the power is out, and if you don’t believe me just show up to the nearest hospital 9 months later. There is often about a 20% increase in babies born, or in Hurricane Sandy’s case, about a 30% increase.
After natural disasters that force many to stay at home, and large metro area power outages that strand millions, about 9 months later there is a mini baby boom. – Florida News Journal
Nothing is wrong with enjoying each other when the power is out, but what do you do with the rest of your time?
After going through our first hurricane and losing power, I quickly realized practically EVERYTHING I do requires electricity. Entertaining kids was difficult (they’re iPad addicts), I couldn’t get any work done without a computer, and even chatting with friends was not an option without cell phones working.
With hurricane season here and the chance of being without power increasing, you might want to have a few ideas up your sleeve so you’re not twiddling your thumbs. It gets real boring – believe me! Every day without electricity felt like 100, especially when your neighbors get power back before you do and you can’t help but stare at them in envy!
10 Things You Can Do When the Power is Out
#1 – Take a Nap
I won’t lie, this is the first thing I did when the power went out, but it’s usually what I do whenever I have some extra time. 😉 Go ahead and let yourself relax and catch-up on sleep. Let’s face it, most of us could use a little more!
#2 – Meet Your Neighbors
Kuddos to you if you know your neighbors already, but if you don’t, get out of your house and meet them. There really isn’t a better time to get to know your neighbors than when the power is out and everyone is forced outside anyways.
#3 – Play Games (the old-fashioned kind)
With Wii’s, iPads, and Play Stations, we sometimes forget that not all games that aren’t hooked to an outlet exist. Find some fun games your family enjoys, or be creative and invent your own!
#4 – Write a Letter
When’s the last time you wrote a letter, with a pen and paper? I”m sure you can think of someone who would appreciate knowing you were thinking of them. You can also take this time to write in (or start) a journal!
#5 – Learn a Foreign Language
Learning a new language requires plenty of quiet, thinking time and lots of time for practicing new words. In the power-free hours following a major storm or some other disruption, why not learn a little Spanish? Or French? Norwegian or German? There are 2 websites that I recommend for this purpose: Mango Languages and DuoLingo. Both also have handy phone apps, and as long as you have a small generator or solar chargers that can keep your computer and/or smartphone charged, you can begin working on becoming multi-lingual!
#6 – Practice Survival Skills
This is a great time to take the kids outside and teach them a thing or two about survival (or even work on a few skills yourself)! Here’s a list of 48 skills you can print out and have ready for when the power goes out.
#7 – Read an Actual Paper Book
With Audible and e-books becoming so popular, not as many people have a library of books in their home. If this is the case for you, make sure you get a few books to read because they will become your best friend! Need some ideas? Here’s a list of books related to survival and prepping and another list of similar books for kids of all ages.
By the way, kids of all ages enjoy being read to. A chapter book, such as The Hobbit or Hatchet are great for family bonding time, since everyone is enjoying the experience together and will have plenty to talk about after each chapter.
#8 – Make a Shopping List
Chances are you’ll start to realize you don’t have everything you need – especially when the stores are closed! This is a great time to take inventory of what you have (or don’t have) and make a shopping list.
#9 – Get Outside
Go on a walk, take a bike ride, work in the garden, or even play flashlight tag once it gets dark. Sometimes we don’t appreciate the outdoors enough – I know I don’t!
#10 – Organize Your Preps
Sometimes getting organized is one of those things that keeps getting pushed down to the bottom of your to-do list! Well…when you don’t have anything else to do, take advantage and finally get it crossed off!
*** REMEMBER***
Don’t forget to make a printed list of all the things you can do when the power is out, because you won’t have the internet when it does! Better yet, put a box together filled with games, books, and this list for the times you’re without power.
