Kids

Stories Parents Tell Kids About Thunderstorms And Rain

by Kevyn Gohu
July 21, 2025

Here are the stories parents normally tell their kids when they’re scared of thunderstorms and rain

Because thunderstorms and typhoons are so typical in the Philippines, parents always came up with all sorts of stories to allay their kids’ fears about them.

After all, thunderstorms and typhoons drawn in by the habagat (southwind) can look terrifying. By 10 AM, the skies are pitch-black, which the kids will either believe is still nighttime or a terrifying boss fight about to begin—just like a video game. By then, they’ll be too scared to accept the typical, scientific explanation for thunderstorms and rain. So, we’ll have to go back to the old-fashioned way: telling them stories.

Here are some stories parents tell their kids about thunderstorms and rain. We hope it helps comfort the kids, too!

Here are the stories parents normally tell their kids when they're scared of thunderstorms and rain

The “Angels Are Bowling…” Story

Religion is quite big in the Philippines, and if it’s not God playing bowling, it’s the angels. In a way, the story explains why the rumbling thunder strikes in varying intervals. Plus, the rolling is normally represented by the “lightning” flash that they see. This story makes the unseen more human for the kids. They’ll be less afraid of things they can’t see.

Storm’s A Party

Similar to the previous story, parents tell their kids that someone upstairs is having a party, and the storm is a by-product of it. The rain could be the people pouring wine and water down as they rave upstairs. And whenever there’s thunder, the bass drops. The lightning is the rave lights; they’re just not… rainbow-colored.

Cloud School Recess

Science has taught us that when clouds collide with each other, the highly charged gases within make a thundering noise.

As parents, we try to simplify it by calling these clouds “monsters.” Or to make it more relatable for the kids, they say these clouds are having school like they do. And the thunderstorm they’re seeing, that’s their recess as they play “tag” or their version of “ice, ice, water.”

A Tale of Heartbreak

Rain looks like tears, and the story some parents — especially the farmers — tell their kids is that the heavens are crying for the people below. After seeing the suffering of the people with their dried-up crops, the heavens shed tears to water the fields. This kind of story helps see rain and thunder on a more positive note.

The Tale of Heaven’s Forge

With the kids playing Minecraft nowadays, they’ll probably like this one. When the thunder rumbles, it’s a hammer striking an anvil to craft a powerful sword that will slay the evil monster.

It kind of takes a page out of the Bible’s Revelations and spins it a little with some video game elements. The rain, if the kids are wondering, can either be the blood of the monsters or the angels that are locked in a forever battle of good and evil.

The Greeks also have a concept of Hephaestus, god of the forge. He is usually the one responsible for forging and refining Zeus’ thunderbolts.

Parents have come up with so many stories for thunderstorms!

While we want our kids to learn the truth about nature and the world, sometimes, their fear overwhelms them. And that’s okay! Thunder and lightning can be very frightening, especially when they realize that they have no control over them.

With their minds scattered and shocked by the thunder and lightning, they might need more than a scientific explanation. They’ll need a well-crafted story; something that brings the thunderstorm to their level and understanding. We don’t have to follow the aforementioned ones exactly. These are just the more popular ones.

But these stories do more than allay our kids’ fears of thunderstorms. It allows us to connect with them, especially when the thunderstorms ruin their fun plans for the day.