The short answer
Keep it small and boring. A child's school-bag kit is mainly a card with your phone numbers and their address, a bottle of water, a snack, a pocket poncho, a foil blanket, any medicine the school has agreed they carry, and, for older children, a charged power bank. Schools must already have emergency plans, so the kit is for the journey home, delays and being collected late, not for surviving at school. Never pack a knife or multi-tool: having a bladed or sharply pointed article on school premises is an offence in England and Wales unless there's a good reason, and schools ban them. GOV.UK's Be Ready asks parents to teach children how and when to call 999 and to learn their address and a parent's number.
What this kit is for
Not for surviving at school. Schools already plan for emergencies: the Department for Education says all education and childcare settings should have emergency plans, including how they'll tell pupils, parents and staff about changes, and that in severe weather they should stay open where they can.
A school-bag kit is for the gaps:
- a journey home that's disrupted by snow, a flood or a transport strike;
- waiting longer than usual to be collected;
- a phone that's dead when they need to call you;
- getting cold or wet on the way.
So keep it small, light, and within school rules.
The basic kit (any age)
Everything fits in a small zip pouch or pencil case:
- A contact card. Your mobile numbers, a back-up adult, and their home address. Be Ready asks parents to practise their address and a parent's mobile number with children, and to teach them how and when to call 999. A card helps when they're stressed. Our ICE card guide has a template.
- Water. A small bottle, refilled each day.
- A snack that keeps: a cereal bar or similar. Check the school's food and allergy rules first.
- A pocket poncho. Folds to the size of a wallet.
- A foil blanket. Light, cheap, and warm if they're stuck waiting outside.
- A few plasters.
- A little cash for a bus or a phone call, if your child is old enough to use it.
Add by age
These are our suggestions, not official lists. Check them against your school's rules.
Primary (4–11) - Keep the card in a fixed place, such as an inside pocket of the bag, and show them where it is. - A whistle on the bag can help a lost young child get attention on a trip. Ask the school first; some won't allow it in class. - No sweets they'll eat on day one. Swap the snack weekly.
Secondary (11+) - A charged power bank and cable for their phone. Electrical Safety First says to buy from a known brand and a reputable seller, and not to charge battery packs overnight or while you're out. - Your numbers written on paper too: phones run flat or get lost. - A plan for what to do if their bus or train is cancelled: who to call, where to wait, and which route home on foot is safe.
What never to pack
- Knives, multi-tools or anything with a blade. In England and Wales, section 139A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence to have an article with a blade or sharp point on school premises unless there's a good reason. (A small folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches or less isn't covered by that section, but schools still ban knives.) GOV.UK's knife law page also says it's illegal to sell most knives to anyone under 18.
- Lighters or matches.
- Medicines the school doesn't know about. See below.
- Anything scary. A kit full of "survival" gear can worry a child. Call it a "just in case pouch".
Medicines
If your child needs an inhaler, an adrenaline auto-injector or other medicine, talk to the school first. The Department for Education's guidance on pupils with medical conditions includes templates for an individual healthcare plan, which parents are invited to help write. The school will say what your child can carry and what the school keeps.
Make sure the school can reach you
Be Ready asks parents to check the school or childcare provider has your correct contact numbers. Do it at the start of each term, and whenever your number changes. Add a second adult who can collect your child if you can't get there.
Talk about it once, calmly
Show your child what's in the pouch and why, in the same way you'd explain a plaster or a coat. If they're worried by news about war or emergencies, our post on talking to children about war and WW3 headlines has age-by-age ideas, and our guide on talking to children about emergencies covers the basics.
For a bag the whole family can grab if you have to leave home, see our go bag post.
What we couldn't check
- School rules vary. Always check your child's school policy on food, phones, medicines and whistles.
- The knife law described is for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own laws.
- The Department for Education's emergency planning guidance is written for schools, not parents. It doesn't include a kit list for pupils; the kit here is ours.
What to buy
About these links: plain links to ordinary retailer pages. We may earn from some links in future; we don't now. We haven’t tested these and we don’t rank them: they are examples that were in stock when we checked. Prices change. Check what you already own first. Full kit list
Waterproof poncho
Look for: A pocket poncho for each person, or one reusable poncho with a hood.
Foil blankets and emergency bivvy bags
Look for: Individually sealed; one per person. A bivvy bag is warmer than a flat blanket.
- Emergency Foil Blanket Individually Sealed · EVAQ8 · £0.72 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Heatshield Thermal Blanket · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £5.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- SOL Emergency Bivvy Bag with Rescue Whistle · MilitaryKit.com · £17.45 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a child's emergency kit for school?
A card with parent phone numbers and their address, a small bottle of water, a snack that keeps, a pocket poncho, a foil blanket, plasters, and any medicine the school has agreed they carry. Older children can add a charged power bank and a cable. Keep it in a small pouch so it doesn't take over the bag.
Can my child carry a pocket knife or multi-tool in their school kit?
No. In England and Wales it's an offence to have an article with a blade or sharp point on school premises without a good reason (Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 139A), and schools ban them. A small folding pocketknife with a blade under 3 inches is outside that section, but school rules still ban it. Leave tools out of a school kit.
What do schools do in an emergency?
The Department for Education says all education and childcare settings should have emergency plans, including how they'll tell parents and pupils about changes. In severe weather it asks schools to stay open where possible. Make sure the school has your current phone numbers: Be Ready asks parents to check this.
Can my child carry their inhaler or other medicine in their kit?
Ask the school. Schools have their own rules for medicines, and a child with a medical condition may have an individual healthcare plan agreed with the school. Don't add medicine to a school kit without the school knowing.
What's a go bag for kids?
It's a small bag a child can carry if the family has to leave home quickly, kept at home, not at school. It's similar to the school kit but can hold a change of clothes, a comfort toy and a torch. Our go bag post covers the family version.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Official advice changes: if a source says something different now, follow the source.
- GOV.UK Be Ready: be ready for emergencies (checklist) (read 1 November 2026)
- Department for Education (GOV.UK): Emergency planning and response for education, childcare and children's social care settings (updated 10 May 2023) (read 1 November 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 139A (offence of having article with blade or point on school premises) (read 1 November 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 139 (folding pocketknife exception) (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK: Buying and carrying knives (read 1 November 2026)
- Department for Education (GOV.UK): Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (read 1 November 2026)
- Electrical Safety First: Power banks (read 1 November 2026)
Related guides
- Talking to children about emergencies, calmly
- ICE card: a free In Case of Emergency card, and your phone's emergency info
- Grab bag list UK: what to pack if you have to leave home
- Is school closed for snow? How to check, nation by nation
- Emergency contacts list template (UK)
Free tools
We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.
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