We send our kids off to school every day assuming they will be safe. But as some who is spends so much time prepping, I always wonder what happens if an emergency happens at school what can I do? We see the shootings on the news, the weather concerns, and so much more.

As a parent, we need to ensure our kids are safe – even if we cannot be there. We need to give them some prepping in the event something happens. After all the school can only do so much.

Below are some more common school happenings. These are the types of things schools will have some preparations in place for.

  • School lock-downs
  • Local weather emergencies
  • Regional emergencies
  • Bus accidents
  • You don’t show up (or whomever their ride is) or their bus is wrecked on the way home.

From our experience, schools aren’t really prepared for long-term lock downs or bigger disasters. Rarely does a classroom kit contain enough water and food for an extended time for an entire classroom of children.

This is why you need to pack an everyday bag for your child. They need to be age appropriate and may differ due to where you live.

This bag can be something they keep tucked away in their lockers, at the bottom of their book bag or in their desk at school. It needs to be somewhere easily accessible to them without breaking the rules of the school.

kids emergency bag items

  • Filled water bottle
  • Protein snacks or granola bars
  • Small flashlight or headlamp
  • Emergency whistle (Cheap whistles often don’t work or are not strong enough to be heard in a lot of noise. Invest in a better quality whistle.)
  • Cell phone (this may be an issue for some schools, but we would have our kids take a throw-a-way cell in their packs, just in case).
  • Small first aid kit – and the knowledge on how to use what you’ve enclosed.
  • Emergency Blanket – while the cheaper mylar blankets seem a better buy, they are pretty flimsy and tear easily.
  • Extra health-related items your child uses (of course we have to say for the attorneys -please be sure to follow your school’s rules for medication storage and uses)
  • Hard candies for comfort & energy
  • Comfort item like a small stuffed animal, picture, or toy
  • ID printout
  • Emergency phone numbers
  • Wipes – we put a small package of wipes to help keep them clean
  • Colder areas may benefit from hand or foot warmers

Just make sure your younger children understand that this isn’t for play and that they aren’t to pull it out at snack time or recess, nor discuss with other kids that they have ‘toys’ in their packs. Please also follow the rules of your school about what can legally be brought onto campus.

Your Thoughts: What other items would you include in your child’s bag?