Pre-Packed Bags for Family Outings

Taking kids out of the house is a lot like planning a military operation. You have to make sure you have all the right gear, you have to think ahead and plan for all eventualities, and figure out the most efficient way to manage any movement. And inevitably, in the madness of trying to get everyone out the door without screaming, you leave something behind and your perfect plan goes out the window.

Am I right? 

I am terrible about forgetting stuff when I leave the house. I think I left my packed lunch sitting by the front door 4 or 5 times this past school year. But one thing that has helped me worry less and be better prepared when we go on outings and errands is pre-packed bags. There are lots of ways you can use this strategy, so I wanted to share some ideas with you today!

I use pre-packed bags for those outings that 1) require a good amount of specific items, and 2) are things we do regularly but not every day. Obviously every family has different things that fit into that category, but for me that includes a beach/ pool bag, and a church bag. The idea is to have everything you need for that outing already packed in a bag so that you can just grab and go rather than rushing around the house reciting your packing list over and over, trying to find everything. 

For the beach/ pool bag, I have:

• sunscreen
• pool passes
• beach towels
• swimmies
• plastic bags (for wet clothes etc)

In my church bag, I have:

• snacks / mints
• coloring supplies
• quiet activities

Depending on what you do as a family, you might have a fishing / hiking bag, soccer / ballet / music lesson bag, or... you get the idea. Whatever the outing is, pre-stock your bag with items that stay in that bag rather than taking them out to use for other things, even if that means having to buy double (I have a separate sunscreen bottle that stays in my beach bag, and one for regular use). 

The bag you put everything in is important too! I actually use my old diaper bag as my beach bag now, because it has waterproof, insulated pockets and cleans off easily, plus I can wear it as a backpack. Perfect for the beach ;) 

I love being able to just grab and go for those regular outings rather than hunting around and packing a bag every single time! Do you have any bags pre-packed for certain family outings? What do you keep in them? Tell me about yours in the comments below!

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