What’s the Plan Stan?: Emergency preparedness
- May 28
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 2
Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) | Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (EQC) | National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
What's the Plan, Stan? is a free, multilingual, civil defense game designed for children aged 6 to 12.
Deployments: New Zealand Model: App recycled Availability: Free · Browser & outdoor · Most devices
Played in New Zealand schools nationwide, available in 16+ languages, and a special Covid-19 level was added rapidly in response to a live national emergency. Winner of multiple awards including the 2025 International Serious Play Awards (Bronze, Non-profit).
A simple, scalable way to build resilience in communities. It's become a teacher favourite.
Indoor browser version
Outdoor augmented reality version
How do we make safety training memorable, and something children want to share with their families?
Emergencies can strike at any time, from earthquakes and floods to storms, disease outbreaks, or even zombies. Yet for many children, being prepared feels distant and abstract. According to the 2016 Disaster Preparedness Survey conducted by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, only about 14 percent of New Zealand households were fully prepared. This meant having plans for when they were not at home, stored water, and regularly updated emergency supplies. Around 25% were prepared at home, with some emergency items and plans, but not to the same level.
Emergency Readiness Through Play
What’s the Plan, Stan? was designed to give kids the knowledge and confidence to act when it matters most.
Players join the IMPACTS Team, a group of young superheroes
Build emergency kits, identify hazards, and choose the right actions
Strategic "mistakes" in the gameplay become valuable lessons
Encourages problem-solving and critical thinking
Supplementary lesson plans make it easy for teachers to integrate
Fun, repeatable format means kids keep coming back to practice their skills
Mini game topics
flood
earthquake
tsunami
volcano
pandemic
at-home preparedness
family resilience
storm
Strengthening emergency preparedness across New Zealand Schools from an early age
Students remember safety steps more clearly
Parents hear their children talking about what to do in different emergencies
Councils value how it delivers consistent, accessible safety education
The game embeds civil defence knowledge through play, creating lasting readiness rather than one-off awareness
Multilingual
App recycled
Outdoor version
