Engaging Kids in Family Emergency Preparedness

Learning together today. Building confidence for tomorrow.

Emergency preparedness is an important part of keeping families safe. But when it comes to children, teaching preparedness requires something special: patience, encouragement, creativity, and a little imagination.

Children are naturally curious. They ask questions, explore their surroundings, and learn through stories, activities, and play.

At BEOPS — Bush's Emergency Operations Planning and Support, we believe those natural abilities can help introduce children to preparedness in positive, age-appropriate ways.

And we have a special little friend helping us along the way.

Meet Bon 001 — Your Preparedness Buddy! 🐝

Why Teach Children About Preparedness?

Children don't need to understand every detail of an emergency to begin learning important safety habits.

Instead, preparedness education should help them:

• Build confidence: Become familiar with simple safety routines.

• Understand instructions: Recognize why listening to trusted adults matters.

• Develop communication skills: Learn how to ask for help and share important information.

• Practice teamwork: Participate in family preparedness activities.

• Feel supported: Understand that adults, emergency responders, and community helpers work to keep people safe.

  
  

Preparedness education should never make children feel responsible for protecting the entire family.

Adults remain responsible for emergency planning, decision-making, and supervision.

Our goal is to help children learn, not to place adult responsibilities on their shoulders.

Meet Bon 001: The BEOPS Preparedness Ambassador

Bon 001 is more than a friendly little bee wearing a safety vest and carrying a clipboard.

He represents a simple idea:

Preparedness can be educational, approachable, and fun!

Bon helps introduce children to important safety concepts using familiar words, encouraging messages, and activities they can share with their families.

His message is:

"Hello, everybody! I'm Bon 001, your preparedness buddy! Remember, preparedness starts with you and me!"

Through BEOPS educational projects, Bon encourages children to ask questions, participate in family discussions, and develop good preparedness habits.

One of those projects is Bon's Preparedness Alphabet.

Learning the Preparedness Alphabet

The alphabet provides a familiar starting point for teaching children new ideas.

By connecting letters with preparedness concepts, children can explore safety one small lesson at a time.

Here are three examples from our developing series.

A Is for Alert

An alert is a message that tells us something important may be happening.

Children can learn that when an emergency alert sounds, they should listen to a trusted adult and follow instructions.

Family activity: Ask your child what they should do if they hear an emergency alert.

B Is for Backpack

A preparedness backpack can hold useful items a family may need if they must leave home.

Children can help identify appropriate items, such as a comfort toy, a small activity book, or other parent-approved essentials.

Family activity: Have your child help decorate or organize a small preparedness backpack.

C Is for Communication

Communication means sharing information and listening carefully.

Children can practice knowing their full name, learning an appropriate emergency contact, and asking a trusted adult for help.

Family activity: Practice a simple family contact routine together.

The Preparedness Alphabet is designed to encourage learning through short lessons, repetition, and family participation.

Start With Simple Conversations

Children may hear about emergencies through school, television, social media, or conversations with adults.

Rather than avoiding the subject entirely, parents and caregivers can provide reassuring, age-appropriate explanations.

A few helpful approaches include:

• Use familiar words: Explain concepts without unnecessary technical language.

• Invite questions: Let children express what they are curious or concerned about.

• Avoid frightening details: Focus on practical actions rather than dramatic disaster scenarios.

• Be reassuring: Explain that adults and community helpers develop plans to protect people.

• Listen carefully: Different children may respond to the same topic in different ways.

  
  

For younger children, short conversations and hands-on activities may work better than long explanations.

Older children may be ready to explore more detailed plans, local hazards, and community responsibilities.

Make a Family Emergency Plan Together

Children can participate in family planning without carrying responsibility for the plan itself.

Parents and caregivers can involve children in simple activities.

Choose a Family Meeting Place

Show children where the family should meet outside the home after a fire or another emergency requiring evacuation.

Practice going to that location with adult supervision.

Learn Important Contact Information

Help children learn their full name and, when developmentally appropriate, an important phone number or address.

Younger children may benefit from a contact card kept in a safe, accessible location.

Practice Listening and Following Instructions

Use simple, calm practice sessions to reinforce important actions.

For example, children can practice following a trusted adult to the designated family meeting location.

Review the Plan Together

As children grow, revisit the family plan and adjust their participation to match their age and abilities.

The goal is familiarity and confidence, not perfection.

Five Fun Preparedness Activities for Families

Preparedness can become part of everyday family life through simple activities.

1. Emergency Kit Scavenger Hunt

Ask children to find familiar emergency supplies around the home.

Examples might include a flashlight, batteries, a first aid kit, or a battery-powered radio.

An adult should supervise the activity and handle medications, sharp tools, and other potentially hazardous items.

2. Decorate a Preparedness Backpack

Let children personalize a small backpack with drawings, stickers, or their favorite colors.

Discuss which comfort items they might want to bring during an evacuation.

3. Family Communication Practice

Create a simple activity in which children practice sharing their name and asking a trusted adult for assistance.

Older children can practice identifying an appropriate emergency contact.

4. Draw Your Family Meeting Place

Invite children to draw their home and the designated outdoor meeting location.

Use the drawing to discuss how everyone will meet safely.

5. Learn With Bon 001

Choose a letter from Bon's Preparedness Alphabet and turn it into a short family conversation.

Ask your child what the word means, how it relates to preparedness, and what action they can practice.

Small lessons can become lasting habits.

Teaching Important Safety Skills

Some safety concepts deserve special attention.

Fire Safety

Teach children that when a smoke alarm sounds, they should follow the family's escape plan, get outside, and stay outside.

Practice crawling low beneath smoke during supervised fire safety education, and reinforce that children should never hide during a fire.

"Stop, drop, and roll" is specifically for situations when clothing catches fire; it is not a general response to every fire emergency.

Calling 911

When developmentally appropriate, teach children when and how to call 911 in the United States.

Explain that 911 is for emergencies requiring immediate assistance, not for practice calls.

Children should learn to provide their location when possible, answer the dispatcher's questions, and follow instructions.

Severe Weather

Discuss where the family goes during severe weather and why following adult instructions matters.

Use age-appropriate practice to make the location familiar.

Families, Schools, and Communities Working Together

Preparedness education becomes stronger when families, educators, and community organizations reinforce positive safety habits.

Parents can ask schools about their emergency communication procedures and family reunification plans.

Educators can introduce age-appropriate preparedness concepts through classroom discussions, reading activities, and supervised exercises.

Community organizations can help connect families with reliable local preparedness resources.

BEOPS hopes to contribute to these efforts by developing accessible educational materials and encouraging community participation.

Technology as a Learning Tool

Videos, educational websites, and digital activities can help make preparedness lessons more engaging.

However, parents and caregivers should select age-appropriate resources and participate in learning whenever possible.

Children should also understand that information shared online during emergencies may be incomplete or inaccurate.

For actual emergency instructions, families should rely on official alerts and trusted public safety authorities.

Create a Positive Preparedness Routine

Preparedness works best when it becomes a familiar part of family life.

You might choose one small activity each month:

• Review your family meeting place.

• Check flashlight batteries.

• Update emergency contact information.

• Practice a simple safety routine.

• Explore another letter of Bon's Preparedness Alphabet.

  
  

Celebrate participation and curiosity.

A child who asks a thoughtful question or remembers an important safety instruction has taken a meaningful step toward preparedness.

One More Family, One More Lesson

At BEOPS, we believe preparedness education should bring families together.

Children do not need to become emergency management experts. They need understandable information, supportive adults, and opportunities to practice simple safety habits.

Through family conversations, hands-on activities, and educational projects featuring Bon 001, we hope to help make preparedness a positive part of growing up.

Because preparedness begins with learning.

And learning begins together.

One More Family. One More Community. One More Step Toward Preparedness.

Prepare Today. Protect Tomorrow.

Discover BEOPS, meet Bon 001, and explore our developing preparedness education projects at BEOPSPreparednessHQ.com.