Make a mini first aid tin for Father’s Day

Learn about the uses of various First-Aid items

Let’s celebrate Dad! We love to be outdoors. In the summer that means a lot of camping, hiking, biking, and scrapped knees. Dad (or mom) is always near by to help patch kids up so they can be on their merry way fighting the forest ferns quickly.

In this activity we will take a look at how you can make a simple first aid kit to fit in Dad’s briefcase or pocket that will be functional when the time comes. We will also learn why these items aid in healing – for example, why do we need bandaids? Or why should we wash wounds with those awful stinging alcohol pads?

In a way, this project is part research, part Maker, and part gift. You likely have a lot of these items in your house already. You can purchase an Altoids (or similar) tin at your local grocery store and save the mints for later instead of purchasing blank tins online. We used tins that came with our holiday tea collection.

Project Ingredients:Small tinBandAidsMedical tapeAlcohol padsRubber bands/binder clipsAllergy/pain reliever pills

How to make a small tin first aid kit for Father’s Day

This is a great activity to learn basic first aid procedures and study up on what items are in a good first aid kit, and why you should include them. You can also turn this into a survival kit by adding fishing line, a fishing hook, some flint and matches, small a mirror, etc.

Making the kit is fairly simple. Just pile things into the tin. Of course, this is a great little logic problem if the list of items you want to include grows too long. Make sure to use the space on the roof of the tin – we used this area to tape pain relievers, allergy pills, and in some of our gifts, razor blades.

Below is a breakdown of what you might want to include in the tin and why.

1. Band-aids

Bandaids are perfect for minor cuts and scrapes. They work by keeping things out of the injury. The band-aid provides protection from dirt, sharp bumps, and bacteria, which lets your body do the work of healing that much faster. A variant of the band-aid, the butterfly strip, can be used to hold larger cuts together allowing the edges to begin the healing process faster.

2. Alcohol pads

The best way to clean wounds is with mild soap and water – but when you are in the field clean water or even a bit of soap, may be very difficult to come by. If soap and clean water aren’t available nearby you will still need to clean the wound from dirt, debris, and bacteria. One way to do this on the go without adding much bulk to your first aid kit is by using alcohol pads. These burn and sting and are absolutely no fun to use – but it is a better option than an infected wound.

3. Medical tape

Medical tape is like the Jack of all Trades. It can be used to create a larger bandage for larger wounds, it can be applied to prevent chafing or blistering (for example between your thighs), and it can be used to create devices like splints. To save space in our first aid kit we wrapped a long piece of medical tape around a small piece of cardboard and put it in a tiny ziplock to keep it dry. This allows you to add in just the right amount instead of a whole roll which will take up most of your space.

4. Rubber bands or binder clips

These aren’t necessarily aimed at first aid, but rubber bands and small binder clips can come in handy if you are outdoors and in a pinch. You can use the rubber bands, especially the stronger Ranger bands, to lash gear together, waterproof an area, start a fire…the possibilities are nearly endless in terms of how you can use these in a survival setting. Just think how much easier it would be to build a shelter if you could lash sticks together quickly.

5. Pain reliever and allergy pills

These are a great addition to your tin since it allows dad to have a little medicine at their fingertips. I like to always carry pain reliever (because sometimes moms and dads get mega headaches) and allergy pills, but you might have some ideas on what you think is important to include.

6. Fishing line and hook

You can add another survivalist tilt to your Father’s day present by adding fishing line and a hook to the tin. I would coil them up and tape the tip of the hook to the top of your tin so that it is never shuffling around. You certainly don’t want to get injured looking for a band-aid!