Are you stumped about what to pack for an outing with kids? This post is for you!
This post has been a long time coming. I’ve had a post about what to pack for an outing with kids high on my list of post ideas since I started Sara in Season in the Fall of 2023. But since then, my list of what to pack for an outing with kids has been in flux. You see, the items you need to pack for an outing with kids are extremely dependent on the ages of your kids. Now that I’ve had two kids (as opposed to babies or toddlers) for a while, I finally feel like I’ve got the essential outing items down.
Here at the start of the Spring season feels like the right time to share this list too. We’ve all been cooped up with our kids for far too long – the time is right for as many outings as you can handle! Get out of the house! Your mental health and your children’s behavior will thank you.
Set the stage
Before I get into the specific items I recommend you have with you when you go on an outing, I want to set the stage a bit first.
- This list will cover what to pack for an outing with kids. I’m talking about kids who are at least 3/3.5 and who are fully potty trained. Basically, this list does not apply to outings with babies and toddlers. They are a whole different ball game.
- The items I’m recommending that you pack for an outing with kids are for your average outing. Specific activities often require specific things, so use this list as a starting point, not a be-all, end-all. Going to be outside for long periods of time? Sunscreen would be an obvious addition to this list.
- Despite having taken and passed Pack Mule 101 (a pre-requisite for motherhood), I strive to use these skills as little as possible. I’m almost 40. My back can’t handle carting around the kitchen sink. I’ve done a lot of work to figure out just what we need on an average outing – nothing more, nothing less. All of this stuff easily fits in your average “mom bag.” The one I use and love is the Vera Bradley Small Banbury Backpack. The blue color I have is no longer available, but they do continue to carry it in black and lots of cute patterns.
OK, with that out of the way, let’s dive in. Here is what to pack for an outing with kids.
What to Pack for an Outing with Kids
Water
They say that the biggest difference between our generation and our kids’ generation is technology. I beg to differ. It’s actually hydration.
I don’t know about you, but I hardly ever drank water as a kid. Maybe if it was especially sweaty P.E. class in Florida in September I would take a sip from the water fountain. Otherwise, I saved my beverage consumption for meal times. My kids couldn’t be more different. They carry their water bottles around with them everywhere they go. These stainless steel objects have become equal parts hydration vessels and emotional support items. Which means water bottles are essential items to pack for an outing with kids.
The reason is twofold. First, you want your kids to have water if they become thirsty. We all appreciate good kidney function, supple skin, and the absence of whining. Second (and maybe more important), you don’t want to deal with the meltdowns that will invariably ensue if your kid realizes he does not have his precious water bottle. I’ve experienced said meltdown enough now. Water bottles are something I never forget.
Snacks
The next thing I never forget to pack for an outing with kids is snacks. My mother-in-law has nicknamed me the Snack Queen, and for good reason. I always have snacks. And not just one snack. No. You need a variety of snacks. And if you have multiple children, you should pack enough of each snack option so that every child can have the same snack. This is crucial! When one child selects a snack, it starts a domino effect of every other child wanting the same exact snack. Know this going in and save yourself a whole lot of headache.
Why are snacks so important, you ask? I have found that most of the time, I can solve bad behavior when we are out and about with a snack. When we as a species get hungry, we become a**holes. It must be evolutionary. Don’t fight the biology, just prepare. Have lots of snacks at the ready.
Favorite snacks
Of course, I can’t suggest you bring snacks and not give you recommendations for my family’s favorite snacks to pack for an outing. I choose individually wrapped options that are easy to shove in a bag and shelf stable at room temperature. This mama isn’t going to carry around a cooler.
Goldfish
Peanut butter crackers
Crunchables
Raisins
Fig bars
Fruit leather buttons
Lara bars
Meat sticks
Yoggies
Veggie straws
Wipes
Don’t ditch the wipes when you ditch the diapers! We continue to go through wipes even now that the diaper days are long gone. They are great for wiping faces and hands, tables and benches, or even acting as tissues (you’ll notice tissues aren’t on my list because wipes pull double duty). If you’re worried about the room that a full pack of wipes might take up in your bag, look for the travel packs. You’ll pay a price premium, but you’ll have more room in your bag for those all-important snacks.
Sanitizer
Children of all ages touch everything. Especially the things you don’t want them to touch. It is for this reason that you can’t leave hand sanitizer off your list of what to pack for an outing with kids.
Although you probably already know that you need to pack hand sanitizer, I want to specifically advocate for hand sanitizer spray when you have kids in tow. It’s much more likely for the kids to actually get the spray on their hands (the gel tends to slide off), it’s way less mess, and it’s fun for kids to use the spray nozzle. My top hand sanitizer spray is the grapefruit & lemon scented hand sanitizer spray from Trader Joe’s. I stock up on this stuff!
Pull-Up
I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I did say that this was a list specifically for kids who are potty trained. But you should still pack a Pull-Up if you have a younger kid.
Why? I love to have one just in case nature calls and we are nowhere near a bathroom. This is especially true for my daughter. My son can more easily pee outside of a bathroom, but if my daughter needs to squat it makes an unholy mess. Rather than deal with pee-soaked everything, just have the kid throw on your emergency Pull-Up. She can take care of her business in the Pull-Up and then return to dry clothes. Just toss the Pull-Up in a Ziploc (more on that later) and then throw the whole bundle in a trash can when you find one. I’m not a hack type of mom, but this is one I can get behind.
Aquaphor
I have been Aquaphor’s biggest fan for as long as I can remember. My devotion to this product only increased after I had kids. It’s perfect for chapped lips, irritated tushies, cuts and scrapes, and minor burns. Because this product is such a workhorse, I never go anywhere without it, kids or no kids. I keep a mini tube in my bag at all times. I highly recommend that you do too.
Band-Aids
Band-Aids are another product that I carried around with me before I had kids that has only become more necessary now that I have two small humans with me everywhere I go. My advice when it comes to packing Band-Aids though is to only pack the plain ones. If you bring fun ones, you will invariably bring the wrong ones. Don’t let a Band-Aid turn into a meltdown while you’re out and about having fun!
Hair ties
If you have a child with long hair, make sure you have a few extra hair ties with you when you pack for an outing with kids. There is nothing worse than having hair in your face when you don’t want it there. Your kid feels the same way.
Ziplocs
Ziploc bags can be an absolute life saver. They have so many potential uses, you can always find a reason to use one when you go on an outing with your kids. Use a Ziploc to quarantine dirty items like used emergency Pull-Ups or special treasures dropped in the mud. A Ziploc also comes in handy when your kid just has to have that muffin and proceeds to eat only two bites. Seriously, I can always find a reason to use a Ziploc, so I always pack them.
Small toys
I debated whether to include small toys on my list of items to pack for an outing with kids. Depending on what the outing is, we often don’t need to have things to keep our kids occupied. But sometimes, we are very glad we have a small toy for each kid. If you want to avoid boredom-related meltdowns and you can spare the small amount of bag space for a matchbox car or two, I highly recommend throwing them in your bag. They can be real life savers in the car, at a restaurant, or when Mom is trying to have a grown-up conversation at places like the mechanic or the doctor. Better safe than sorry, in my opinion!
Other posts
Looking for more modern motherhood tips? I’ve got lots where this post came from:
I hope you’re feeling more secure about what to pack for an outing with kids now. What did I miss that you bring with you every time? Let us know down in the comments or over on Instagram @sarainseason!