First aid can be difficult to teach. Practicing 1st aid frequently is a good thing if you want them to remember what they’ve learned. Of course just reviewing it can be sooo boring to a grade school age kid.
So what to do? Maybe a 1st aid teddy bear, or monkey, or any other large stuffed animal. With a little supervision, he can take control of your gathering activity.
To begin, find your assistant. You can check the stores around the holidays for large stuffed animals…or Goodwill, Salvation Army or some other thrift store. Next, grab an extra neckerchief and hat if you would like him to be a Cub Scout the same rank as your den. Then give him a name…or let your den pick his name.
Then you need to work with your den on their 1st aid requirements. Tiger dens don’t have a lot, but Webelos dens have much more. You can find their requirements at Cub Scout 1st Aid Advancement and Electives.
I recommend starting each den with the Character Connection for Courage. This is something they will need. A young Tiger may need a lot of courage to deal with a simple band-aid. An older Webelos would likewise need a great deal of courage is he needs to treat someone for shock.
Now, using your “1st aid assistant”. Grab some old file folders, folded card stock or something similar and some twine and a hole punch. Make a hole at both corners of the folded edge. Attach a loop of twine so as to allow your folder to hang around your assistants neck. It is also helpful to “stage” some items in the room that could be used in your first aid scenario. If your scenario takes place on a hike or camp out, you may want to have your “assistant” wearing a day pack with his 10 essentials…some of those 10 essentials may come in handy treating your “injured scout”.
Next write out your first aid scenario on the front of the folder. Open the folder and write the appropriate course of action for the scenario. For example…your “assistant” has a small cut on his finger, what do you do?” The answer…let an adult know, rinse the small cut and cover it with a band-aid.
If you were working with Webelos requirements, you could add multiple scenarios. For example, your hiking with your den and come around the corner, your “assistant” is laying on the ground not moving, what do you do? The answer…go to him and ask if he’s alright. The result…he doesn’t respond, what do you do next? The answer…call for help from other members of your den and assess the situation…can you tell if he fell and hit his head or was bitten by a snake? The next page could say you find he has fallen and hit his head, he’s starting to wake up so what do you do next. You can keep adding to your scenario with treating shock, splinting an arm, bandaging a cut…
With Webelos having so many requirements for their Readyman badge, this type of training aid can be quite helpful. You can use him to initially teach the 1st aid requirements. Then once or twice a month just have him in the room as Scouts arrive. They can run through the scenario you have picked as their gathering activity. Or you could add a second “assistant” and split into teams.
What to do at Cub Scouts 