How to remove splinters from hiking child

To avoid splinters, children should
avoid running hands over wood.

Splinters seem mild, but to a kid they hurt. If a child is a third our size, a splinter only a third of an inch long would be the equivalent of shoving an inch-long piece of wood into one of our hands. Yeah, that would hurt. They also can become infected if not treated.

To avoid splinters, don’t rub against boards, wood or thorny plants in the wilderness.

Treat the splinter by disinfecting the area around the splinter without touching it. With a tweezers, grasp the splinter as close as possible to the skin and pull it out the way it went in. Squeeze the prickmark so a little fresh blood comes out to help remove any dirt or debris, then disinfect again.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.