What Do You Tell a Four-Year-Old When It’s Time for a Lockdown Drill?
By Olivia Roney Mitchell | Founder & CEO of Crouching Tigers and author of Lockdown Drill
In my last post, I shared how my three kids came home from the same kind of drill with three completely different stories. One was sure they were hiding from rabid animals. Another thought it was a game of hide-and-seek, and the third thought it was a class-wide potty break.
None of them understood what they had just practiced. And that sent me down a path that ended with a book.
It all came back to one question, the one I heard from teachers over and over:
What do you tell a four-year-old when it’s time for a lockdown drill?
It sounds simple. It isn’t. A fire drill comes with an easy explanation: if there’s smoke, we go outside. A lockdown drill asks a room full of preschoolers to do something that goes against everything about being four. Be completely silent. Stay hidden. Don’t ask why. Wait.
Teachers told me they didn’t want to scare anyone, so they said very little. Kids filled the gap with their own stories. Some of those stories were funny. Some of them kept children up at night.
What young children actually need to hear
After months of research and a lot of conversations with teachers, here is what I landed on. A four-year-old doesn’t need the reason behind the drill. They need to know what to do, who is in charge, and that they are safe.
- Keep it short and calm. One or two sentences is plenty. “Today we’re going to practice being very quiet in our safe spot. Your teachers will be right there with you.” Your tone teaches as much as your words.
- Give them a job. Children handle hard things better when they have a role. “Your job is to be quiet as a mouse and listen to your teacher.” A job turns waiting into doing.
- Name the grown-ups. Young children feel safe when they know someone is in charge. “Your teachers’ job is to keep everyone safe. That’s what grown-ups do.”
- Skip the scary details. There’s no need to describe a threat. Practicing is the point, the same way we practice crossing the street.
- Say when it’s over. End every drill with a clear finish. “We did it! That was great practice.” Kids need to know the quiet part ended.
- Leave the door open. Afterward, ask one gentle question, like “What did you do during practice today?” Then listen. If their answer involves rabid animals, you’ll know what to clear up.
What I learned is that the words matter less than the consistency. When a child hears the same simple message from their teacher, their parent and a story, it sticks. When they hear three different versions, they make up a fourth.
Why I put it in a story
That’s why Lockdown Drill: A Crouching Tigers Safety Story exists. I wanted every adult in a child’s life to have the same calm, simple words, and I wanted children to hear them from characters they already love.
Before the book was finished, I tested it the only way that mattered: in real classrooms. I ran lockdown drills at our centers, and before each one, we read the story together.
The difference was bigger than I expected. In earlier drills, there were questions, giggles and a few worried faces. This time, the children already knew what was happening. They had heard it from the Tigers. They knew where to go, they knew their job was to be quiet, and they knew their teachers were right there.
The drill was calm and quick, and it was easy. Not because anyone lectured them, but because a story had already done the explaining. Afterward, the kids talked about it like something they had practiced, not something that had happened to them.
That’s when I knew the book was ready.
The book comes with the tools teachers asked me for: a teacher guide, a parent guide, ready-to-send parent emails and a printable classroom poster. So the message in the classroom matches the message at home.
If you remember one thing, make it this: a four-year-old doesn’t need to understand everything about a lockdown drill. They need to know what to do, that a grown-up is in charge, and that they are safe. We can give them that.
About Olivia
Olivia Roney Mitchell is the Founder and CEO of Crouching Tigers. For twenty years, she has worked as an early childhood educator, author, and curriculum developer, teaching children ages 2–7 how to stay safe with lessons that feel fun instead of frightening. Lockdown Drill is her newest book.
Lockdown Drill: A Crouching Tigers Safety Story is available for pre-order. It ships fall 2026.
Made for preschool through 1st grade, every book comes with a teacher guide, ready-to-send parent emails, a parent guide, and a printable classroom poster.
Ordering 10 or more for your school or center? Email info@inspiredkidsprograms.com for bulk pricing.