Adversity can definitely teach us about our own strength and resiliency, but it can also take its toll on our morale. The loss of the breadwinner’s job usually means a large scale-back in expenses, a lot of that in the “entertainment” portion of the budget.
In a “grid-down” situation, the adjustments would be even more drastic. If suddenly there was no more going to the mall or cell phone texting or ice cream, it would hit a lot of people very hard. The best thing you can do (besides break dependency on those things now) is plan and store some items that will lift everyone’s spirits.
What Should I Store?
The items you may consider storing may be different than the ones I would choose. Since I have children aged adolescent down to infant, I have many age ranges to consider. And all members, regardless of age, can use a little boost from time to time, so don’t forget anyone else who may join you.
You probably want to stay away from things that require electricity or batteries in case they are not readily available. Looking at catalogs like Lehman’s in OH or for Amish-made toys will give you some good ideas.
Starting with the little ones, here are some items that I may choose for our family:
- New packs of markers and crayons & tablets of paper or coloring books, glitter glue , etc
- Clay or Playdoh, well sealed
- Sidewalk chalk
- Their own crank-style flashlights
- Balls and other outside toys
- Balloons
- Books of favorite characters
For the older children, I would consider these things:
- Yo-yos
- Board games
- Pocketknives
- Fishing lures
- Nature craft books
- Art supplies (paints, suncatcher kits, beads for jewelry making…)
- New novel series (choose your own adventure, etc.)
For anyone:
- Lots of popcorn, sealed in mylar bags
- Playing cards
- Hot chocolate mix
- Dessert mixes (brownies, etc) unless I know I have the ingredients like baking cocoa stored
- Sunglasses and ball caps from favorite teams
- Puzzle books (word search, sodoku, crossword)
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Harmonica and “Dummies Guide” to play it
- Gourmet coffees or teas
- Blank diaries and pencils
I would probably keep these things together in a climate controlled place (unknown by children especially) so you can dole them out slowly rather than have them go through the whole stash at once.
This forethought on your part may also give you the opportunity to provide birthday gifts. That would be a really nice bonus.
Please share any suggestions you have in the comments section below.
PreppingToSurvive.com 
May 14, 2012 at 10:23 pm
I am really enjoying this blog,,Most of the things I am reading I had not really thought about..The kids will definitely need entertainment as the mall will be out of the question…the little ones like you said crayons,paper,playdo,and a couple puzzles they will be happy for hours…One thing I did do was a couple months back there was a sale at target games for like $7.00..Target had a printable coupon for $3 and the manufacturer Hasbro also had a coupon out for $3. So I was able to get games for $1.04 …super cheap ! ,Any little thing like that 3-5 year old are happy with
March 16, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Wow this is a lot more considerate than what I had thought of. My general plan included small amounts of homemade mead or beer rationed. This really helps.