GLEN BURNIE, MD – September 15th through 21st is the National effort focused on Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters for September’s National Emergency Preparedness Month. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), fewer than half of American families have an emergency plan. But families with home preparedness resources are 75 percent more likely to have a plan. Community leaders play a powerful role in keeping families safe! By incorporating games and
activities in schools and other kid organizations you can help promote emergency preparedness.
The following activities are kid friendly:
Elementary Age
- Design artwork to decorate the outside of an emergency kit
- Create and illustrate flash cards to learn about emergency preparedness words and definitions (tornado, plan, flashlight, hurricane, water) and discuss how they relate to emergency preparedness
- Educate children on how and when to dial 9-1-1
- Conduct a scavenger hunt for items that would be in an emergency kit such as: flashlight, batteries, battery operated-radio, water, first aid kit, non-perishable foods
- Print out and use the Key to the Emergency Preparedness Castle and Hit a Home Run with Emergency Preparedness activity book
- Make a fun snack and watch a short video on emergency preparedness
- Download the curriculum for Grades 1st and 2nd and Grades 3rd through 5th
Middle School Age
- Write and perform a skit on emergency preparedness. The skit should have a problem (for example someone is not sure how to prepare for an emergency) and a solution (a friend tells them how to build an emergency preparedness kit)
- Hold a poster contest with a theme such as; helping others prepare for emergencies or building an emergency preparedness kit
- Create a video contest where children develop commercials on how to prepare for an emergency and have a viewing party
- Turn computer time into emergency preparedness learning
- Download the curriculum for Grades 6th through 8th
High School Age
- Volunteer with an older adult in the neighborhood or from church to help them prepare an emergency plan and emergency kit
- Develop emergency preparedness articles for high school newspaper or newsletter
- Create an emergency preparedness kit for their car
- Brainstorm on community services projects to help others become prepared for emergencies
- Download the curriculum for Grades 9th through 12th
Be sure to register for the County’s Mass Notification System to receive emergency alerts. Download the Regroup Mobile App – AlertMe to stay informed with alerts set specifically to your area. Use the registration code 6a2377784f when downloading the app.
To learn more about preparing your family and friends, attend the Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Preparedness Expo on Saturday, September 21, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marley Station Mall. To receive event notifications text Join 2019Expo to 30890.