7 Essentials for Summer Fun on the Run with Kids
Prepare the perfect grab and go carry-all bag with these 7 essential tips to have summer fun when you are on the run with kids. Whether you are just out and about or heading to the park or beach these are items you never want to leave home without.
This post is sponsored by Horizon Organic Snacks
This fall the twins start kindergarden. I can’t believe it! Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday they were little peanuts in my arms. Now they are almost 5 and about to head off to kindergarden.
Thankfully I prepped them and myself this past school year with pre-k. It was only a few hours a day but they absolutely loved it. Eden cried the last week of school because she didn’t want to leave. I’ll have to remind her of that when she is in high school.
They love making new friends and are very sociable kiddos. Whether we are at the park, beach or camp they make new friends wherever they go.
Keeping them engaged with fun activities this summer is important to me. I want them to learn with new experiences. I have created a “Summer Fun” bucket list of things I want to do with the kids this summer that will create memories that will last a lifetime. It’s sometimes the little things in life like a day at the beach, a picnic at the pool or a walk in the woods that create adventures for kids and help them to explore and learn. My kids are full of questions and always want to learn about new things they come across. A great way to introduce more to them is about taking them out and about to learn even more.
Whether we are heading to our camp which is about an hour away from where we live or just heading to the park around the corner I love to be prepared with some key essentials like hand wipes, sunscreen and snacks like Horizon Organic.
Horizon Organic has a variety of yummy snacks like Organic Cheese Sandwich Crackers and Snack Grahams that kiddos (and mom’s) love. They are perfect to have at home, school or on the go. Sometimes I’ll put the snacks in little individual snack bags or I’ll just grab the entire box of snacks to have on hand.
So what else do I carry when I’m on the go with my kiddos? I have a carry-all bag from Thirty-One that I use to carry all my goodies in. I usually keep it stocked with certain essentials and just replenish it when needed. It makes it a lot easier when I’m trying to get out the door with two anxious kids to make sure I have everything. On this day I shot these photos was literally a last minute idea to go to the beach. I have learned once I tell my kids what we are doing they are literally attached to my leg until we are ready to leave. To make my life easier I have a bag almost ready to go. Within 5 minutes I was ready to head out the door with everything I needed with have a essentials bag already to go. All I needed to do was throw a few extra things on hand from my list and I was out the door. Here is a list of my 7 Essentials to have on hand for fun on the run with kids this summer.
7 ESSENTIALS FOR SUMMER FUN ON THE RUN WITH KIDS
SNACKS
It never fails as soon as we get in the car and not even to the end of our street the kids start asking for something to eat. I encourage my family to live a healthy lifestyle so I always like to have fruit like apples, bananas and oranges on hand along with a variety of Horizon Organic Snacks. If I have berries, I’ll cut them up and bring them along as well and put them in little cups for the kids to eat if they get hungry. Of course drinks like bottled water and Horizon Organic milk boxes are always ready to go. I just grab these out of the refrigerator and pop them in my bag when I’m heading out the door.
SUNSCREEN + BUG SPRAY
Sunscreen and bug spray is a must item. Even if I think we might be going elsewhere, plans can change last minute and knowing I have my kids protected if we are outdoors is essential.
TOWELS, WIPES + BLANKET
Even if we aren’t heading to the pool or beach towels are essential because the last thing you want to happen is to have wet kids and nothing to dry them off with. Unfortunately I have learned this lesson from experience. Antibacterial wipes and even small hand towels are good to have to clean dirty hands and faces. Why just enjoy snacks in the car? Take a moment and stop along the way and eat outdoors. Keep a large blanket folded in the car for an impromptu picnic. Keep a roll of paper towels on hand because with kids, you never know what you’ll need.
CHANGE OF CLOTHES + ZIP LOCK BAGS
Just like being armed with a couple towels, having a change of clothes is another must-have in my book. Whether it’s ice cream all over a shirt or muddy shorts I have a change of clothes for each of my kiddos in a zip lock bag. A couple large zip lock bags come in handy, especially if you are near water.
GAMES
My kids are usually entertained with a DVD while we are driving down the road but when we stop or just in case it’s needed I stash other things in my bag like crayons, coloring and activity books, plain sheets of paper and reading books in my essentials bag to have. You just never know when you’ll need it. Since the car can get hot in the summer I usually keep the crayons in a zip lock baggy in case the crayons get hot and start to melt. Yes I learned the hard way before with melted crayons in a car so now I put them in a plastic bag and usually at the bottom of the bag as well. I also like to carry fun items the kids will like to play with if we stop like bubbles because what is summer fun without bubbles, right? Beach toys like buckets and toys to play in the sand are also essential if you live near a beach or have a local playground with a sandbox. Other easy items kids love to have are jump ropes, some chalk and even a ball or two to play with. I also ask my kids if there is anything they want to bring because you don’t want to forget their “favorite” toy that is probably buried beneath a ton of other toys.
FIRST AID
Cuts and bruises are just part of being a kid. A little bump on the head, a scrap to the knees…it happens. Have a little first aid kit on hand whether in a essentials bag or even kept in the car for when little boo boo’s happen.
CAMERA
Summer will be gone before we know it. Don’t forget to capture these moments with your kids. Even if it’s with your camera phone, click a few pictures of your kids playing while out and about. Come winter you’ll look back at these pictures and wish it was summer again!
What are some of your essential items that you don’t leave home without when on the run with kids?
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This conversation is sponsored by Horizon. The opinions and text are all mine.