Home preparedness for a family builds on the standard seven-day home kit and adds what children specifically need: child-friendly food and water, medicine, baby hygiene, and something that brings comfort and calm. Sweden's Agency for Civil Defence (MCF, formerly MSB) recommends that every household be able to manage at least one week on its own. This guide shows exactly what to add for babies, toddlers and school-age children, and how much a family of four needs for seven days.
Reviewed by Oskar Bjork, defence engineer (Swedish Armed Forces) and adviser to Kapsel. Last updated 2026-06-18.
Why families need their own plan
A general home kit covers the basics, but children change the maths. Babies need formula, nappies and warmth. Small children need food they will actually eat and a way to stay calm. A plan that works for two adults can fall short for a family of four or five. The good news: you do not need much more, you just need the right extras, organised and easy to reach.
Age-banded checklist (add this to your base kit)
Babies, 0 to 1 year
- Formula and clean water for mixing, enough for a week
- Nappies, wet wipes and nappy bags
- Extra warm layers and a blanket (small bodies lose heat fast)
- Any medicine your baby uses, plus infant paracetamol
- A familiar comfort item
Toddlers and small children, 1 to 5 years
- Food they like and will eat without fuss, that needs no cooking
- A water bottle they can use themselves
- Warm clothes, hat and gloves
- A torch of their own and a small toy or book to ease worry
School-age children, 6 and up
- Let them help pack, so they know where things are
- Their own head-torch and a task during a power cut
- A simple explanation of the plan and the family meeting point
How much for a family of four, seven days
| Area | Per person/day | Family of four, one week |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking water | 3 litres | about 84 litres |
| Food (energy) | about 2,100 kcal | food for 28 person-days |
Water is heavy, so most families store some and keep a filter or purification tablets to treat more. Adjust the amounts to the number and ages of your children.
Keeping children calm matters as much as the gear
In a real disruption, children take their cue from the adults. A calm parent who knows where everything is makes the whole house feel safe. Keep routines where you can, let children help, and pack one familiar item per child. This is the part most checklists skip, and it is often what families remember most.
Build your own, or a ready system
You can assemble a family kit yourself using the lists above and our complete emergency-kit checklist. If you would rather have it solved in one step, the Kapsel Core is a system of three capsules (Energy and Light, Water and Health, Personal and Shelter) with over 30 selected, certified components, built to the MCF one-week recommendation and assembled in Boras. One system covers one to three people, so a family of four to six uses two. See the Kapsel Core.
Frequently asked questions
What does a child need in an emergency kit?
On top of the family basics: child-friendly food, water they can drink themselves, warm layers, any medicine they take, baby items like formula and nappies for the youngest, and one comfort item to ease worry.
How do I prepare with a baby in the house?
Store a week of formula and clean water for mixing, plus nappies, wipes and extra warmth. Babies lose heat quickly, so warm layers and blankets matter most.
How many Kapsel systems does a family of five need?
One Kapsel Core covers one to three people, so a family of five is best served by two systems. The structure stays the same and the capacity doubles.
What does home preparedness for a family include?
Family home preparedness is the standard seven-day home kit plus child-specific extras: child-friendly food and water, medicine, baby hygiene, warmth and a comfort item. Scale water and food to the number and ages of children.
Sources: MCF (mcf.se), Livsmedelsverket, krisinformation.se, Roda Korset.
Family preparedness travels too: see how to take the essentials with you on holiday.
More on home preparedness in our FAQ.
The family plan builds on MCF's seven-day recommendation.