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How to Make a Handy-Dandy-On-the-Go First Aid Kit

first aid kit in hand
Art created by Isobel Barber

Summer days are often described as “carefree.” And yet, the season of sun, shorts, and sports is also the time little bodies take a licking: There never seems to be a shortage of scraped knees from climbing trees, cut toes from broken shells, or spills on the T-ball field.

This is why keeping an on-the-go first aid kit in your car and at the ready is such a good idea. “I never go anywhere without my first aid kit,” says KinderCare Education's Stephanie Kuntz. “Neosporin®, antiseptic wipes, and bandages for sliding burns and cleat injuries all have come in handy on the ball field, especially when our kids were little. We’ve definitely gone through quite a few ice packs over the years!”

Luckily, the Red Cross makes getting your own first aid kit super-duper easy. To wit, here’s the link to the Be Red Cross Ready First Aid Kit. Click here, click there—badda bing, badda boom, your first aid kit is on its way (and makes an awesome Mother’s Day or Father’s Day present, too)!

For those DIYers who want to create their own kit or for those who just have to have SpongeBob Band-Aids®, the full first-aid kit shopping list is provided below. A great way to get your child involved is to print out the list (or draw pictures of a few of the supplies, if he isn’t reading yet) and have him help you find the items at the store. This gives you a chance to talk about safety and get him used to seeing first-aid supplies before they’re actually needed.

This list may seem exhaustive, but when some poor tyke on the Little Kickers soccer team takes a digger, YOU will be the superhero who came to the game 100 percent ready.

Now go forth and enjoy the season, and may your summer (and your whole year actually) truly be carefree!

Your on-the-go first aid kit list, adapted from the American Red Cross’s Be Red Cross Ready first aid kit list:

  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Antiseptic cleansing wipes (sting free)
  • Hydrocortisone cream
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Aspirin
  • Band-Aids®, assorted sizes
  • Assorted plastic bandages for knuckles, elbows, knees, fingertips
  • Patch bandages, 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″
  • Instant cold compress
  • Triangular sling/bandage
  • Gauze dressing pads, 3″ x 3″ and 4″ x 4″
  • Gauze roll bandage, 3″
  • First aid tape roll, 3/4″ x 5 yards
  • Thermometer (Red Cross kits come with one-time use thermometers)
  • Latex-free gloves
  • Scissors
  • Tweezers
  • CPR one-way valve face shield

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