Classroom Emergency Kit Checklist: How to Prepare a Classroom for Lockdowns and Emergencies
Updated: 3 days ago
When the bell rings, a classroom holds some of the most important people in any community. Most school days are calm and routine. Still, every school plans for the rare day when students and staff need to stay put in their room for a while, or move quickly to another spot, because of weather, a power outage, a nearby hazard or a lockdown.
This guide is for teachers, principals, PTAs and parents who want each classroom to have a simple, well-stocked emergency kit. It covers what to pack, the basics of shelter-in-place and lockdown, how long to plan for, and how a school can kit out a whole classroom on most budgets. At the end you'll find a printable checklist you can hand to a PTA volunteer or a school safety team.
One note before we start: your school's emergency operations plan comes first. Every school and district sets its own procedures with local emergency managers and law enforcement. A classroom kit supports that plan. It never replaces it.
Why Every Classroom Needs Its Own Emergency Kit
Ready.gov encourages families to plan for the places they go regularly, and it lists school and daycare among them. It also points out that buildings like schools "have different safety plans depending on how they are built and what kind of emergency is happening," and that a good location plan covers shelter-in-place procedures and the "supplies you would need for temporary sheltering."
The U.S. Department of Education's Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (the REMS TA Center, rems.ed.gov) goes a step further. Its fact sheet, Emergency "Go-Kits" for K–12 Schools, suggests that schools build portable emergency kits so that the right resources are on hand if students and staff need to evacuate or shelter in place. It notes that some schools find it helpful to have two kinds of kits: one for administrators and one for the teacher in each classroom.
A kit in every room means the teacher doesn't have to leave students to go find supplies. Everything the class needs for a few calm, uncomfortable hours is already within reach.
What a Classroom Emergency Kit Should Include
The REMS TA Center's classroom go-kit list is the best place to start, and the items below follow it closely. We've grouped them into the categories most teachers think in.
Water
REMS lists water in the classroom go-kit. For households, Ready.gov recommends storing at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation, and it notes that children may need more water and that needs can double in very hot weather. A classroom kit isn't a home supply, so most schools keep a modest amount of sealed, commercially bottled water in each room and a larger supply in a schoolwide cache. Ready.gov advises storing bottled water sealed in its original container in a cool, dark place. Browse emergency water storage and treatment for options.
Food Bars and Snacks
REMS lists food and hard candies for classroom kits. Ready.gov's basic kit calls for non-perishable food. For a classroom, that usually means individually wrapped, long-shelf-life food bars or snacks that don't need cooking or a can opener. Check every label for allergens and talk with your school nurse about students' dietary needs before you choose. Kits for staff or for a schoolwide cache can include heartier options, such as an MRE case. See our emergency food collection.
First Aid
REMS lists a first aid kit with instructions, along with latex gloves, hand sanitizer and cleaning agents. Match the kit to the size of your class and follow your school nurse's guidance on what belongs in it. Ready.gov and the Red Cross both include a first aid kit in their basic supply lists.
For a full item list, see our First Aid Kit Checklist.
Light and Communication
REMS lists a flashlight (battery- or solar-powered), batteries, a radio (battery- or solar-powered), an emergency communication device and a whistle. If the power goes out during a storm, a good flashlight helps keep a room calm. One rechargeable option is the Streamlight ProTac HP-X USB Flashlight. You'll find more in lighting and communications.
Warmth
REMS lists blankets for classroom kits, and the Red Cross includes an emergency blanket in its basic survival kit list. Compact emergency blankets take up little space and help if a room gets cold. Shop shelter and warmth items.
Sanitation
This is the category most kits forget. REMS lists a bucket, sanitary items (toilet paper and towelettes), hand sanitizer and cleaning agents, plastic sheeting and duct tape. Ready.gov's basic kit adds moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation. A lidded bucket with liners, toilet paper and wipes can make a long shelter-in-place much easier for young children. Ask your administrator how your school's plan handles restroom needs during an extended event.
Comfort Items for Kids
REMS recommends age-appropriate student activities (such as playing cards, checkers, inflatable ball, etc.). Ready.gov suggests books, games and puzzles for children, and the Red Cross lists games and activities for children. Quiet activities matter. A deck of cards, a few picture books, crayons and paper, or a small stuffed animal can help younger students stay calm and pass the time.
Contact and Roster Card
REMS recommends a clipboard with lists of all classroom students, students with special needs and a description of those needs (such as medical issues, prescription medicines and dietary needs) marked confidential, classroom personnel, and the school's emergency procedures. Add pens and paper and a hat or vest for teacher identification, both on the REMS list. Keep the roster current, follow your school's privacy rules for the confidential pages, and store it where a substitute teacher can find it.
The Container
REMS suggests kits be portable, with common containers being backpacks, duffel bags or plastic bins, and that they be stored in secure, readily accessible locations. Label everything. A sturdy backpack or bin by the classroom door works well. See our packs collection.
Shelter-in-Place and Lockdown Basics
Schools use several kinds of protective actions, and each school's emergency operations plan spells out exactly when and how to use them. Teachers should always follow their school's plan, the instructions of administrators, and local authorities. Here's the general difference.
Shelter-in-Place
Ready.gov describes sheltering in place as staying where you are when it's safer inside, for example when local authorities say the outside air is contaminated. Its general tips include:
Lock doors and close windows and air vents.
Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced-air heating systems.
Go into an interior room with few windows if possible.
Seal windows, doors and vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape. Ready.gov suggests measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance and labeling each sheet.
Pay attention to official news and instructions as they become available.
In a school, the building-level steps (such as shutting down air handling) are usually handled by administrators and custodians under the school's plan. The classroom kit's job is to have the plastic sheeting, duct tape, water, sanitation and comfort supplies ready if the plan calls for them.
Lockdown
Lockdown procedures are specific to each school and are developed with local law enforcement as part of the school's emergency operations plan. Learn your school's procedure, take part in its drills, and follow it. We don't give lockdown instructions here, because the right steps depend on your building and your local plan. What a classroom kit can do is keep the room supplied with water, quiet activities, a roster and basic sanitation, so the class stays as comfortable as possible while everyone follows the plan.
How Many Hours of Supplies Should a Classroom Plan For?
There's no single federal number for a classroom kit. Here's what the sources we checked actually say:
Ready.gov notes that the length of time you need to shelter may be short, such as during a tornado warning, and that during longer sheltering you'll need to manage water and food.
For workplaces, Ready.gov advises being prepared to shelter at work for at least 24 hours.
The Red Cross recommends a 3-day supply of water and food in a household evacuation kit.
The REMS TA Center doesn't set a number. It asks schools to consider their own population, climate, facilities and resources when they build their kits.
A practical approach is to keep each classroom kit light enough to carry, and to hold a larger schoolwide cache for longer events. Your planning team should set the target based on your local hazards, your district's guidance and your emergency operations plan.
For comparison, see how many days of emergency supplies governments recommend for households.
How to Kit Out a Whole Classroom on Most Budgets
You don't need to buy everything at once. These steps follow the REMS TA Center's guidance and keep costs manageable.
Start with your plan. Ask your administrator what your school's emergency operations plan expects classroom kits to hold, so you buy what the plan needs.
Cover the core first. Water, food bars, a first aid kit, a flashlight with batteries, blankets, basic sanitation and the roster are the backbone. Comfort items and extras can come next.
Split classroom kits from a schoolwide cache. Keep portable kits in each room and store bulkier items, like larger water supplies and extra blankets, in a central cache.
Buy for the whole building at once. Ordering the same kit for every classroom keeps contents consistent, so any teacher or substitute knows what's inside.
Let the PTA and families help. Families can donate items like wipes, snacks or a comfort item. Check your school's policy on food donations and allergies first.
Assign someone to maintain the kits. REMS recommends that the school's plan name the staff who replenish go-kits and that all supplies be well labeled and maintained. Ready.gov suggests replacing expired items and rethinking your needs every year.
Phase it in. If the budget is tight, stock the core in every room this term and add extras over the school year.
Printable Classroom Emergency Kit Checklist
Print this list and keep a copy in the kit. It follows the REMS TA Center's classroom go-kit list, with a few items from Ready.gov and the Red Cross.
Water and food
☐ Sealed bottled water
☐ Individually wrapped food bars or snacks (allergens checked)
☐ Hard candies
☐ Can opener (if any food needs one)
First aid and hygiene
☐ First aid kit with instructions
☐ Latex or other disposable gloves
☐ Hand sanitizer and cleaning agents
☐ Breathing masks, surgical masks or face shields
Light and communication
☐ Flashlight (battery- or solar-powered)
☐ Extra batteries
☐ Radio (battery- or solar-powered)
☐ Emergency communication device
☐ Whistle
Warmth and shelter
☐ Blankets or emergency blankets
☐ Plastic sheeting (pre-cut and labeled)
☐ Duct tape
☐ Work gloves
Sanitation
☐ Bucket with liners
☐ Toilet paper and towelettes
☐ Garbage bags and plastic ties
Comfort
☐ Age-appropriate activities (cards, checkers, inflatable ball)
☐ Books, crayons and paper
☐ Small comfort items for younger students
Roster and admin
☐ Clipboard with class roster
☐ Confidential list of students with special needs
☐ Classroom personnel list
☐ School emergency procedures
☐ Pens and paper
☐ Hat or vest for teacher identification
☐ Keys or other access devices
Maintenance
☐ Kit labeled and stored near the door
☐ Person responsible for restocking: ____________
☐ Last checked (date): ____________
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be in a classroom emergency kit?
The REMS TA Center's list includes water, food, a first aid kit, a flashlight, batteries, a radio, blankets, sanitation supplies, plastic sheeting, duct tape, student activities and a clipboard with the class roster and emergency procedures. The checklist above covers it item by item.
How many hours of supplies should a classroom plan for?
No federal source sets a single number for classrooms. Ready.gov says workplaces should be prepared to shelter for at least 24 hours, and the Red Cross recommends a 3-day supply in a household evacuation kit. Set your target with your school's planning team and emergency operations plan.
What's the difference between shelter-in-place and lockdown?
Shelter-in-place means staying inside where it's safer, for example during severe weather or when outside air may be contaminated. Lockdown procedures are set by each school with local law enforcement. Always follow your school's plan and drills.
Who should maintain classroom kits?
REMS recommends that the school's emergency plan name the staff responsible for replenishing go-kits and that all supplies be well labeled and maintained.
Can parents and PTAs help?
Yes. Families and PTAs often donate items or fund kits. Check your school's policies on food, allergies and donations first, and coordinate with the administrator who manages the emergency plan.
Can Prepper Shop supply a whole classroom?
Yes. Prepper Shop can supply entire classrooms. Reach out for a quote.
Sources
REMS TA Center, U.S. Department of Education: Emergency "Go-Kits" for K–12 Schools
Ready.gov: Build a Kit, Water, Shelter, Plan for Locations
American Red Cross: Survival Kit Supplies, How Schools Can Prepare for Disasters
Mentions of these organizations are for reference only and don't imply their endorsement of Prepper Shop or any product. This article is general preparedness information and isn't a substitute for your school's emergency operations plan, your school nurse, or instructions from local authorities.
Campus Security Consultations from Our Partner, SGV Patrol
Disclosure: SGV Patrol and Prepper Shop share the same founder.
Supplies are one part of keeping a school safe. Security planning is another. SGV Patrol offers campus security consultations, including planning for active-shooter emergencies. No security service can prevent every incident. Public and private schools and government agencies can request a consultation from Prepper Shop's partner, SGV Patrol.
SGV Patrol is a Southern California security company based in West Covina. According to its website, it has been licensed by California's BSIS as a Private Patrol Operator (PPO 17353) since 2012, it runs a campus safety program, and it has been trusted by local schools in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District to help with security (see SGV Patrol's Campus Safety Program page). A consultation supports your school's own emergency operations plan and your work with local law enforcement. It doesn't replace them. Visit sgvpatrol.com to request one.
Outfitting Your School? Request a Classroom Quote
Prepper Shop can supply entire classrooms. Whether you're a teacher stocking one room, a PTA funding kits for a grade level, or a principal outfitting a whole building, reach out and tell us what you need. Contact us for a quote. We ship to the lower 48 states + DC.
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