First Aid Kits for Athletic Kids

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By Christine Climer

From football to soccer to ballet and cheerleading, this fall sees little athletes of all sorts returning to practice. Athletics are a fantastic way for children to get some much-needed exercise, to learn teamwork and to develop discipline — but on occasion, injuries do happen.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, every year more than 3.5 million children under 15 years of age experience sports-related injuries that are severe enough to require treatment at a doctor’s office or hospital.

Although we may not be able to roll our kids up in bubble wrap to keep those injuries from happening, we can minimize the complications and help them to a speedy recovery by having the proper first aid supplies on hand.

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Parents’ motto: Be prepared

First aid kits that you find in stores may be fine for certain things, but they often don’t have the supplies you might need to care for a child’s athletic injury. And they almost never contain the natural supplies you might desire. By contrast, you can easily and inexpensively create your own first aid kit from components specifically selected to meet your family’s needs.

Start out with a water-resistant container such as an insulated lunch bag or storage bin — something big enough to hold all of your supplies. No kit should ever be without a first aid manual, so make sure this is the first item you add to yours.

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On an index card, make your emergency contact list including names and telephone numbers for key family members, family doctors and dentists, as well as health insurance information.

Finally, select supplies keeping in mind the types of injuries likely to happen with your child’s sport. Here are a few suggestions:

• 2 pair latex gloves
• CPR mask with one-way valve
• Instant ice packs
• Red washcloth
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Sewing kit
• Safety pins
• Rubber bands
• Cotton balls
• Sterile eyewash
• Sling or triangular piece of fabric
• Emergency blanket
• Sun block
• Lip balm
• Elastic compression bandage
• Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors for splinting
• 3/4″ fabric bandage tape
• 2” cloth athletic tape and under wrap
• Assorted bandages
• Butterfly closures
• 2”x2” and 4”x4” gauze pads
• Thick trauma/ABD pads
• Hydrocolloid or gel dressings
• Moisture barrier such as Tegaderm™
• Lidocaine spray/wash
• Oral anesthetic gel or liquid
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Betadine®
• Antibiotic ointment
• Tea tree oil
• Vitamin E oil
• Herbal salves
• Aloe vera
• Hydrocortisone or diphenhydramine cream
• Black tea bags for skin problems and bleeding
• Arnica gel
• China-Gel®
• Epsom salts
• Lavender essential oil
• Peppermint tea
• Rescue Remedy
• Electrolyte rehydration powder/solution
• Emergen-C packets
• Diphenhydramine
• Ibuprofen
• Bioflavonoids

Resources
The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook [0316736465]
Natural First Aid [1580171478]
FastAct Pocket First Aid Guide [0966993306]
Mountain Rose Herbs

© Christine Climer

Christine Climer is a registered nurse with experience in pulmonary disease, pediatrics, home health and hospice services. Also trained in early childhood education, she specializes in the promotion of early childhood health. She lives with her husband and three children (including a set of twins) in Texas and enjoys researching health issues and gardening.