How to Make Easy Cub Scout First Aid Kits

Are your Webelos working on the First Responder adventure? Learn how to make a mini Cub Scout first aid kit with ideas for 3 different containers.

Having a basic first aid kit is one of the ways that our Cub Scouts can Be Prepared. The Scouts can make their own mini first aid kits using one of three types of containers.

This blog post was sponsored by CPR Wrap®, but as always, the opinions are all mine. 

The required Webelos First Responder adventure helps Cub Scouts learn quite a bit about first aid. It includes information about minor first aid situations such as cuts, blisters, and tick bites as well as major “hurry cases” such as heart attacks, not breathing, and strokes.

While they're learning these things, the Scouts also need to put together a simple Cub Scout first aid kit. This post will give you ideas for making a mini first aid kit using one of three different types of containers.

Webelos Required Adventure First Responder Requirement 6: Put together a simple home first-aid kit. Explain what you included and how to use each item correctly.

What are Hurry First Aid Cases?

We all know that things like minor cuts and scratches, blisters on our feet, and sprained ankles need to be treated, but they aren't life-threatening. But some medical conditions are.

For these, a person could quickly die if not treated properly right away. We call these the “hurry cases.” They are:

• Serious Bleeding
• Heart Attack or Sudden Cardiac Arrest
• Stopped Breathing
• Stroke
• Poisoning

Note: Did you know that heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest aren't the same? I didn't. The American Heart Association describes the difference this way:

“A heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked, and sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly. A heart attack is a ‘circulation' problem and sudden cardiac arrest is an ‘electrical' problem.”

American Heart Association

So what do our Cub Scouts do if they encounter one of these hurry cases?

First of all, they need to remember the Three Cs.

The Three Cs for Hurry First Aid Cases

I'm paraphrasing this from the Webelos Handbook.

CHECK: Make sure the area is safe for YOU. If you get hurt, you won't be much help to the person in trouble. Next, check the victim to find out what's wrong. Are they breathing? Are they moving? Tap the victim's arm and ask if they're OK. Can they respond?

CALL: Call 911. If there are people around, you can call out for help. If there aren't many people around and no one has access to a phone, send someone to get help.

CARE: Take care of the victim to the best of your ability until help arrives. Some of the ways we treat emergency situations requires special training, but there are things you can do as you wait for help to arrive. 

We won't go into detail about how to respond to each of the hurry cases. Your Scouts can find more information in the First Responder section of their handbooks.

A great resource to include in your mini first aid kits are these Hurry Case Reminder Cards. One side of the card explains the Three Cs, and the other side has details for a specific hurry case. There is a total of five cards–one for each hurry case. 

Print these onto the front and back of business card paper, snap them apart, and give each Scout a set. You'll get two sets from each piece of paper. You can also print these on plain copy paper and cut them out.

Download the Hurry Case First Aid Cards

Generously provided by CPR Wrap®, the cards are a great way to help Scouts (and their parents) remember what to do in an emergency.

CPR Wraps are an excellent addition to your home or pack first aid kits! You can order these directly from CPR Wrap®.

How to Make Cub Scout First Aid Kits

Below you'll find the steps to make your first aid kits. If you would like to print these out, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Pick Out Container

First, pick out your container. There are so many options that you can use for your mini first aid kit. You can make them out of everything from duct tape to ziploc bags to film canisters.

For this post, I decided to use an Altoid tin that I had washed, a travel soap dish, and a soft-sided eyeglasses case. 

Gather Supplies

Gather your supplies. Here are the items that I used:

• Adhesive bandages
• Butterfly bandages
• Individual packages of antibacterial cream
• Non-latex gloves
• Gauze pads
• Medical tape
• Individually packaged antibacterial wipes

Your Cub Scout first aid kit contents could also include items such as: 

• Moleskin
• Alcohol wipes
• Safety pins
• Pain relievers

Label Container

Start by having the Scouts put some small strips of red duct tape in the shape of a cross on their container like I did for the Altoid tin and the soap dish. Then have them write “First Aid” on the tape with the Sharpie.

If you don't have duct tape, the Scouts can just write the words directly onto their container like I did on the eyeglasses case.

Add Supplies to Container

Next, have the Scouts fold up their gloves and wrap a long strip of medical tape around the folded gloves.

Put the printable first aid cards in the bottom of the container, then place the gloves on top of them. Have the Scouts put the rest of the supplies in their container to complete their mini first aid kit. 

And that's it! Your Cub Scouts now have their own mini first aid kit to take along on hikes or campouts.

Has your pack made mini first aid kits? What did you put in them? What kind of container did you use?

Yours in Scouting,
Sherry