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Fill your red emergency backpack with ready to go activities in preparation of a true emergency. Include activities that can accommodate many students, so it takes up less room in your backpack.

Coloring pages/crayons

Mini-games

Decks of cards (Uno, playing cards)

Sensory items

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What It Is: A quick, sensory-focused exercise that brings students back to the present moment.

Goal: By focusing on sensory input, students feel more connected to their surroundings, which reduces panic and anxiety.

How to Do It: Ask students to identify:

5 things they can see

4 things they can feel

3 things they can hear

2 things they can smell

1 thing they can taste

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What It Is: A way to regulate breathing, slowing down the nervous system.

Goal: Deep breathing can slow the heart rate and make students feel more centered and calm.

How to Do It:

Belly Breathing: Have students put their hands on their belly, inhale deeply for a count of 4, hold for 4, and exhale for a count of 6.

Pretend to Blow Bubbles: Ask students to take a deep breath and then slowly "blow out the bubbles," creating a steady, gentle exhale.Goal: Deep breathing can slow the heart rate and make students feel more centered and calm.

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What It Is: Tuning into how the body feels, then releasing tension in each area.

Goal: This helps them release physical tension that can come with stress, helping them feel more in control.

How to Do It:

Guide students to tense each part of their body (fists, shoulders, face) for 3 seconds, then release. Do this sequentially, starting from the head down to the toes.

Examples:

"Stand Like a Tree": Encourage students to stand with their feet rooted to the ground, imagining they are a strong tree. This helps them feel grounded and steady.

Butterfly Hug: Cross arms over the chest and gently tap each shoulder alternately. This provides a sense of comfort and can help reduce anxiety.

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Grounding with a “Safe Place” Visualization

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Grounding with a “Safe Place” Visualization

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What It Is: Imagining a safe, calm place in the mind.

Goal: Visualizing a safe place gives children an immediate mental escape and provides feelings of comfort and stability.

How to Do It: Invite students to close their eyes and imagine a place that feels safe, like their room or a beach, and describe it in detail. Ask them to think about the colors, sounds, and how it feels to be there.

Variation: Rainbow Walk: Look around and name items in different colors. Start with red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. This helps them connect with their surroundings.

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What It Is: Simple affirmations to encourage and reassure.

Goal: Reinforces feelings of safety and bravery, allowing students to shift their mindset toward calmness.

How to Do It: Together, come up with a short mantra, like “I am safe, I am loved, I am brave,” and repeat it several times.

You can repeat it as a group to build a sense of unity.

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The Big Five Lockdown/Barricade Lesson Plans

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The Big Five Lockdown/Barricade Lesson Plans

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What It Is: Using a small object (e.g., a stone, stress ball, or smooth item) to provide sensory input.

Goal: This small, concrete focus can help redirect their attention and reduce anxiety.

How to Do It: Give each student a small object to hold, encouraging them to focus on its texture, weight, and temperature.

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What It Is: A focused breathing exercise involving “breathing bubbles.”

Goal: Helps create a feeling of personal safety and provides calming breathing in a visual way.

How to Do It: Have each student imagine a “safe bubble” around them, telling them that the bubble is filled with calm air they can breathe in and out. Inhale slowly, and exhale to "fill the bubble" with calmness.

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For our most vulnerable populations, using reward systems or practices that already exist are a great way to provide consistency, while also helping to get students through an emergency situation.

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1. Create a Safe and Supportive Atmosphere

Begin by setting clear expectations for kindness and respect.

Remind students that this is a safe place where they can share feelings without fear of judgment.

2. Establish Purpose

Explain to the class why you’re having this meeting: to check in on everyone, talk about feelings, and support each other.

Use age-appropriate language to acknowledge the crisis without going into overwhelming detail.

3. Opening the Floor for Sharing

Start with a calming activity, like deep breathing or a short mindfulness exercise, to help students focus and feel grounded.

Use a structured sharing process (e.g., talking stick or turn-taking) to ensure everyone has a chance to speak if they want.

Encourage students to share their thoughts or feelings about what’s happening, but remind them that it’s okay to listen quietly if they’re not ready to talk.

4. Validating Emotions

As students share, validate their feelings by acknowledging their experiences: “It’s okay to feel scared/sad/confused. A lot of people are feeling that way right now.”

Reassure them that their feelings are normal and that it’s good to express them.

5. Encourage Positive Coping Strategies

Gently guide students toward coping strategies like talking to friends, journaling, drawing, or practicing breathing techniques.

Emphasize the importance of reaching out to trusted adults if they need help.

6. Focus on Togetherness and Support

Highlight the importance of supporting each other, especially during tough times.

Discuss practical ways they can help one another, like offering a kind word, playing together, or just being a good listener.

7. Closure with Positivity

End with a simple activity that fosters unity, like a group affirmation or a positive message from each student.

Reassure them they are not alone and that you are there for them.

8. Follow-Up Check-Ins

Plan to have additional check-ins over the coming days to continue supporting the students and to reinforce that they can come to you anytime.

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If available, let students hold a comforting object (stuffed animal, soft fabric, etc.). This can provide a tactile, calming effect and a sense of security.

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Stretching: Simple stretches like reaching for the sky or touching toes can help release tension.

"Shake it Off": Allow them to shake their hands, feet, or whole body to let go of fear and nervous energy.

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Providing coloring pages or blank paper for drawing can help them express emotions non-verbally. It can also serve as a calming, self-soothing activity.