Before You Read: The Thunder Counting Game
This thunderstorm bedtime story has a little game inside it. Practice it together first, so your child is ready when Omar plays it.
- When you see a flash of lightning, start counting slowly: “One… two… three…”
- Stop counting when you hear the thunder.
- A bigger number means the storm is farther away. If the numbers keep getting bigger, the storm is leaving!
Try it now: one of you says “flash!”, then count together, and the other says “BOOM!”
The Night of the Big Thunder
Omar was almost asleep when the window lit up white.
FLASH!
Then the whole house shook.
BOOM!
Omar pulled the blanket over his head. His stuffed giraffe, Tall Tom, went under too.
“Mom!” he called. “The sky is angry!”
Mom came in and sat on the bed. She lifted one corner of the blanket. “Is there a boy under here?”
“And a giraffe,” said Omar.
“Hello, Tall Tom,” said Mom. “The sky isn’t angry. It’s just making a lot of noise. Want to play the thunder game?”
Omar peeked out. “What game?”
“When we see the flash, we count. When we hear the boom, we stop. The bigger the number, the farther away the storm.”
FLASH!
“One… two…” they counted together.
BOOM!
“Two,” said Mom. “It’s pretty close right now. That’s why it’s so loud.”
Omar held Tall Tom tighter. They waited.
Flash!
“One… two… three… four…”
Boom.
“Four!” said Omar. “That’s bigger than two!”
“It is,” smiled Mom. “The storm is starting to walk away.”
Omar sat up a little. Listening to the rain didn’t feel so scary now. It sounded like tiny drums on the roof.
flash
“One… two… three… four… five… six… seven…”
rumble…
“SEVEN!” Omar whispered. “It’s going home!”
“Do you know what the storm is doing out there?” asked Mom. “It’s watering the garden. Tomorrow the flowers will be very happy.”
Omar imagined the flowers drinking and drinking. He yawned.
They counted one more time. They got all the way to ten before the softest little rumble.
“Goodbye, storm,” said Omar. “Goodnight, flowers.”
And with Tall Tom under one arm and the rain drumming softly on the roof, Omar fell asleep.
The end. Storms are loud, but they always move on.
Story by the TalesKids team · Ages 4-6 · About 4 minutes to read aloud
A Note for Parents on Stormy Nights
Fear of thunder is very common in young children. Staying calm yourself, giving the noise a simple explanation, and turning waiting into a game all help. The National Weather Service has kid-friendly lightning safety tips, including the most important rule: when thunder roars, go indoors.
More cozy stories for noisy nights: The Midnight Knock, Pip the Penguin’s First Snow, and The Glowing Eyes in the Garden.
