--- title: "Build a family emergency kit together" status: "Idea, not yet tested" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "60 min" cost: "$20–$40" ages: "6 to 14" where: "Hunt room by room, pack it at the kitchen table, then store it in one closet or shelf everyone can reach." topics: ["chores"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=family-emergency-kit" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/family-emergency-kit/" --- # Build a family emergency kit together > A winter storm or a long power outage is a bad time to look for the flashlight. Spend an hour turning the Ready.gov kit list into a scavenger hunt, and your kids will know what's in the bin, where it lives and where the family meets if you get split up. **Tested on:** not yet. When a dad tries this, his name, the date, the place, and the kids' ages will be added here. ## What you need - A large plastic bin with a lid, or a duffel bag (have / $10) - The Ready.gov basic kit list, printed or on a phone (free) - Bottled water: one gallon per person per day (have / $15) - A flashlight for each person, plus extra batteries (have / $10) - Index cards, a marker and tape for labels (have) ## Before you start - **Flashlights, not candles.** CDC says to use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns rather than candles, gas lanterns or torches, to lower the risk of fire. - **Never heat the house with a gas stove or oven,** and never run a generator indoors, in a garage, or less than 20 feet from a window, door or vent (CDC). - **If you ever use a generator,** CDC says to have a battery-powered or battery-backup carbon monoxide detector in the home. - **Medicines and sharp tools stay with you.** Pack them in a closed bag at the top of the bin, and keep the bin where little kids can't open it. ## Steps 1. **Turn the list into a hunt** (Dad leads) Pull up the Ready.gov basic kit list and read it out. AAP suggests making packing a game, like a scavenger hunt. Give each kid a room and a few items to find: “You've got the kitchen. Find the can opener, the first aid kit and anything canned we'd actually eat.” 2. **Gather the basics** (Kid) Ready.gov's basics include water, several days of non-perishable food, a manual can opener, a flashlight, extra batteries, a battery or hand-crank radio, a first aid kit, a whistle, and a phone charger. AAP adds blankets, a change of clothes and shoes, and keeping flashlight batteries outside the flashlight. 3. **Do the water math** (Together) Ready.gov says one gallon of water per person per day, for several days; AAP's kit list says three days. Let a kid do the math out loud: “Four people times three days is twelve gallons.” Count what you have and write what's missing on the shopping list. 4. **Add your family's own needs** (Together) Ask, “What would we need that's not on the list?” Ready.gov's extra list includes prescription medicines, pet food and extra water for pets, glasses, baby supplies, cash, copies of family documents, and activities for kids. Let each kid add one small comfort item: a deck of cards, a book, a stuffed animal. 5. **Make the contact card and meeting spot** (Together) AAP says to pick a meeting place outside the house and one contact person everyone calls if you're separated, preferably someone who doesn't live nearby. Write both, plus your phone numbers, on index cards: one for the bin, one for each backpack. Practice: “If you can't reach us, who do you call?” AAP says kids should know how to call 911 and give their name and address. 6. **Label dates and pick two check days** (Kid) Write the earliest expiration date from the food, water and medicines on the outside of the bin. AAP says to review the kit at least every 6 months and replace food, water, batteries and medicines as needed. Pick two days six months apart and put them in your phone. Make a kid the date keeper. 7. **Store it and show everyone** (Together) Ready.gov says to keep the kit in one set place and make sure everyone in the family knows where it is. Walk each kid to it and ask, “Where's the kit? Where do we meet?” until they can answer without thinking. ## If it stalls - If the shopping list is long, buy one item per grocery trip. The bin can fill up over a month. - If a kid gets worried, keep it matter-of-fact: “This is like a spare tire. We hope we never need it, and now we've got it.” - If the food in the bin is something nobody eats, let the kids pick shelf-stable snacks they like and swap them out on check day. - If you have a teen, hand them the check days: they run the inventory and write the next shopping list. ## Variations - **Ages 6–8:** They hunt for the easy items, carry them to the table and practice saying their name, address and how to call 911. - **Ages 9–11:** They do the water and food math, check items off the printed list and write the date labels. - **Ages 12–14:** They run the whole inventory, write the shopping list and help build a second, smaller kit for the car. Ready.gov suggests keeping one there. ## Sources - **The basic kit list and where to keep it.** Ready.gov's basic kit lists water (one gallon per person per day for several days), at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, whistle, manual can opener and a phone charger; its extra list includes prescription medicines, pet food and water, glasses, baby supplies, cash, family documents and activities for children. It says to keep the kit in a designated place, make sure family members know where it is, and replace expired items. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Three days of water and the 6-month check.** AAP's family kit list includes water for 3 days (about 1 gallon per person per day), non-perishable food that doesn't need cooking, a flashlight with the batteries stored outside the device, blankets, a change of clothes and shoes, and says to review the kit at least every 6 months, replacing food, water, batteries and medications as needed. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Involving kids, meeting place and contact person.** AAP says to involve children in planning and packing, perhaps as a scavenger hunt; to have a meeting place outside the house; to choose a contact person, preferably not local, whom everyone contacts if separated; to make sure children know how to call 911 and give their name and address; to have kids help check expiration dates; and to practice. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Lights, heat and carbon monoxide in an outage.** CDC says to use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns rather than candles, gas lanterns or torches; never to use a generator or gasoline engine inside a home, basement or garage or less than 20 feet from a window, door or vent; never to use a gas range or oven to heat a home; and to use a battery-powered or battery-backup CO detector when using a generator. (checked 2026-10-15)