Blackouts may be rare, but you'll want to be ready when a power outage does happen. Aside from the usual safety measures, you should also prepare for some activities to occupy your preschooler with during a blackout. When power is interrupted during the day, 3 to 5 year-old children may become bored and uncomfortable. When it happens at night however, darkness can turn their mild discomfort into anxiety.

Here are five fun activities that you and your preschooler can enjoy even without electricity. The first two can make your preschooler more comfortable when power outage happens in the daytime.

1. Take your preschooler gardening. If the power failure occurs when it's too hot to stay indoors without an electric fan or the air conditioner, cool your child outside with some gardening. If you already have a garden, let your child help you water the plants and pull out the weeds. Talk to your child about the different flowers and plants in around your house. If you don't have a garden or a yard, you can help your preschooler start a plant in a pot. Try tomatoes or cucumbers, as they have seed packets with care instructions available in many supermarkets. These vegetables can grow as well in pots (12 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep) as they do in a garden. Your preschooler will enjoy taking care of this plant, always remembering that it was "born" on that day when the power was out. Imagine his delight when the first vegetable begins to grow!

2. Do some Kiddy Yoga. If the electricity is out on a cold day when you wish you had the heater, have fun with your preschooler and keep warm at the same time with Kiddy Yoga. Bring out some mats, and lie down flat on your backs. Begin with breathing exercises and do some stretching. Then choose the simplest poses and positions that your preschooler can manage. You need not be 'by the book' with the Yoga disciplines. Rather, have fun with different positions that develop your child's flexibility and balance. Create names for the different poses that your child can identify with, like the Pelican (for one-leg stands), or the Camel (for arched backs).

These last three activities are designed to redirect your child's nervous energy during a blackout at night time. If you have a toddler or preschooler at home, it's handy to keep a spare plastic flashlight with batteries, aside from the ones you really keep for the house. A flashlight can become an interesting toy when the power is out. Just remind your child to never shine the light directly into his or anyone else's eyes.

3. Play 'Blackout Tag' - To play this game, find a wide open space inside your house. Point the beam of the flashlight onto the floor, then tell your child to try to "step" on the light with his foot. When your child is just about to stomp on the lit spot, suddenly shift the light a foot to the right, or a bit to the left. Your preschooler will have fun trying to chase the light with his foot. Of course, once in a while, let your child "catch" the light by successfully stomping his foot on it. After five good stomps, you can switch roles and have him shine the light on the floor while you try to chase it with your foot. You can't tell him to be easy on you though, so be prepared to run and dance around that beam!

4. Play 'Spotlight'. Find a cozy nook inside your house, and settle there comfortably with your child. Make sure you are both facing outwards, towards the rest of the room. Now using your flashlight, put the "spotlight" on different objects around the room. Ask your preschooler to try and name each object you put the spotlight on, as quickly as he can. Keep it interesting by shining in various directions. You can focus on high things attached to ceiling ("light bulb", "wind chimes"), and low objects found by the floor. Alternate the spotlight between objects that are familiar and unfamiliar to your child. You can also switch to another room. This is a good way to introduce your preschooler to the names of things around the house and build on his vocabulary, even if it is in the dark.

5. Roast marshmallows over a fire. This activity is a sure winner with your child. Instead of feeling fearful and gloomy in the dark, make it a fun "pretend camp" for your preschooler where she can roast marshmallows over the fire. If you don't have a fireplace, even the flame of a solidly set candle will do. Just don't make the marshmallow touch the wick of the candle or the wax. Supervise your child carefully around any kind flame and watch him devour the yummy, gooey treats.

With these five creative and enjoyable activities, you just might find your preschooler looking forward to the next black-out!

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