Earthquake safety for kids: drop, cover, hold on

Earthquake safety for kids starts with three words a 4-year-old can learn: drop, cover, hold on. On this page Golu reads two calm picture stories aloud in Hindi and English. In "Practice Day at School" his class practises an earthquake drill and then a fire drill. In "Golu Stays Put" he loses sight of Papa in a big mall and remembers exactly what to do. Nothing scary happens in either story: no damage, no fire, nobody hurt. They are practice stories, and practice is what makes children calm in a real emergency.

The two safety stories

If your child picks the unsafe choice, Golu calmly explains why ("Running when the floor shakes can make us fall") and offers Let's try again. The story then continues with the safe action.

What to do in an earthquake: drop, cover, hold on

Drop, cover, hold on is the action recommended by earthquake safety agencies in many countries for most buildings. Teach it as a game until your child's body does it without thinking:

1. Drop down onto hands and knees, so the shaking cannot knock you over.
2. Cover your head and neck under a strong table or desk. If there is no table, cover your head with your arms next to an inside wall, away from windows.
3. Hold on to the table leg until the shaking stops.

After the shaking stops, children should wait for their grown-up or teacher, then walk out calmly to an open space away from buildings, as Golu's class does. In Hindi you can use झुको, छिपो, पकड़ो, the same words the story uses.

Much of India, including the Himalayan states, the North-East, Delhi, Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra, lies in higher earthquake zones. Many schools hold mock drills. If your child's school does, ask the teacher which words they use so you can use the same ones at home.

Fire drill steps for kids

A fire drill at school is loud and can surprise small children. Practising the steps in a story first makes the real drill feel familiar:

• When the long bell rings, stop and listen to the teacher.
• Make a line. Leave bags, lunch boxes and toys behind. "Bags can wait. People matter most."
• Walk, do not run, and stay with your class.
• Go to the meeting place outside and wait while the teacher counts everyone.
• At home: if there is a fire, get out and tell a grown-up. Never hide under a bed or in a cupboard.

The firefighter who says hello at the end of the story is a good starting point to talk about helpers. Our community helpers page has firefighters, police officers and doctors.

What to do if your child gets lost in a mall or market

Crowded places like malls, melas, markets and railway stations are where young children most often get separated from their grown-ups. Teach three steps, the same ones Golu uses:

1. Stay where you are. A child who keeps moving is harder to find. Tell your child: "If you can't see me, stand still. I will come back to look for you."
2. Ask a safe helper. A shopkeeper at the counter, a mother with children, or a police officer or guard in uniform. Point these people out when you are out together.
3. Say your name and your grown-up's name. "My name is Golu. My papa's name is Ravi." From about age 5, many children can also learn a phone number.

Help your child learn your phone number with a little song or chant, and write it on a card in their pocket or bag when you go to a busy place. Never enter it into a website or app. On this site, the number stays on paper only.

We do not use "stranger danger" here. It frightens children and can stop them asking the very helpers who could help them. Teaching who is a safe helper works better.

How to talk to young children about earthquakes and emergencies

• Keep it short and factual: "Sometimes the ground shakes. It is called an earthquake. We practise so our body knows what to do."
• Focus on the action, not the danger. Children feel safer when they know what to do.
• Turn off disaster news when young children are around. Pictures of damage are frightening and hard to forget.
• If your child is scared, listen, name the feeling ("You feel scared. You are safe now"), and practise one slow breath together. Our calm-down activities can help.

Children with autism or sensory sensitivities may find drill bells very distressing. Tell them in advance, practise with a quieter sound at home, and allow ear defenders if the school permits. Visual step cards (drop, cover, hold on) help children who find spoken instructions hard to follow under stress.

A 5-minute home safety drill

Try this once a month. Say "Earthquake practice!", and everyone does drop, cover, hold on under the dining table and counts to ten. Then "Fire practice!": everyone walks to the front door and meets at an agreed spot. Then practise names: "What is your name? What is Maa's name?" Finish with a cheer. Keep it playful, never a test.

Using this page

Golu reads each page, and words light up as he reads. Tap the bell to hear "Ring ring! Practice time", or the table to hear why it is useful. The अ+A button sets Hindi or English first. Each story takes about four to five minutes. Watch together, then practise for real.

Picture questions after each story

Practice Day at School

• Who came to say hello at the end? (A firefighter)
• Where did Golu hide during the earthquake drill? (Under a strong table)
• What happened in the fire drill? (Everyone made a line, left their bags, walked out to the open ground, and the teacher counted everyone)

Golu Stays Put

• Who helped Golu? (The shopkeeper and a police officer)
• Where was Golu? (In a big shopping mall)
• What happened when Golu could not see Papa? (He stayed put, asked the shopkeeper, said his name and Papa's name, and Papa came back)

For road, water and hot-things safety, see safety rules for kids. For gentle stories on keeping our bodies safe, see body safety for kids.