Before I get into sharing tons of teacher emergency kit ideas, let me start with why you need one. When you are in a stressful situation (e.g. getting ready to present at open house, welcoming parents to conferences and speaking at a meeting), you do not want to worry about a run in your tights, bad breath, or a headache on top of everything else. As teachers, things like broken nails or lunch forgotten on the kitchen counter at home can’t slow us down. Therefore, having an “emergency kit” in your classroom desk or closet is essential.
The goal of this post is to help you gather a collection of items to bring to school that will help you in case of an emergency… Admittedly, a chocolate craving doesn’t warrant a call to 9-1-1, but it certainly will make life better for all parties involved if there is a Hershey Bar available. Below you’ll find a list of teacher emergency kit ideas about what to pack in your “teacher emergency kit” for those moments that arise and we wish we had something to help with it. Check it out below!
20+ Things to Keep in Your Teacher Emergency Kit
Below are ideas of things that you should keep in your teacher emergency kit.
Aspirin
Headaches happen quite often when you’re teaching 25 youngsters who have yet to grasp the concept of “inside voices”. If you are including aspirin or any other type of medicine, be sure to store your container in an area that is not accessible to children.
Feminine Products
The second on the list of teacher emergency kit ideas is definitely a must-have. Accidents happen and sometimes we need to be prepared.
Deodorant
For those days when you were rushing to get out of the house and forgot to put deodorant on (or not enough).
Nail File and Nail Clippers
If you haven’t broken a nail at work, you’re lucky!
Hair Elastics/Bobby Bins
Sure, wearing your gorgeous long blonde hair down seemed like a great idea this morning…. until the humidity went up to like 1000% and you’ve got recess duty. You’ll need to get your hair up in less time than it takes the kids to run to the slide!
A Change of Clothes
This is one of the teacher emergency kit ideas on this list that you may be surprised to read! For those moments of surprise like paint spilling on you, a kid’s lunch tray that magically found your lap even from 5 feet away, or the rain storm that suddenly hit while you were doing your duty.
Hairbrush
Humidity is no one’s friend and it affects everyone’s hair. A hairbrush can be a life saver when you need to brush out the frizz right before a parent walks in.
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
We’ve all been there: Parent conference week, you get to eat out with your coworkers (which is rare), you try out the new Chinese restaurant that uses 10lbs of garlic for every 1lb of chicken, you get back to school and realize you could scare away 5,000 vampires with your breath….thank goodness you packed the toothbrush and toothpaste because you have just enough time to brush before your first parent shows up!
Chocolate
This is pretty self explanatory. We always have those days where a chocolate will solve all our problems… until we get home and can indulge in a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.
Can of Soup, Bowl, Spoon and Can Opener
This is another one on the list of teacher emergency kit ideas that you’re likely surprised to see. For those days when you either forget your lunch sitting on the counter or you packed a cold cut sandwich and the cold weather hit and soup just sounds perfect.
Non-Perishable Snack Items
Kids get snack time, so why can’t we indulge in a snack too? This helps on those days where your breakfast just isn’t letting you make it until lunch or lunch won’t help get you to dinner. If you are including food, you will want to invest in a container that is “critter proof.”
Bottle of Water
You should be hydrating at work already (see step 6), but sometimes you drink all of what you brought and need another bottle.
Tissues
Sometimes the classroom box of tissues runs out while your nose keeps running.
Stain Remover
Not everyone needs to know that you had spaghetti for lunch just by looking at that spot on your shirt or pants.
Pair of Tights and Nylons
Picture it… You’re sitting in a chair at the carpet, reading a story to your kids, when little Billy thinks it’s fun to pull on a teeny tiny strand on your tights… The next thing you know, you have a big gaping run in your tights and you have a parent meeting right after school (and with your luck, it’s probably Billy’s mom).
Lint Roller
Whoops! You forgot that you hugged your German Shepherd goodbye this morning, but don’t worry, the dog hair all over your top reminds of you of it!
Change for the Vending Machine
When a soda/skittles/bag of chips just sounds so good!
Cough Drops
This teacher emergency kit idea is especially important during the dry winter months. That tickle in your throat will not get the best of you!
Chapstick
Who knew that wind out at recess would dry out your lips so much?
Safety Pin
Sometimes, buttons just fly off and straps break.
Duct Tape
Luckily, MacGuyver showed us how to fix just about anything with duct tape. From broken sandals to ripped pillows, we can fix anything in a jiffy with duct tape!
In closing, your teacher emergency kit may look different than your teammates, and the items you include will change with experience. For example, I never thought I’d need a change of clothes until I had two separate incidents that left me soggy and uncomfortable. I obviously didn’t learn after the first time. The important thing is that you have a supply of things that you will undoubtedly need at some point. As they say in Girl Scouts, “Always Be Prepared”! I hope you found this list of teacher emergency kit ideas helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:
- How to Decorate the Classroom of Your Dreams
- First Day of School Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers
- How to Set Up Your Whole Group Instruction Area
