PBIS Memory Cards – Fire Drill Edition

Positive Behavior Expectations Matching Game

Help students learn that fire drills are serious safety procedures with PBIS Memory Cards: Fire Drill Edition! This engaging matching game gives students a structured, interactive way to recognize unsafe or inappropriate fire-drill behaviors and connect each one with an appropriate corrective action, replacement behavior, or safety-focused response.

Students encounter realistic situations such as talking during the fire-drill line-up, repeatedly questioning whether the drill is real, slowing the evacuation line, returning to the building before the all-clear, using a loud voice during attendance, making jokes about an emergency, and leaving their assigned class line. PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations… PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations…

What’s Included

This resource includes:

• 60 PBIS Memory Cards
• 30 matching behavior/action pairs
• Coordinating PBIS Memory – Fire Drill Edition card backs
• Realistic fire-drill and evacuation scenarios
• Corrective and replacement-behavior cards
• Expectations addressing safety, responsibility, listening, movement, and emergency procedures
• Print-ready cards that can be cut apart and reused

Students don't simply identify what went wrong. They match each scenario with a response that reinforces the safe behavior that should happen instead.

Examples include practicing a silent transition, walking at a steady pace, remaining in the designated outdoor location until staff give permission to return, maintaining silence during attendance, and staying with the assigned class so teachers can account for every student. PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations… PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations…

Skills & Safety Expectations Reinforced

Students practice expectations related to:

• Responding immediately when an alarm sounds
• Walking instead of running
• Maintaining an appropriate voice level
• Following the assigned evacuation route
• Staying with the correct class
• Remaining in assigned line order
• Keeping hands and feet to themselves
• Listening for teacher directions
• Watching for visual safety signals
• Leaving personal items behind
• Avoiding unnecessary stops during evacuation
• Staying in the designated safe area
• Waiting for the official all-clear
• Keeping entrances, sidewalks, and fire lanes clear
• Respecting emergency equipment
• Understanding why fire drills must be taken seriously

The set addresses a wide variety of realistic situations, including running to the door when the alarm sounds, making noise in stairwells, running through parking areas, using electronics during the drill, wandering away from the class, stopping for backpacks or coats, pushing while exiting, and taking an unassigned exit. PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations… PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations… PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations…

More Than a Traditional Memory Game

This resource combines the familiar fun of a memory game with meaningful PBIS and school-safety instruction.

Students make the connection:

Unsafe or Unexpected Behavior → Safe Replacement Behavior

When a matching pair is found, extend the activity with questions such as:

What made this behavior unsafe?
How could this behavior affect other students during an emergency?
What should the student do instead?
Why is silence important during a fire drill?
How does staying with your class help adults keep everyone safe?

The corrective-action cards reinforce practical skills such as keeping electronics put away, watching the teacher for visual signals, following designated safety paths, leaving personal items behind, keeping a safe “body bubble,” and moving to the class's designated safe zone. PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations… PBIS Memory - PBIS Expectations…

Perfect For

Use these cards during:

• PBIS instruction
• Beginning-of-year safety lessons
• Fire-drill preparation
• Emergency-procedure review
• Morning meetings
• SEL instruction
• Small-group behavior lessons
• Classroom centers
• Counseling groups
• Partner activities
• Safety-week activities
• Behavior reteaching
• Post-drill reflection
• Substitute-teacher emergency preparation

Easy to Prepare & Play

Simply print, cut, shuffle, and play!

For extra durability, print the cards on cardstock and laminate them for repeated use throughout the school year.

For traditional memory play, place the cards face down. Students turn over two cards at a time and try to match a fire-drill behavior scenario with its corresponding corrective-action card. When a correct match is found, the student keeps the pair.

The cards can also be used for sorting activities, scenario discussions, role-play, partner challenges, small-group safety instruction, pre-drill review, or whole-class PBIS lessons.

Practice Safety Before It Matters Most

Fire drills work best when students already know exactly what to do.

PBIS Memory Cards: Fire Drill Edition provides an engaging way for students to practice safe evacuation behaviors before an emergency occurs. By identifying unsafe choices and connecting them with appropriate responses, students develop a clearer understanding of how to move, listen, stay together, and respond responsibly during a fire drill.

Help students understand that during an emergency, being Safe, Respectful, and Responsible helps protect everyone.