Preparing for Disasters with Children and Teens

Preparing the household for disaster is an important activity, but it can be difficult to talk to children about. Talking about and preparing for emergencies and disasters empowers us to know what to do, how to respond, and reduces the fear we may have in the onset. Children can feel reassured knowing that the family is working together to be more prepared. For tools to aid in the discussion and disaster preparation, see the resources highlighted below.

Ready.gov

Ready Kids is an official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It has resources specifically tailored for kids and teens. These resources include:

• Games for kids that teach them about disaster preparedness
• Resources to empower teens to be preparedness leaders in their families and communities
• Resources to get the whole family involved in disaster preparedness
• Resources for educators and organizations that work with children and teens

Prepare with Pedro

Pedro is a penguin who speaks English and Spanish, and helps children understand the importance of emergency preparedness, what to expect at an emergency shelter, and more. Pedro travels all over the United Sates to visit his friends and to learn about their local hazards. This resource is available for free download.

• The Prepare with Pedro activity book is available for free from Ready.gov in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
• Prepare with Pedro specified hazard storybooks for Hurricane, Extreme Heat, and Wildfire are available in English and Spanish.
• Pedro the Penguin on YouTube: English, Spanish
• Even more Pedro the Penguin resources are available through the American Red Cross

The NFPA

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) manages Sparky.org, the home of NFPA Kids. Here there are resources for fire safety and education surrounding fire responders. Here are some of the resources available:

Save The Children

Save the Children has a fun song and dance for kids to learn about what preparedness steps to take ahead of an emergency.

Making preparedness fun, and preparing together as a family, can remove some of the anxiety and help to build resilience within the whole family, which strengthens community resilience and aids us in the attainment of the National Preparedness Goals. The City of Santa Rosa thanks you for your participation.

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