Basic first-aid awareness for children — how to stay calm, get help, and keep people and animals safe. Curriculum-linked, and paired with animal first-aid only PawSteps would teach together.
⚠️ Important: this is awareness, not training. The most important thing a child can do is stay calm and get an adult. Children should never put themselves in danger, never touch an injured or wild animal, and always let a trained grown-up or professional take over. Not a substitute for proper first-aid training or veterinary care.
🌟 The golden rules (people and animals)
Stay calm. Take a slow breath — like the tortoise breath. Calm helps you think, and helps a scared person or animal.
Keep safe. Never put yourself in danger. Check it's safe before you go near.
Get an adult. A grown-up you trust is the most important help you can find.
Call for help. For a person in real danger, dial 999. For a hurt animal, an adult can call a vet or the RSPCA.
🚑 Helping a person
In an emergency — the steps
Check it's safe for you to help. Don't rush into danger (roads, water, fire).
Shout for a grown-up straight away.
If it's serious, call 999 (or ask someone to). Ask for an ambulance. Say where you are and what has happened. Stay on the phone.
Stay with the person and keep them calm until help arrives.
Remember: 999 is free from any phone, even a locked one. It's never wrong to call if you think someone is in real danger.
Small injuries you might see
Cut or graze: tell an adult; it can be cleaned with water and covered with a plaster.
Nosebleed: sit down, lean forward (not back), and pinch the soft part of the nose. Tell an adult.
Small burn: put it under cool running water for a good while, and get an adult. Never put cream, butter or ice on it.
A bump on the head, or feeling faint: always tell an adult — some things need checking even if they look small.
KS1 version: keep it to two ideas — “Stay calm, and get a grown-up.” That's the whole job for the youngest children.
The recovery position (KS2 awareness)
If a grown-up is there, they may roll a person who is breathing but not awake onto their side, so they can breathe safely. Children don't need to do this themselves — but it's good to know why we do it: it keeps the airway clear.
Discuss: why might lying on your side be safer than on your back if you're poorly and asleep?
🐾 Helping an animal
If you find a hurt or wild animal
Do not touch it. A frightened or hurt animal may bite or scratch — even a gentle one. Wild animals can carry germs.
Keep back and keep calm. Give it space; don't crowd it.
Tell an adult straight away. They can decide what to do.
An adult can call for help — a vet, or the RSPCA for a wild or stray animal. They know how to help safely.
Golden rule: the kindest thing a child can do for a hurt animal is not to touch it — but to fetch a grown-up who can get the right help.
Spotting when a pet is unwell
Not eating or drinking, or hiding away.
Very quiet and still, or breathing quickly.
Limping, a wound, or being sick.
If you spot any of these, tell an adult — they can call the vet. Noticing early is a real way to help.
Keeping a pet safe in an emergency
Fireworks or a storm: help make a calm, quiet den and stay gentle — a frightened pet needs space, not fuss.
Hot weather: make sure a pet has shade and fresh water. Never leave an animal in a hot car.
Stay calm yourself: animals copy our feelings. A calm child helps a scared pet feel safer.
✍️ Activity & discussion
Role-play (in pairs): practise calling 999 — say clearly where you are and what has happened.
Make a poster: “The 4 golden rules” — stay calm, keep safe, get an adult, call for help.
Sort it: given some situations (a graze, a hurt bird in the garden, someone who won't wake up), decide together — can I help, or do I get an adult / call 999?
Discuss: why is “stay calm and get a grown-up” almost always the right first step, for both people and animals?