Little Helpers · printable class kits · ages 3–9

A first-aid class you can run yourself — for little kids

I'm Dr. Sam Reeder, an ER physician and mom of two. Little Helpers is the 35-to-55-minute class I wrote so any parent, preschool teacher, scout leader or birthday-party host can teach kids the three things that matter most: call a grown-up, find the ouchie, press and stay.

Get the complete set — $29 Try a free mission first ↓

Two class kits + a family board game · instant PDF download · print at home · runs on teddy bears, sponges and a cardboard phone

Written by an ER doctor Sources: Red Cross, CDC, National 911 Program Reviewed Sept 2026

The whole class in one chant

"Call a grown-up! Look and see!
Gloves or cloth between blood and me!
Find the spot, press and stay!
No peeking till help's on the way!"

Optional. The class works even if nobody memorizes a word.

Free printable · ages 3–5 · 2 minutes

Try the Two-Minute Helper Mission first

One page, one grown-up, one child, one teddy. It's the heart of the Level 1 class in the smallest possible dose, so you can see whether your kid is ready before you buy anything.

  1. Get help + call. Shout for a grown-up, point to them, then tap 9-1-1 on the paper phone and say what happened and where.
  2. Help Teddy. Tie a red ribbon on as the pretend ouchie, find it with your eyes, hold a clean cloth on it while your grown-up counts to ten.
Download the free page ↓ No email, no checkout. Print at 100%.

Why teach a four-year-old first aid?

Not so they can fix anything. So they know what to do when a grown-up isn't looking.

In the ER I meet a lot of kids who were the only one in the room when something went wrong — a sibling fell, grandpa got dizzy, a friend cut a finger. The ones who did well weren't the ones who knew the most. They were the ones who went and got an adult, and could say where and what.

That's a teachable skill at three. Holding a clean cloth on a teddy bear's "ouchie" without peeking is teachable at three. Knowing a phone dials 9-1-1 only when no grown-up can help is teachable at three. Little Helpers turns those into a silly, hands-on class kids ask to do again.

📣

Call for help

Shout for a trusted adult, point, and say what happened and where. Then, and only then, a giant cardboard 9-1-1 phone.

🧸

Find the ouchie

Every child gets a teddy bear with a red ribbon hidden somewhere. Eyes only. Tell an adult what you found.

🩹

Press and stay

A sponge demo shows why pressure works, then it's cloth on the bear, hands still, no peeking till help arrives.

What a class actually looks like

One adult lead (a helper is nice), 8–12 kids, a living-room floor or a classroom rug.

You print the kit, gather teddy bears and a few dollar-store supplies, and follow a minute-by-minute plan. Kids rotate through games: an adult-helper scavenger hunt, a pretend-phone drill, a supply hunt where they name each tool, a teddy-bear rescue, and a triangle-sling "costume" game. Everyone leaves with a certificate and a family page so the practice keeps going at home.

The safety promise the class is built on:

Two levels, one skill ladder

Level 1 is the foundation. Level 2 adds checking a scene, giving a real 9-1-1 report and choosing the right help.

Level 1 · ages 3–5

First Aid Lab

A silly, hands-on class about calling for help, finding an ouchie, and learning when and how to hold pressure safely.

35-minute class 16-page PDF 8–12 kids

The class plan

  • 0–4 minWelcome + practice shouting for a trusted adult
  • 4–10 minFind the adult helper, then the giant pretend-phone game
  • 10–17 minFirst-aid supply scavenger hunt: name each tool
  • 17–28 minTeddy-bear rescue: call, ask, find the ribbon, press and stay
  • 28–32 minTriangle-sling costume game
  • 32–35 minShow-me exit + certificate

Printables included

  • Teacher guide + scripts
  • Tool cards
  • Scenario cards (banana peel, sleepy robot…)
  • Adult-helper card
  • Family practice page
  • Certificate
  • 10-minute bonus round
  • Source notes for adults
Level 2 · ages 6–9

First Aid Missions

Five stations. Check a scene, give a clear 9-1-1 report, hold pressure, choose the right tool, cool a pretend burn, complete a team rescue.

55-minute class 20-page PDF Pairs + teams

The class plan

  • 0–5 minWelcome + safety: name hazards and trusted adults
  • 5–13 minMission 1 · Check the scene and the person
  • 13–22 minMission 2 · The dispatcher challenge
  • 22–33 minMission 3 · Pressure, with a 30-second timer
  • 33–43 minMission 4 · Choose the right help (scrape vs. heavy bleed vs. burn)
  • 43–51 minMission 5 · Team rescue theater
  • 51–55 minTeach-back + certificate

Printables included

  • Instructor guide + station prep
  • Giant practice phone
  • Tool hunt cards
  • 8 scenario cards (hot pan, wobbly arm…)
  • My dispatcher report
  • Mission passport
  • Family practice page
  • Certificate of Brave Helping

New · family game night

Keep it going at home: The Little Helpers Quest

A cooperative printable board game for ages 3–9. Two to six players, 20 to 30 minutes, and everyone wins together.

The class teaches the habits. The game is how they stick. Print the board and cards, use a coin as the team token, spin 1-2-3, and travel twenty spaces to FINISH. Every space is a mission: land on ADULT and show how you'd call a grown-up; PHONE and tell a pretend dispatcher your address; TOOLS and go find the gauze; TEDDY and hold a cloth on the sponge for ten slow counts; SAFE and spot the puddle before you walk into it.

Nobody loses and nobody is tested. Acting, pointing or speaking all count, so a three-year-old and an eight-year-old can play the same game. The team wins when it reaches FINISH holding one badge of each colour.

Ages 3–9 2–6 players 20–30 minutes 9-page PDF

Your turn

  1. Spin or draw 1, 2 or 3 and move the team token along the path.
  2. Draw a card in the colour of the space and read it aloud. Try the challenge.
  3. Collect that badge if the team doesn't have it yet. Return the card to the bottom of its pile.

Grown-up tip from the guide: play it again whenever your family changes address or caregivers, so the "where are you?" card stays current.

Five badges, five habits

Four challenge cards behind each one.

  • ADULTAsk for a trusted adult first. Say what you saw.
  • PHONEPractice 9-1-1 on a pretend phone: where you are, what happened, stay on the line.
  • TOOLSRecognise the bandage, gauze, gloves and triangle cloth. A grown-up handles real wounds.
  • TEDDYSpot the red ribbon without moving Teddy. Steady pressure, no peeking.
  • SAFENotice the slippery floor, hot drink or mystery bottle before going closer.

In the PDF

  • 20-space mission map
  • 20 challenge cards
  • 5 badge tokens + team token
  • 1-2-3 spinner
  • Grown-up guide
  • Print at 100%

Get the kits

One-time payment. Instant download. Print as many copies as your own class or family needs.

Level 1

First Aid Lab · ages 3–5

$19

35-minute class · 16 pages

  • Teacher guide + class plan
  • Scenario + tool cards
  • Family page + certificate
Buy Level 1
Best value · save $18

Complete set

Both levels + the Quest game

$29

Two classes + game night · 45 pages

  • Everything in Level 1
  • Everything in Level 2
  • The Little Helpers Quest game
Buy the complete set

Level 2

First Aid Missions · ages 6–9

$19

55-minute class · 20 pages

  • Instructor guide + 5 stations
  • Dispatcher report + passport
  • Family page + certificate
Buy Level 2

The Quest game

Family game night · ages 3–9

$9

20–30 minutes · 9 pages

  • Board + 20 challenge cards
  • Badges, token + spinner
  • Grown-up guide
Buy the game

Secure checkout by Stripe. After paying you land on a download page — bookmark it, the link keeps working. For one household, classroom, troop or party; please don't redistribute the files. Questions? DM @adventureswithdrmom.

Questions parents ask me

Is this a first-aid certification?

No. It's an awareness class. Kids learn to call for help, notice, and hold pressure on a prop. Adults follow their own training and emergency plan for real injuries. Certification courses for older kids and adults are offered by the Red Cross and others.

What do I need to buy?

Mostly what you already own: a teddy bear per child or team, red ribbon or yarn, clean cloths or gauze, adhesive bandages, a rolled bandage, two dry sponges, a big triangle of cloth, cardboard for the phone, and optional unused gloves. The kits list everything and the printables come in the PDF.

Can I run it at a preschool, co-op, troop or party?

Yes. That's exactly who it's for. One lead adult plus a helper works best for 8–12 children. For bigger groups, split into two sessions or run Level 2's stations in rotation.

My kid is 5½. Which level?

Start with Level 1. Level 2 assumes the "call, find, press" habit is already there and asks kids to report on breathing and location, which lands better from about six. The bundle covers both so you can move up when they're ready.

Do I need the class to play the game?

No. The Quest stands on its own as a family game night, and its five badges are the same five habits the classes teach. If you do run a class, send the game home afterwards; it's the easiest way to keep the practice going without another lesson.

What comes after first aid?

Mini Medical School: six body-science missions (heart, bones and real X-rays, germs, the brain, thinking like an ER doctor, ultrasound with real scans). Two are free, and the Everything bundle there includes these Little Helpers kits.

How do I get the files?

Right after checkout you're sent to a download page with your PDFs. Bookmark it; the link stays valid. If anything goes wrong, DM me on Instagram with your receipt and I'll sort it out.