how do you explain thunder to 2 yos?

We're having storms come through, and Bryan kept calling the thunder "planes." Which made sense, but I'd like to tell him it's not planes, it's thunder, but that seems so abstract. Only thing I could come up with at the time was that it was a sound the clouds make!?!?! Anyone have any better suggestions than that?!?!

 

That's what I told my two, that it was clouds crashing together and then rain came. ardon: They didn't question it too much. Plus if it's happening during the day you can show them the big dark clouds and then they'll get it a little better or at least I like to pretend they did. :lol:

 

When A&S were first learning to talk, they had an ABC book that showed a picture of lightning on the "L" page. We called it "lightning thunder boom" (as a way of connecting the picture of the lightning with something from their experience) and the name just sort of stuck. Now they still refer to lightning and/or thunder as "lightning thunder boom."

When they got a little older (around 2.5 or 3), DH explained that thunder is the noise the air makes when it gets really hot, and the lightning is what makes it really hot. And that even if you can't see the lightning (because it's daytime or it's too far away or whatever), it's still happening.

This is more or less accurate, but seemed to be something they could grasp (or at least accept).

 

I told them about hot air and cold air bumping together, or clouds bumping together. Seemed to make sense to them - I'll get more technical later! :lol:

 

Alden- ah! good way of getting the "correct" science into it while still being pretty simple. I like it! I remember when I was little there was the whole "angels bowling" line, but I knew that wasn't correct even as a kid. I wanted to find a good way of giving them the "right" answer.

 

So far mine think it is God spilling his potato cart, which is what I was told when I was little.

 

I told them that the sound is from the lightning and that was really all the explanation they needed at that age. When they'd hear thunder, they'd run to the window to watch for flashes. I reassured them that it's just noise so they don't need to be afraid but added that lightning can be dangerous so they should stay indoors during a storm.

 

LOL! I've never heard that one before. (And I went to Catholic school, so that's saying something!) :lol:

 

Yes! I like to give simple but at least somewhat scientifically correct answers too. I think I said something about the hot air of the storm and how we see the lightening first, then hear the thunder.

 

I went to Catholic school too, but I think my grandpa actually taught me this one.

 

Ha ha...I have always said its the clouds bumping into one another! :snicker:

 

I went with Dr. Suess! "BOOM BOOM BOOM! Mr. Brown makes Thunder!" THey still say it's Mr. Brown up there! I'm sure they won't go to college thinking that, so I'll be OK

 

We love Mr. Brown too!

 

Mine think their little sissy is bowling. My parents always told me it was the angels bowling when I was little. Did not do me any harm so we have always told the boys its sissy bowling. The other day it was raining, no thunder or anything and one of the boys asked me why sissy was crying. I didnt put two and two together at the moment but then they explained it to me. They told me sissy missed her mommy and daddy so she was crying. Thats why the car was getting wet.