Re: Can a lightning hit cause battery operated toys to turn on?

Hi Carita,

Yes it is certainly possible that a lightening strike caused the toys to 
turn on.  When an electrical device is turned on some action by the user 
causes a connection to be made between two contacts, completing a circuit, 
and causing the device to work.  The high voltage in the lightening could 
easily spark across the gap, causing the toys to momentarily turn on, and 
then instantly turn off, as the connection was not maintained.  Hence, you 
heard the sound of the toys turning off.  Also, lightning does not 
neccesarily follow only one path, but can take many routes of similarly 
low resistance.  Because of this devices in widespread portions of your 
house could be simultaneously fried by a single strike.

Dave