Originally published May 3, 2026. Last updated August 19, 2026.
A standard emergency kit is a great place to start. But if your household includes a baby, toddler, older child, pet or someone with specific medical needs, a one-size-fits-all checklist can leave out some pretty important things.
Babies need feeding and diapering supplies. Children may need medications, identification and comfort items. Pets need food, water, carriers and their own health information.
The Government of Canada recommends keeping enough supplies to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours, and your kit should reflect the needs of everyone in your household.
This guide will help you build those extra layers, without feeling like you need to prepare for every possible scenario all at once.
If you have not created your family emergency plan yet, build it alongside your kit so everyone knows where to go, how to reconnect and what to take.
Start With a Basic 72-Hour Emergency Kit
Before adding baby bottles, diapers and pet supplies, make sure the household basics are covered.
Your emergency kit should include:
At least 2 litres of stored or bottled water per person per day for drinking, cooking and hygiene
Non-perishable food your family will actually eat
A manual can opener
A wind-up or battery-powered flashlight
A wind-up or battery-powered radio
Extra batteries and charged battery packs
A first aid kit
Prescription medications and essential medical equipment
A current medication list with doses and reasons for taking each medication
Phone chargers and power banks
A printed copy of your emergency plan and important contact information
Identification and important documents
Provincial or territorial health information and insurance details
Cash in smaller bills
Changes of clothing and appropriate footwear
Personal hygiene supplies, including menstrual products when needed
Hand sanitizer, tissues and garbage bags
Seasonally appropriate supplies for heat, cold, rain or other local conditions
Your family's kit can be stored together if that is easiest. Some households may find separate grab-and-go bags helpful, especially if family members may need to evacuate from different locations.
The important part is that your supplies are portable, easy to find and known to everyone who may need them.
Emergency Kit Additions for Babies and Young Toddlers: Ages 0 to 2
Babies and young toddlers rely almost entirely on their caregivers, which means their emergency supplies need a little more planning.
The age ranges in this guide are approximate. Always adapt your kit to your child's development, feeding needs and health.
Feeding Supplies
What you pack will depend on how your baby is fed.
Consider:
The infant formula your baby already uses, if applicable
Ready-to-feed formula when appropriate and practical
Bottles, nipples and feeding supplies
Cleaning supplies for bottles and feeding equipment
Pump parts and supplies if you express breastmilk
A manual pumping option or backup plan if your usual pump depends on electricity
Food and water for the breastfeeding or pumping parent
Age-appropriate shelf-stable foods for babies and toddlers who are already eating solids
A familiar cup, spoon or other feeding utensil
An emergency is not an ideal time to discover that your baby will not accept a particular formula, bottle or food. Whenever possible, include products your child already uses and tolerates.
Rotate feeding supplies before they expire or before your child outgrows them.
Diapering and Hygiene
Pack enough supplies to get through several days, including:
Diapers or training pants
Wipes
Diaper cream or ointment
A portable changing mat
Resealable bags for soiled diapers and clothing
Extra washcloths
Several changes of clothing
Babies grow quickly, so clothing and diaper sizes are worth checking more often than the rest of the kit.
Clothing and Comfort
Consider adding:
Season-appropriate clothing
Extra socks
A warm or sun hat, depending on the season
Extra pacifiers if your baby uses them
A small familiar comfort item for supervised awake time
A baby carrier, if you normally use one and can use it safely
A carrier can be especially practical if you need your hands free while moving supplies or helping another child.
Plan for Safe Sleep
Sleep can become one of the harder things to navigate when families are displaced from home.
Even during travel or evacuation, babies need a safe sleep space: on their back, on a firm, flat surface in a crib, cradle or bassinet that meets current Canadian safety regulations.
If your baby normally wears fitted sleepwear or an appropriately sized sleep sack, add one to the kit.
Do not add pillows, loose blankets, stuffed animals, loungers or extra padding to a baby's sleep space.
Planning for sleep ahead of time can be especially helpful if you may need to stay with family, at a hotel or at an evacuation centre.
Health and Medication
Depending on your child, consider:
Regular prescription medications
Current dosing instructions
A thermometer
Essential medical supplies
Contact information for your child's healthcare providers
If your baby or child relies on powered medical equipment, refrigerated medication or specialized feeding equipment, speak with their healthcare provider or pharmacist about an emergency backup plan.
Emergency Kit Additions for Preschoolers: Ages 3 to 5
Preschoolers are beginning to understand that something unusual is happening, but they may not fully understand why.
Familiarity can make an unfamiliar situation feel a little more manageable.
Consider adding:
Extra underwear or training pants
Comfortable clothing and pyjamas
Socks and weather-appropriate footwear
A favourite stuffed animal or comfort item
A small sensory or fidget toy if helpful
A favourite book
Colouring supplies or stickers
Familiar snacks
A reusable cup or water bottle
A printed family contact card kept inside their bag
Any medications, glasses or other supplies they regularly need
If your child is old enough to participate, involving them in building the kit and practising the family plan can help them understand what is happening and feel more prepared.
Let them choose one or two comfort items themselves. That small amount of ownership can make emergency preparation feel more like something the family does together and less like something scary is about to happen.
Emergency Kit Additions for School-Age Kids: Ages 6 to 11
School-age children can usually take a little more responsibility for their own supplies.
A small personal backpack may include:
A change of clothing
Extra socks and underwear
A water bottle
Familiar non-perishable snacks
A small flashlight
A whistle
A printed emergency contact card
A favourite book, journal or compact activity
Spare glasses if available
Regular medications or medical supplies managed by the caregiver
Personal hygiene items
Keep children's bags light enough that they can carry them comfortably.
As children get older, practise when and how to call 911 and what information they should be ready to give.
That does not mean making them responsible for managing an emergency. It simply gives them another age-appropriate skill they can use if they ever need help.
Emergency Kit Additions for Tweens and Teens
Older children may be able to manage more of their own supplies, but they still need to be included in the family plan.
Consider:
A change of clothing
Personal hygiene and menstrual supplies
Prescription medications and health information
Glasses, contact lenses and solution
Phone charging cable
Portable power bank
Printed emergency contacts in case their phone is unavailable
Water and shelf-stable snacks
A flashlight
Any medical, sensory or accessibility supplies they use
Talk about their role before an emergency happens.
A teen might be responsible for carrying their own bag or helping a younger sibling stay calm, but they should not be expected to take on adult-level responsibility for evacuation or emergency decision-making.
Pet Emergency Kit Checklist
Pets need their own emergency supplies too.
The Government of Canada recommends keeping food and water for pets for at least 72 hours and planning ahead for where they can stay during an evacuation.
Include:
Pet food
Stored water
Food and water bowls
A manual can opener if needed
Leash and harness
Crate or carrier
Current identification tags
Microchip information, if applicable
Recent photos of your pet
Medications with dosage instructions
Veterinarian contact information
Vaccination and medical records
Waste bags
Litter and a litter box for cats
Pet first aid supplies
A familiar blanket or toy
Most evacuation shelters accept only service animals, so identify pet-friendly hotels, boarding facilities, animal shelters, veterinary clinics or trusted friends and family who may be able to help before an evacuation happens.
During an evacuation, your pet's carrier, leash and medication should be easy to reach rather than buried at the bottom of the household kit.
Don't Forget Medical, Dietary and Accessibility Needs
A family emergency kit should never be based only on age.
Emergency supplies should reflect pregnancy, breastfeeding, infant feeding, mobility, allergy, dietary and other medical needs in your household.
Depending on your family, that might include:
Epinephrine auto-injectors
Rescue inhalers
Insulin and diabetes supplies
Specialized foods or formula
Mobility aids
Hearing-aid batteries
Communication devices
Backup power for essential medical equipment
Sensory supports
Extra prescription medications when available
Keep medications that may be needed quickly accessible rather than buried underneath clothing or other supplies.
If medication requires refrigeration, temperature control or a continuous power source, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider how to prepare for an interruption safely.
What About a Small Car, Stroller or Everyday Emergency Kit?
A smaller backup kit can still be incredibly useful.
This is not a replacement for your household 72-hour emergency kit. Think of it as a smaller layer of preparedness for everyday disruptions.
Depending on your child's age, you might include:
A few diapers and wipes
A change of clothing
Shelf-stable snacks
Water
Tissues
Hand sanitizer
A small first aid kit
Essential medication
Printed emergency contacts
Phone charging cable or power bank
Seasonal items such as a hat, sunscreen or warm layers
Keep in mind that vehicles can become extremely hot or cold, so medications, formula, food and other temperature-sensitive supplies may need to be stored elsewhere.
Adjust Your Emergency Kit for the Risks Where You Live
A useful emergency kit reflects the emergencies your family could realistically encounter.
Depending on where you live in Canada, that may include:
Wildfires
Smoke
Flooding
Winter storms
Extreme cold
Extreme heat
Tornadoes
Power outages
Earthquakes
Evacuations
You do not need a completely different kit for every possibility.
Start with your core supplies, then add a few items based on the hazards most relevant to your community.
If wildfire is a realistic risk where you live, our wildfire preparedness guide covers evacuation, smoke and home planning in more detail.
Where Should You Keep Your Family Emergency Kit?
Choose a location that is:
Easy for adults to access quickly
Known to every caregiver
Away from excessive heat or moisture
Close enough to an exit that you can take it during an evacuation
Large households may find it easier to divide supplies between a few labelled bags or bins rather than trying to fit everything into one enormous container.
The goal is not to create the world's most impressive emergency kit.
The goal is to be able to find and move what you need.
How Often Should You Update an Emergency Kit?
A practical routine is to review your kit in the spring and fall.
Check:
Food and water expiry dates
Prescription medications
Batteries and power banks
Formula and feeding supplies
Diaper sizes
Children's clothing and shoe sizes
Seasonal clothing
Health and insurance information
Emergency contacts
Pet food and medications
Identification and other important documents
Also review the kit after a major family change, such as welcoming a new baby, moving, starting a new medication, receiving a new diagnosis or adding a pet.
You do not need to replace everything at once.
Rotate food into your pantry before it expires, move outgrown clothing back into regular use and replace supplies gradually.
Build Your Kit One Section at a Time
Emergency preparedness can become overwhelming when we look at one giant checklist and feel like we need to buy everything today.
You don't.
Start with water.
Then food.
Then medications and important documents.
Add your baby's feeding supplies, your child's comfort items or your pet's carrier next.
One category at a time is still preparation.
Final Thoughts
A family emergency kit cannot predict every situation.
It can reduce how many decisions you need to make when something unexpected happens.
Start with the basic 72-hour supplies, then think through the people and animals who rely on you.
What does your baby need to eat and sleep safely?
What medication does your child need every day?
What would help your preschooler feel secure?
Could you leave quickly with your pet?
Are your contacts, documents and chargers easy to find?
Preparedness isn't perfection. It is simply taking a few practical steps now so you have fewer things to figure out later.
If CPR and choking first aid are part of the skills you want your family and caregivers to practise, explore our Infant & Child CPR + Choking Classes.
You’ve got this!
Continue Learning
Continue building your family’s safety toolkit with these trusted resources from Bump + Baby Matters.
Infant & Child CPR + Choking Classes
How to Create a Family Emergency Plan: A Practical Guide for Parents
How to Talk to Kids About CPR and 911 (By Age): Building Confidence Without Fear
Wildfire Preparedness for Families: A Canadian Guide to Evacuation, Smoke and Home Safety
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