The Best First Aid Kit for Young Children

what makes a good first aid kit?

First aid is old—ancient even. The earliest recorded evidence of dressing wounds is from 500 BCE, as depicted on classical Greek pottery. While essential materiel in warfare, the concept of the first aid kit developed further as families made long treks toward new homes and distant lands. For millenia people were faced with hardships like snakebites, diseases, rough terrain, and heat exhaustion while on the road. Traveling clerics and doctors packed potions and tinctures in vials, as they saw fit; the basic process in treating minor wounds has remained largely intact, even if we no longer use lint, animal grease, and honey. The first patent issued for a modern pre-made first aid kit was applied for in 1942 by Clementine F. Campiglia. (And there were certainly pre-made kits before that.) It looks very similar to first aid kits available today, albeit with a little more leather.

Since it’s unlikely you’ll need supplies for battle or long trips across the Oregon Trail—but you do you!—what should you include in a DIY first aid kit or look for in a pre-made version?

We first reached out to Lauren Meyer, a mom and school nurse in St. Louis. She provided us with an awesome list of the items she uses most often and keeps on hand for minor emergencies.

This list includes:

• alcohol wipes (or other types of cleaning wipe)
• about 20 regular size band-aids
• a few each of 2” by 2” and 4” by 4” gauze pads
• medical cling wrap to keep the gauze pads in place
• two clean cloths
• a full water bottle for rinsing wounds
• a small bottle of hand sanitizer
• 2 pairs of latex-free gloves
• a small thin scarf to be used as a temporary sling or tourniquet while waiting on emergency crews.

Mrs. Meyer advised holding off on the ointments: “I generally do not put antibiotic ointment on unless it is necessary. I do not want to expose someone to an antibiotic if it is not needed. A good cleaning of the area is usually enough unless someone will be away for a long period of time, such as a camping trip, where an abrasion could start to show the signs of infection.”

Many pre-made kits include an antibiotic ointment. That’s fine. It has its uses. We still recommend adding it to your own kit. Just remember there’s no need to use antibiotic ointment prophylactically for every little cut and scrape. Common topical triple-form antibiotic ointments like Neosporin may even contribute to the evolution of drug-resistant strains of more dangerous bacteria, like MRSA, over time.

We also spoke to Dr. Hansa Barghava, an Atlanta pediatrician and mom, who suggested that in addition to usual items like bandages and alcohol wipes, a first aid kit for children should include “small toys or a short book for distraction, in case you do need to go to the doctor quickly or your child is in pain. Children’s acetaminophen or ibuprofen is always good for pain and an ice pack. Lastly, allergic reactions do happen, so I would recommend some children’s Benadryl with a dosing cup as well, just in case you child breaks out in hives after eating something that you didn’t know she was allergic to.”

Our own research has shown information contrary to the advice of Dr. Barghava in relation to using acetaminophen for pain. In 2011, the DrGreen.com website reported, “the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and Pediatric Advisory Committee have together recommended that ‘pain relief’ be removed from the label of Tylenol for babies and toddlers and other brands of acetaminophen because there is no reliable evidence that it relieves pain better than placebo in children under age two.”

You can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $100 for a first aid kit or the supplies needed to make your own. Many first aid kits are priced higher, typically when chocked full of a large number of contents. Check the label carefully to ensure that the item is giving you a variety of needed supplies and not just an abundance of bandages. In most cases, you won’t need 20+ bandages in one accident. (And if you do, you have bigger problems on your hands!) First aid kits can always be refilled. We prefer to save money up front for a kit that has more obscure items like different sizes of bandages, treatment for bee stings or allergies, cleaning supplies, and a good case.