So, picture this: You’re out for an afternoon park playdate with your kids and some friends. The kids are all playing and you are chatting it up (responsibly while watching your kids) with the other moms. One of the kiddos runs over with a cut that just broke open on his leg. A few minutes later, another comes over crying after having been stung by a bee.
This is exactly what our park day looked like. Why?! Add in a few falls, a little who lost her hair tie, and someone who forgot to put on sunscreen and you have the perfect recipe for an epic park fail.
Now, I’m not saying to just never leave your house (although that’s always an option, I guess)! My point here is that these amazing humans that we are raising are extremely unpredictable and often need care when you aren’t at home.
As soon as we entered the ‘Park Playdate’ phase of childhood, I quickly realized that I would need to be prepared for a variety of situations. Of course that meant bringing the usual; extra diapers, wipes, water bottles, and snacks. But that also meant being prepared for any emergency that arose.
For us, that meant putting together an emergency first aid kit. Now, I know that I’m in the minority here. I have yet to go to a park playdate, soccer game, or cub scout event where someone else had a first aid kit. Sure, some moms carry a few Band-Aids in their purse, but do they also have Benadryl, gauze pads, Clorox wipes, sunscreen, and eye drops? Probably not.
Let me give you the background on why I decided to carry all of these things.
A few years ago, we did a family Disney trip. At the time, I had kids ranging from 1-7 years old. Before this trip, I had always carried one of those small pre-made first aid kits that you can get in the pharmacy section of your store. It had the basics; a few band-aids, alcohol wipes, and a gauze pad. It was small, but we hadn’t really needed anything more than a band-aid while out-and-about at that point, so it worked.
When planning our Disney trip, I started to think about all of the things that we might need at the parks. Of course, there is first aid available there if needed, but I really didn’t want to have to seek it out for a larger band-aid or some ointment. So, I started putting our first aid kit together.
I collected all of the basics and then planned for some more extreme scenarios. Thankfully, I only needed the band-aids and ointment for blisters at Disney. However, we have gotten some serious use out of our first aid kit ever since!
I coach 2 of my kiddo’s soccer teams and ended up needing to use our band-aids, ointment, gauze, tape, ice packs, Tylenol, and even hair ties at the games. I know the other parents were thankful that I was so prepared.
We’ve also used this first aid kit at Cub Scout events, park playdates, and even after school pick-ups. It truly has become something that we just bring everywhere. And now, whenever there is a need for a band-aid or some tissue, our friends turn to me, assuming that I have just what they are looking for!
What’s in Our First Aid Kit
Here are all of the things that I typically keep in our first aid kit. I may add or subtract a few items, depending on the weather or where we are going. However, most of these items remain in there all of the time. Let’s break it down:
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- First Aid Kit Bag (Target bag that we use)
- First Aid Kit Bag (Amazon option)
- Band-aids in various sizes
- Ointment
- Alcohol Wipes
- Gauze Pads
- Medical Tape
- Benadryl Cream
- Instant Cold Pack
- Hand Sanitizer
- Hair Ties
- Comb
- Sunscreen Stick
- Aloe
- Afterbite
- Dramamine for kids (we have one who gets car sick!)
- Advil
- Tylenol
- Midol (for the mamas!)
- Stacking Medicine Containers
- Lens Wipes
- Eye Drops
- Flossers
- Kleenex
- Wet Wipes
- Clorox Wipes
That is a lot of stuff in a little case! Do you need to include all of the same things that I did? Of course not! Think about your family and the types of items you might need in a pinch. I covered the basic medical needs and added things that I found I needed along the way (hair ties, sunscreen, and Afterbite for those soccer games).
I actually didn’t include any medicine in my kit until a mom friend needed some Tylenol and nobody had any on the soccer fields. Our first aid kit has slowly evolved overtime to meet the needs of who we are with and where we are. What do you think is important to include in yours?
Thank you so much for reading, sweet friend! As always, you can find us on Pinterest and see what we are up to on Instagram. Now that your first aid kit is set, let’s get those activity bags going for your kids! You will be prepared, wherever life takes you!
Headed to Disney anytime soon? Check out our must-haves for a perfect trip!
