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Community Corner

Hurricane Sandy: 20 Ways to Play Unplugged When You're Stuck Inside

Whether or not the power goes out, these unplugged family activities will make this hurricane fun and memorable!

I was somewhat of a non-believer about Hurricane Sandy. I hesitantly bought my loaf of bread and gallon of milk, but I really thought the storm would pass us by completely and we'd feel foolish come Monday. Well, here we sit without school or work, and the possibility of 48 hours in my house with a stir crazy family and no real plan. Ackkk!

Watching TV and movies is fun for a few hours, but in my household, the bickering begins when the TV has been on too long, so here are some family fun ideas to keep your whole family entertained without the need to plug in. Thank you to mamascout.blogspot.com and cuegly.blogspot.com for sharing their great ideas on Pinterest!

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1. Photo Shoot: Even though the natural light isn't great, a portrait lit by candlelight is pretty awesome. To make it fun for the kids, they can dress all the family members in costumes.

2. Make a Storybook Together: Come up with a collective story and illustrate it together.

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3. Balloon Tennis: Leftover birthday balloons in the house? Make paddles with paper plates and craft sticks or a paint stirrer and tape, and you have a fun and not-so-destructive sport for indoors.

4. Puppet Show: Hang a sheet on a suspension rod in a doorway, or just make the stage over the backside of a sofa.

5. Organize a Museum Exhibition in Your Dining Room: Have everyone pick "artifacts" from around the house and then they can be your tour guide through the museum. It will be interesting to see what they think make good artifacts.

6. Countdown to Christmas: Make a chain of paper links.

7. Take a Look Back: Look at old photo albums and tell stories about when you were kids.

8. Wear What You Eat: Make necklaces out of dry pasta, or Cheerios or Fruit Loops and string.

9. Exercise: Getting antsy indoors? Take your kiddos through some circuit training exercises: jumping jacks, burpees, sit-ups, high knees. Three or four rounds of those, and you'll all be ready for a quiet activity.

10. Do Artwork: Any kind and then display the works of art gallery style in your hallway.

11. Play Crocodile Pit: You can't step on the floor or the crocodiles will bite you! Strategically place sofa cushions around the floor, and play in a room where climbing on furniture is permissible.

12. Build a Fort: Then play games!

13. Write the Front Page to Your Family's Newspaper: A bit like the Pickwick Times in "Little Women", you can come up with headlines and stories about family accomplishments (lost tooth or A+ on a test), draw cartoons about your family pet, obituary for the slug on the sidewalk, etc.

14. Picnic in the Living Room: Choose foods that won't damage the carpet if they fall.

15. Roast Marshmallows: Over a candle if the fireplace isn't available.

16. Catch up on Correspondence: Write letters and make cards for family members.

17. Make an Obstacle Course: Make a hallway obstacle course with leftover crepe paper streamers. Crawl or step over the streamers to get to the other side without touching the "laser beams"!

18. Mani/Pedis for Everyone: Paint everyone's nails, even Dad's.

19. Snuggle and Read: Stay cozy and enjoy a classic family activity.

20. Go for a Walk in the Rain. It's so much better when you do it on purpose. Since this storm is coming in waves, there's likely to be time when there's not more than a drizzle outside. But keep an eye out for downed trees or power lines!

With life outside your home canceled due to the storm, what better reason to stay inside and play. When your kids look back on Hurricane Sandy, they might not remember the flooding or destruction, but they will recall how much fun they had with their family.

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