Well, you can hear the collective sigh of relief from parents across the country as kids shuffle back to school. Some schools are already in full swing, others don’t start until next week.
If you have kids heading back to the halls of education, consider adding a small survival kit to their book bags. Obviously being in a school, students can’t carry anything that could be construed as a weapon, so no pocket knives. But there are some things that might prove useful should they be stuck at school for an extended period of time.
Snacks: a couple granola bars, some crackers, maybe a few pieces of hard candy.
Water: one or two bottles of water, sealed tight.
Light stick: One or two of those snap-n-shake sticks you can pick up at the dollar store.
Whistle: Each of my kids has [a survival whistle] in their bag.
Wipes and hand sanitizer: Great for quick clean ups.
First aid: Just a few adhesive bandages will hopefully suffice since each classroom probably has a larger kit.
Emergency contact info: A small wallet card with names and phone numbers of each parent and other emergency contacts. While the school has this information on file, it may not be readily accessible in a disaster.
All of these supplies (except the water bottles) can fit into a quart size zip lock bag and placed in the backpack for safe keeping. If you have the opportunity to do so, talk to the teacher and let him or her know that you’ve given your student this kit and it should be kept either in their backpack, locker, or ideally their desk.
