simple summer tip :: packing a pool bag

Whether you and your crew likes to go to the pool, the park, the beach or hiking in the summer, it’s so much easier if you plan ahead of time. I’ve found that having a bag always packed and ready to go makes getting there so much easier, wherever “there” is!

The first summer we joined a pool, I found that it was always a production just getting there. And sometimes we’d avoid going just because I didn’t want the production! So now I keep a bag always packed and ready so if we want to go, even for just a little while, the kids just need to grab their suits and a water bottle and we can head out.

In my bag, I always have: towels (one per person), a coverup (one per person–I love the terry cloth robe-type of coverup for the kids. They are absorbent, keep them warm and keep the car seats dry on the ride home), goggles and some dive sticks (I also do keep a few tubes and noodles in the back of my car so those are always ready to go), a small bag with Epi-pens inside, a baggie with shampoo, conditioner, soap and a few bandaids, our pool passes (bracelets in our case), sunscreen and a hairbrush with a few hair ties.

I try to keep the things in our bag to a minimum.  This is basically what we need to have fun at the pool or beach.  I often choose to grab a quick snack to bring along and sometimes we will pack a picnic, which takes a bit of prep.  But for the most part, this bag makes our pool days easier and longer!  When we get home, the suits and towels go immediately into the wash and the towels go right back into the bag as soon as they are dry.

You can obviously change up the contents of your bag based on what your family does the most.  Are there any pool accessories you would add to my list?  Do you have a bag packed and ready to go for your favorite family activity?