FEMA and Ready.gov recommend every family have an emergency kit ready 24/7. This lesson gets older kids involved in the research and assembly process - they become the "emergency prep experts" who help their family get ready.

What To Do

Step 1: Research Together Sit down with Ready.gov or your local Red Cross chapter. Look at their recommended supplies list. Ask your child to highlight or list the top 15 items they think are most important.

Step 2: Budget and Shop Give your child a budget - $50-75 is a good starting point. Walk through a store (or browse online with them) and have them select items from the checklist. Let them make choices about which brand of water bottles, which flashlight, etc.

Step 3: Assemble the Mini-Kit Have them create a personal emergency pouch for themselves that they can grab and go. This includes: - Flashlight and extra batteries - Small first aid supplies (bandages, antiseptic wipes) - 3-day water supply (1 liter per day) - Non-perishable snacks (granola bars, dried fruit) - Whistle to signal for help - Copies of important documents in a waterproof bag

Step 4: Practice Do a tabletop drill: "If we had to leave our house in 5 minutes, what would we grab?" Have them demonstrate how they would grab their kit and what else they would pick up (medications, phones, etc.).

Step 5: Family Meeting Have your child present their findings to the family. Let them explain why certain items made the list and how they budgeted. This reinforces the research and gives them ownership.

Why This Works

This lesson connects multiple skills: - Research skills - Learning to identify reliable sources (Ready.gov, CDC, local emergency management) - Budgeting - Making trade-off decisions with limited funds - Critical thinking - Prioritizing needs over wants - Communication - Explaining findings to the family - Family safety - Real-world skills that could actually help

Pro Tips

• Make it a positive, empowering project. Kids this age want to feel capable and useful.
• Rotate items every 6 months - check expiration dates on water, snacks, and medications.
• Keep a similar mini-kit in each car. Most families forget this.
• Store your main family kit in an easily accessible location, not buried in the garage.
• Consider your family's specific risks: Tennessee families should think about tornadoes, power outages, and flash floods.

What Parents Say

My 11-year-old took this seriously and actually made me feel better about our family safety. She asked the right questions and remembered things I didn't think of. Best part: she's now the one checking our smoke detector batteries.