Students helping their family prepare for fire season

Getting your kids actively involved in your family's bushfire preparations can be a beneficial step to ensure your whole family knows what to do in case of an emergency.

We caught up with a group of keen students from Year 2 and 3 at Our Saviour Lutheran School in Aberfoyle Park to ask how they're preparing for the Fire Danger Season.

Have you prepared your bushfire survival plan?

How much do your kids know about preparing for a bushfire?

Children can often make a great contribution to your planning and usually are highly motivated to help. Not only that, but they might often think of different issues or problems that adults overlook!

By including your kids in the planning process, it can help to reduce their fears and concerns about bushfires, so they’ve got an understanding of what the family plan is.

Find out more about preparing.

5 simple steps to get your kids involved:

Preparing can be as easy as having a conversation with your kids and empowering them with ways they can be involved. Not only will this help reduce fears by focusing on being helpful in the event of an emergency, but it will make it easier for you to do what you need to do on the day.

1. Writing a list of things
   Getting your kids to prepare a list of things that need to be done before leaving the house can be a simple way to get them involved. Things like closing doors and windows or moving combustible items away from around the house.
2. Explaining the plan to a sibling
   Teaching others can be a great way to ensure you understand a topic, so it can be a good idea to get an older child to explain the family's plan to younger siblings. Make sure you’re listening in on this to ensure its correct.
3. Arrange safety of animals
   Helping to pack a pets' food and grab smaller animals so they're ready for transporting e.g., packing chickens in a box, or putting the cat in a cage, can be an easy and helpful way for kids to be involved in the planning.
4. Packing a pillowcase or box
   Get your kids to identify the items that are most important to them, or irreplaceable, and empower them by getting them to pack a box or pillowcase of items they'd like to take with them.
5. Have a conversation and practice the plan
   While it's great to be open with your kids and educate them on the plan it can be scary, so make sure you're keeping positive and monitor their emotions during the conversations. Practicing your family plan as a group can be an important way to ensure everyone understands.