How Your Kids’ Toys Can Help You in an Emergency

Have you ever looked at your kid’s toys and wondered what other purpose they could serve besides play time? It’s important to note that being prepared for emergencies is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of your family.

While we often think of emergency preparedness in terms of survival kits and emergency plans, there’s another unlikely resource that can come to your aid: your kids’ toys. I know this may sound weird, but it’s important we are able to use as many items in our home as possible to help us be prepared. Here is how your kid’s toys can help you in an emergency. Whether the emergency comes at us as a natural disaster like a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake, or takes the form of a house fire, we need to learn how to repurpose items so we are more likely to stay calm, make good decisions, and survive.

Why are kid’s toys important?

Kids toys are an important part of development and learning. However, I’m a firm believer that we can use what we have in our homes for other things than their original purpose. If you find yourself in an emergency that you can’t easily get out of, utilize those toys in your house. You may be surprised as to why kid’s toys are so important.

1. Communication Tools

Kids’ toys often incorporate features that can function as communication devices in a pinch. Take, for example, walkie-talkies or toy phones. These seemingly innocent playthings can become a lifeline in situations where other communication methods fail.

In the event of a power outage or loss of cellular service, having a set of functioning walkie-talkies can enable you to stay connected with family members within close proximity.

Toy phones can be used to simulate emergency calls, teaching children how to communicate important details to authorities in case there is a true emergency. While I don’t have little ones at home anymore, I often think about my family and their small children and how their toys can come in handy! Communication Options for Your Family During a Disaster

2. Flashlights and Lanterns

Toys that emit light, such as flashlights and lanterns, can prove invaluable in emergency situations where electricity is not available. Children’s lanterns often come with LED lights that provide bright illumination while being safe to handle.

By having these toys readily accessible, you can navigate through dark spaces, search for supplies, or signal for help when needed. This is one of my favorite tips on how your kid’s toys can help you in an emergency. What You Need in Your Evacuation Shelter Bags

3. First Aid Training

Many kids’ toys are designed to teach basic first aid skills, such as bandaging wounds or performing CPR. These toys can serve as educational tools for both children and adults, empowering them with life-saving knowledge in emergencies.

Use the toys during playtime activities that involve first aid scenarios, your kids can become familiar with essential techniques and help boost their confidence in handling medical emergencies. You just really never know when your kid’s toys will come in handy, even for teaching others. First Aid for Outdoor Adventures

4. Survival Skills

Certain toys can facilitate teaching survival skills to children, which can be invaluable during emergencies. For instance, building blocks can be used to create makeshift shelters or barricades, fostering their creativity, while instilling a sense of resourcefulness.

Board games that simulate survival scenarios, such as camping or wilderness adventures, can also be educational tools to teach kids important skills like map reading, navigation, and problem-solving. Give a board game a try and see if this helps instill a few survival skills!

You may need to evacuate your home and find your vehicle is disabled. Depending on the years of age of your children, they may need to ride their bicycles or get around on their ride-on toys like tricycles, foot-powered scooters, or big wheels. Remember, you can also use their wagons to haul things you need to the shelter. Who would have thought that we adults might need “riding toys” like that seldom-used adult bike in the garage! 5 Vital Wilderness Survival Skills For Teens

Although not necessarily thought of as a “toy,” a helmet they use to protect themselves from toy-related injury, can come in handy for all of us. Be sure to follow common toy safety tips, particularly when using items we haven’t used for a while.

5. Distraction and Entertainment

I think one thing many of us question is what we’ll do with the kids whenever there is an emergency that could shut down so many typical daily activities. Familiar toys can provide a sense of comfort and distraction in an unfamiliar or stressful situation. We all have comfort items that prompt calm in our lives based on age group or interests. It could be a good book, dolls, board games, etc.

Items like puzzles, coloring books, or handheld games can help alleviate anxiety and keep little ones engaged while awaiting assistance from first responders or during long waits. A World Without Technology: A Glimpse into the Unplugged Life

6. Improvisation and MacGyvering

There’s no doubt that you need improvisation with kids and emergencies. Kids’ toys can inspire creative problem-solving and MacGyver-like ingenuity. For example, flexible building blocks can be repurposed as temporary doorstops or impromptu tools.

Plastic toy containers can serve as water storage vessels or makeshift buckets. This type of out-of-the-box thinking helps to empower both children and adults to find solutions when resources are limited. Home Improvement Ideas for Preppers

More Emergency Tips

• Cash vs. Credit Card: Which is Better in an Emergency?
• Natural Remedies That Work in an Emergency
• Invaluable Tools Necessary for Transporting Emergency Supplies
• Emergency Preparedness-Make A Plan

Final Word

Now, knowing how your kid’s toys can help in an emergency, what toys would you use in your home? While we may overlook the potential of our kids’ toys beyond playtime, they can prove to be unexpected assets in emergency situations.

Encourage your children to explore and learn from their toys, since you never know when they might come to your rescue in a time of need. Remember, being prepared starts with making the most of what you already have, even if it comes in the form of a plastic dinosaur or a stuffed teddy bear. May God Bless this World, Linda

Copyright Images: Blocks in a Messy Children’s Room Depositphotos_201335690_S by FreedomMaster, Blocks with Child Playing with Them Depositphotos_102634032_S by Milosz_