# Kids' First Aid Kit Checklist for Home, Car and Diaper Bag

> What to put in a first aid kit for babies and kids, which medicines to ask about, and an emergency info card.

Stage: family - Topic: Safety - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/parents/kids-first-aid-kit

Grounded in: AAP HealthyChildren guidance on first aid kits and medicine safety, American Red Cross first aid kit guidance, and CDC emergency preparedness guidance for families. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice.

Reviewed: 2026-11

## TLDR

- Keep a kit up high in one known place: bandages, gauze, tape, tweezers, scissors, a thermometer and a cold pack.
- Ask your pediatrician which fever reliever and antihistamine to stock, dose by weight, and keep prescribed epinephrine or inhalers on hand.
- Add an info card with Poison Control (1-800-222-1222), your doctor's numbers and your child's weight and allergies; check the kit twice a year.

## Why bother

- With a kit in one known place, any caregiver can handle the everyday stuff (splinters, scrapes,
  a fever at 2 am) without hunting through drawers.
- Keep the kit up high and closed, since it holds medicine. Tell sitters and grandparents where
  it is.

## The basics

- Adhesive bandages in several sizes, gauze pads, a roll of gauze, and paper or cloth tape.
- Nonstick dressings and plastic wrap for burns.
- Fine-tipped tweezers (splinters and ticks), small blunt scissors, and a few safety pins.
- Disposable gloves.
- An instant cold pack, or keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer.
- Petroleum jelly, which works well for scrapes, chafing and nosebleed prevention.
- Hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion for itchy bites and rashes (check the label for
  minimum ages).
- Saline drops and a nasal bulb or aspirator.
- A digital thermometer. Rectal is most accurate under about 3 months; forehead or underarm work
  for checks in older kids.
- Oral rehydration solution packets or bottles.

## Medicines to ask about

- Fever and pain relievers for your child's age, each with its own syringe. Dose by weight from
  the package or your pediatrician; see the medicine safety guide.
- An antihistamine your pediatrician has OK'd for allergic reactions.
- Any prescribed epinephrine auto-injector or inhaler, with a spare where your child spends time.
- Leave out syrup of ipecac; it's no longer recommended.

## Information card

- Your pediatrician's office and after-hours numbers, Poison Control (1-800-222-1222), and 911.
- Your child's weight (updated), allergies, medicines and conditions.
- A second emergency contact and, for co-parents, both households' numbers.
- In multilingual families, write key phrases in the language the sitter reads best.

## Car and diaper bag versions

- A small pouch: bandages, gauze, wipes, gloves, tweezers, a cold pack, a dosing syringe, and the
  information card.
- Add sunscreen, insect repellent and a water bottle for outings.
- Don't store liquid medicine in a hot car; it can break down.

## Keeping it ready

- Check the kit twice a year, for example when clocks change. Replace expired items and update
  your child's weight.
- Restock right after you use something.
- Supplies are only half of it. An infant and child CPR and first aid class teaches the rest; see
  the choking and CPR guide.

## When to check in

- Bring your kit list to a checkup and ask what to add for your child's needs.
- Review asthma or allergy action plans at least yearly.
- If your child has a severe allergic reaction, use epinephrine if prescribed and call 911.