Emergency planning for children

Kids: How you can prepare for an emergency at your house

Create an emergency kit

• Ask you mum or dad, or a grownup you live with, to help you gather the things you would need if you were in an emergency.
• Think of things that are important to you (that you can carry), your favourite cuddly toy, something to do if you have to leave, and some spare clothes.
• Your parents or grownup you live with will have essential supplies like food, water, flashlight, batteries, first aid kit, and important documents in a designated emergency kit.
• Make your own emergency kit using our emergency kit checklist. Make sure you show your parents or grownups when you’re done.
• Have you thought about how you can keep your pets safe in an emergency? You can help, by making an pet emergency kit for them too. 

Make a family emergency plan 

Talk to you parents or grownups you live with, about your family’s or household’s emergency plan. This is the plan that will make sure everyone in your house knows what to do if there is a flood, storm, or tsunami.

Make sure you know your household’s plan for getting to a safe place and where your meeting point will be.

Parents and caregivers: how you can teach your kids to get prepared

Include your children

It is important to include your children in discussions about emergency plans for your house and family. Have age-appropriate discussions about the importance of being prepared for emergencies and what to do in different scenarios.

Know your risks and warnings

Include your children in conversations about emergency risks and warnings. Show them your watch zones on your Hazards Near Me app. Explain what will happen if there is a hazard and you need to act.

Get organised together

Write down your emergency plan together as a household.

• Select a suitable activity for each child so they have something to do when you need to act on the emergency plan. Write this in the plan.
• Show your children how to prepare by involving them in creating the family emergency plan and assembling the emergency kit.
• Ask your children what is important to them and what they would want to take with them if they had to leave home in an emergency.

Kid’s personal emergency kit

Have a bag or pillowcase for your children, and practice with them how to grab selected personal items that they will be able to carry easily, if your household needs to leave in an emergency, for example:

Practice makes perfect

Practice your plan until everyone in the household knows it well. Keep the plan in an easy to access place for all household members. Ensure everyone in the family knows what to do in case of an emergency.

Do you have a baby or toddler?

Don’t forget to pack what they will need in your emergency kit, for example baby wipes and nappies, some zip lock bags for dirty nappies, food your baby or toddler will eat, nappy rash cream, infant pain reliever.

Resources for childcare providers, teachers and schools