Body & wellness activity
Boo-Boo Basics: First Aid Kit Build
Build a Boo-Boo Kit in a shoebox together. Learn what's inside and practice using each piece on a stuffed animal 'patient'.
Materials and setup
- shoebox + craft supplies (Pre-K)
- first-aid supplies per kit tier
- doll or stuffed animal for drills
- binder or notebook (Upper Elem field manual)
Parent note
First-aid education is a high-leverage skill — kids who know what to do in an emergency stay calmer and help more. But rehearsal matters: drills on dolls are critical because real injuries produce panic that erases textbook knowledge. Keep the kit accessible, not locked. Upper Elem field manual + emergency plan are strong portfolio artifacts. Consider real Red Cross certification for ages 9–10 — it's a resume-worthy credential that also fulfills Ohio's explicit first-aid requirement.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Build a Boo-Boo Kit in a shoebox together. Learn what's inside and practice using each piece on a stuffed animal 'patient'.
Steps
- Decorate a shoebox with a big red cross. Call it the Boo-Boo Kit.
- Fill with: bandages (kid-favorite characters help), gauze pads, medical tape, a cold pack, tweezers, hand sanitizer, a small flashlight, a tiny notebook + pencil.
- Name each item together. Practice: put a bandage on a stuffie's leg. Hold a gauze pad on a pretend cut. Tape a bandage.
- Rule: the Boo-Boo Kit is only opened with a grown-up.
- Finish with a song: 'I take care of my body, and I take care of YOUR body too!'
Learning objectives
- Name 5 first-aid items and their purpose
- Apply a bandage correctly to a stuffed-animal patient
- Follow the rule: adult-supervised only
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Learn the R-I-C-E rule for bumps and sprains, and practice bandaging a scraped knee, paper cut, and bumped head.
Steps
- Meet RICE: REST (stop playing), ICE (cold pack, 10 min on / 10 off), COMPRESSION (gentle bandage pressure), ELEVATION (raise the hurt part above the heart).
- Scrape-knee drill: rinse with water, pat dry with clean gauze, apply bandage. Practice on a doll with red marker 'blood' that wipes off.
- Paper-cut drill: rinse, press with tissue to stop bleeding, apply small bandage.
- Bump-head drill: cold pack for 10 min. Parent watches for dizziness or unusual sleepiness. Tell a grown-up immediately if head hit hard.
- Build a 'When to Call a Grown-up' poster: (1) won't stop bleeding, (2) hit head hard, (3) bug bite swelling, (4) anything scary.
Learning objectives
- Follow the RICE steps in the correct order
- Perform 3 basic first-aid drills on a doll
- Identify 4 situations requiring an adult
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Build a full 15-item family first-aid kit, learn to handle 6 common injuries, and take a practical 'Junior First Aider' test.
Steps
- Build the kit (15 items): assorted bandages, sterile gauze pads, roll gauze, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, scissors, thermometer, cold packs, elastic wrap (ACE), disposable gloves, first-aid tape, small flashlight, emergency contact card.
- Learn to treat 6 common injuries: small cut (rinse → pressure → antibiotic → bandage), scrape (rinse → clean → bandage), burn (cool running water 10+ min, NO ice/butter, cover loose), nosebleed (lean forward, pinch soft part 10 min, don't swallow), splinter (clean tweezers + rinse after), bug sting (remove stinger if visible by scraping, cold pack, watch for swelling).
- Learn 3 red-flag symptoms that need an ADULT immediately: heavy bleeding that soaks bandage, burn larger than child's palm, any head injury with confusion/vomiting/passing out.
- Take a parent-administered practical test: parent describes 6 scenarios, child demonstrates response on a doll or shows items used.
- Earn a 'Junior First Aider' certificate. Sign and date it.
- Review kit monthly. Replace anything used. Check expiration dates on ointment and antiseptic.
- Extension: design a smaller travel kit (6 items) for a backpack.
Learning objectives
- Build and label a 15-item first-aid kit
- Demonstrate correct treatment for 6 common injuries
- Recognize 3 red-flag symptoms requiring adult escalation
- Maintain a kit over time (check, replace, log)
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Take a full American Red Cross / pediatric first-aid-equivalent curriculum at home. Cover 15 injury types, pass written + practical tests, design a household emergency plan.
Steps
- Study 15 injury/illness categories: cuts & bleeding, burns (1st/2nd/3rd), sprains, fractures (recognition, splinting), head injuries, nosebleeds, insect stings + allergic reactions, animal bites, hypothermia/frostbite, heat exhaustion/heatstroke, choking (conscious adult/child, see bw-072), seizures (safety positioning), asthma attack, diabetic emergencies, fainting.
- For each: recognize signs, first actions, what to tell the adult/911, what NOT to do.
- Write a First Aid Field Manual for your family (10–15 pages) with one page per injury type.
- Household emergency plan: map your home's exits, meeting spot, where the fire extinguisher / first-aid kit / flashlight / water / emergency contacts are. Post the plan on the fridge.
- Emergency contact card: 911, poison control (1-800-222-1222 US), parents' cell, 2 trusted neighbors, pediatrician, veterinarian (if pets). Memorize parents' cells.
- Take a written test (parent makes 20 questions from your field manual). Score 18/20 to pass.
- Take a practical test: parent role-plays 5 injuries, child responds correctly in order.
- Extension 1: enroll in an in-person American Red Cross Basic First Aid for Children course (ages 8+ eligible for some). Real certification.
- Extension 2: research how first aid differs in different settings — wilderness, disaster, mass-casualty.
Learning objectives
- Correctly handle 15 injury/illness categories with appropriate first-actions and escalation
- Author a 10+ page family first-aid field manual
- Design and post a household emergency plan
- Pass a 20-question written test and a 5-scenario practical test
- Memorize parent phone numbers and emergency numbers
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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