How to Talk to Kids About Wildfires
*Last updated Jan. 17, 2025
How do we talk with kids about wildfires? It begins with adults staying as informed and calm as possible through our own uncertainty. As we gather our thoughts, it's important that we provide little ones with a safe space to ask questions and process what they're observing. Below you'll find some expert tips on ways to help little ones navigate wildfires, natural disasters and overall scary times. Additional social-emotional and psychological resources are linked.
1. Take a Moment to Process
Parenting and early childhood consultant Joshua Castillo offers guidance for parents on ways they can support their young children through the L.A. County wildfires. In this video she shares priorities to focus on as centered leaders and scripts of conversations for families to have.
2. Answer Questions with Honesty
"What happened? There was an emergency — something we didn’t expect would happen. I know it was scary, but I’m here to take care of you and keep you safe." This Sesame Street Family Guide for fires is full of ideas to talk and play through questions and emotions while you soothe your child and help them see that everything's going to be ok.
3. Limit the Details
"Kids need to see adults being real with their emotions but not giving them a high level of detail or giving them adult worries to worry about." Psychologist Samantha Pekh discusses some of the basic but very important strategies that parents can use to help children cope after a house fire in this video.
4. Remain Calm and Provide Stability
Even infants sense and react according to their parents' emotions. If you are calm, your child will feel secure. A team of crisis psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health experts at the Child Mind Institute gathered a list of tips on what to expect, what to do and what to look out for after a crisis, including a breakdown for ages 0-2, 2-5, 6-11 and 12-18. [Este recurso también está disponible en español: Cómo ayudar a los niños a superar con un evento traumático.]
More resources:
- Children & Recovery from Wildfires: Helping children and families respond to the psychological impact of wildfires explores common reactions and ways to help kids by age group, plus a guide for parents on therapeutic play. (The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation)
5. Offer Comfort
Sesame Street's Rosita opens up and shares something that your little one might relate to: "Some things I watch on TV scare me." In this guide you'll find a short video and practical ways to offer your child comfort.
6. Tell Stories
"Trinka and Sam: The Big Fire" is a free downloadable PDF designed to help young children begin to talk about their feelings and worries they may have after they have experienced a large-scale fire, such as a wildfire. The story can also be used as a coloring book and the document includes a parent guide. [Este recurso también está disponible en español: "Trinka y Juan: El Gran Fuego".]
More stories:
- Los Angeles-based child psychologist Ashley Reid wrote this storybook as a resource to help parents and caregivers explain the L.A. wildfires in a way that is both developmentally appropriate and supportive. The story is editable if anyone wants to personalize it and print.
- “Once I Was Very Scared” by Chandra Ghosh Ippen, a story about little animals and how they react to scary events in different ways, was written to help children and grown-ups understand how stress can affect children.
- "The Fox and the Forest Fire" by author-illustrator Danny Popovici, a volunteer firefighter, is a story of resilience for families and communities experiencing the aftermath of a fire, as well as anyone looking to empathize with those communities in need.
7. Keep Routines Consistent and Keep Little Ones Informed
Keeping a daily schedule as normal as possible and giving kids a heads up of what's next is important for families at home and early childhood professionals alike. Here are some tips for early childhood educators working with babies and toddlers on "Coping with Trauma and Stress in the Face of Wildfires" from Zero to Three.
More Resources
- Talking to Young Children About the Wildfires (PBS KIDS)
- When Something Scary Happens ( Fred Rogers Productions and PBS KIDS)
- 5 Tips to Support Kids During a Climate Disaster(Suzie Hicks The Climate Chick)
- Helping Children After a Wildfire: Tips for Caregivers and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists)
- Creating Supportive Environments When Scary Things Happen (Center for Resilience + Well-Being)
- Children's Hospital of Orange County has several resources on difficult conversations:
- A variety of resources from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network are available for caregivers, many in multiple languages:
- Parent Guidelines for Helping Children Impacted by Wildfires
- Wildfires: Tips for Caregivers on Media Coverage
- Simple Evacuation Activities for Children and Adolescents
- Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event
- Talking to Children When Scary Things Happen
- Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers after Disasters
- Parent Tips for Helping Preschool-Age Children after Disasters
- Parent Tips for Helping Adolescents
