New research highlights gaps in children’s emergency skills

The research, commissioned by what3words , found that nearly 80% (79%) of UK parents with primary school-aged children (5-11) are confident their child would know what to do if they had an emergency outdoors, yet only half (51%) have actually practised what steps to take if something goes wrong.

Parents also overestimate some of their children’s practical emergency skills. While 58% believe their child could use a phone to find their current location, only 42% of children say they can. The study also found that nearly three in ten (29%) children don’t know the emergency number, almost a third (31%) don’t know how to use a phone to call for help, and over a third (37%) can’t reliably recite their full home address.

The findings come as schools break up for the summer holidays, where seven in ten (69%) parents expect their child to spend time outdoors without them at least once a week, whether with grandparents, friends or at holiday clubs. That’s why now is a good time for families to practise what to do if something goes wrong and how to share their exact location if they need help.

‘What’s the address of the emergency?’ is one of the first questions asked when calling for help. However, people enjoying the outdoors can often find themselves in unaddressed or hard-to-describe locations, and for children, even a home address isn’t always easy to remember under pressure – causing delays for first responders in situations when every minute matters.

what3words provides a simple way to communicate very precise locations. It has divided the world into a grid of 3 metre squares and assigned each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. This means every front door, beach access point, parking space and viewpoint along a hiking trail has its own what3words address. For example ///wished.forum.desk pinpoints the precise location of a drinking fountain in London’s Victoria Park, and ///boast.anyone.robot marks the entrance to National Trust – Hill Top, author Beatrix Potter’s farmhouse.

To help families prepare for emergencies, UK emergency services and what3words are encouraging parents to hold a Family Breakfast Briefing before the summer holidays. Families can download a free Summer Safety Activity Pack , helping kids practise finding and sharing their exact location, and create a piece of lifesaving fridge art featuring their home’s what3words address.

Simon Gough MBE, Pilot at Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance said: “No parent likes to think about their child ever needing to call 999, but emergencies can happen when you least expect them. Taking a few minutes before the summer holidays to teach children when to call for help, which number to dial and the kinds of questions we’ll ask – including where they are – can help them stay calm if the unexpected happens. The more clearly someone can tell us where they are, the quicker we can get the right help to the right place.”

Jane Stephenson, Chief Marketing Officer at what3words commented: “Learning how to find and share locations with what3words could make all the difference if the unexpected happens. That’s why we’ve created a free Summer Safety Activity Pack – a fun and engaging way for families to practise how to use what3words together. As part of the pack, children are encouraged to make fridge art featuring their home’s three words – creating a simple and creative reminder for the whole family that sparks conversations about emergency preparedness.”

*Source: OnePoll research for what3words, online survey of 1,000 UK parents and children aged 5–11 on emergency preparedness ahead of the summer holidays, June 2026.