The Household LeadCheck kit comes with two swabs. If the tip turns color, it’s a positive test for lead. You can buy the Household LeadCheck kits at Menards for around $4. Some hardware stores also carry them and you might check your paint stores.
You can also get kits for $13-$25 at these links.
http://www.createyourhealthyhome.com/lea...
http://www.leadinspector.com
You might also want to test your child's hair. Kits are available for this.
One caveat. If there are layers of paint and only an inner layer has lead, you will get a false negative. You can get some expensive equipment to get around this, but this is a reason to pay attention to recalls instead of your own tests. Professional testing is better than these kits.

RAPID TEST PROCEDURE

Use this procedure to quickly test dry painted surfaces/paint chips, pottery/ceramic ware, mini-blinds, plumbing/lead pipe/solder, electronic assemblies, bathtub glazes, toys, toy cars, furniture, food can seams, antiques, ceramic tile and other surfaces for lead.

1. Clean the area of any dust or dirt.
2. Insert a swab into the Indicator Vial.
3. Gently rub the surface to be tested with the cotton swab tip for about 30 to 60 seconds. If the surface or swab tip changes color, lead is present.

SPECIAL TEST PROCEDURE (Patented Leach Method)

Use this procedure to quantify the approximate lead release in pottery/ceramic ware, multi-layered paint or paint chips, mini-blinds, toys, children's jewelry, Mexican candies, make up and candle wicks. You can test almost anything with this method.

Wash, rinse and dry the item you wish to test
Fill the item with white vinegar (or immerse the item/sample in vinegar). Allow to stand for a minimum 4 hours.
Test resulting vinegar with Indicator Solution supplied in the kit.
Compare color produced to the chart supplied with the kit.
Dust, Dirt, Play Sand, Garden Soil
To test the approximate lead release in garden/lawn soil, dust, dirt, play sand and renovation/construction dust:

Place a small sample of soil or dust in a lead-free container (plastic or glass will do). To collect a dust sample, simply moisten a swab tip with warm tap water and rub on dust to collect a representative sample. To collect a soil sample, scrape off about 1/8 to ¼ inch of the surface layer and mix well.
Add some white vinegar to cover the sample. Allow to stand for a minimum of 4 hours.
Test vinegar solution with Indicator Solution.
Compare color produced to the chart supplied with the kit.
Thick Paint with Multiple Layers
Take a small paint chip (or scrape off a sample from an inconspicuous place) and allow to sit in vinegar for 4 hours. The vinegar (mild acid) will penetrate the inner & outer layers and dissolve lead, if any. Then simply test as noted above. Complete instructions for this procedure and others are included in the kit.

LEAD IN WATER

Get a good sample of potable water by allowing tap water to sit in the plumbing pipes overnite or over the weekend (this will give you the "worst case scenario" for dissolved lead in your water supply). Test a small sample of the water by adding Indicator Solution. The lower detectable limit (sensitivity) of the kit is 1 ppm (part per million) lead which is above most current guidelines of 10 to 50 ppb lead in water. This test will alert users to high levels of lead in potable water that will require immediate action!