What To Pack: The Necessities For A Family Day Out

Packing for yourself is hard enough, let alone when you’ve got the kids to worry about too! You do your best, only to get out onto the road and suddenly realise that you’ve left something important behind…like your wallet or the sun cream. What appears to be an almost insurmountable task can be easily defeated by something as simple as a catch-all list.

Keep one of these in your drawers with all the essentials pre-recorded. Include gear for all types of weather and environment, so you can simply adapt your list to your needs. Stick to this guide and you’ll have everyone packed and ready to go in a jiffy. No more frantic backtracks for extra nappies!

Packing For Everyone

Make sure that everyone has a high quality backpack – the last thing you need is to be your kids’ pack mule. Keep emergency supplies close to hand, so you can take control of any situation (think: bottle of water, plasters, wet wipes, snacks, and car sickness tablets…).

Army-style, pack all rucksacks with a change of underwear and clothing. You may need to layer up, due to a nasty turn in the weather, so include lightweight fleeces. A slim, waterproof raincoat doesn’t go amiss either.

Snacks are obviously a must, but avoid junk food because they can cause the kids to go loopy with sugar highs. Instead, place healthy nosh in their packs – fruit, cheese, crackers, juice, and hummus are all good options. Small packets of tissues are great for napkins and runny noses.

Depending on their age, you’ll want to pack in a few interesting toys, books, or games for the car journey. A great way to keep everyone happy is to provide everyone with a Walkman or a CD player, so they can listen to story tapes or their favourite album during the journey – no more squabbles over the radio!

Keep Gameboys or books out of the back seat if you have a child that’s easily car sick, as this can exacerbate their symptoms.

Packing Smart 

There are certain essentials that you should take with you. Trust us, you’re going to need these:

• Wet wipes are a must. Whether your children are prone to getting ice cream all over their chin or someone gets mucky hands after playing in the park, wet wipes can pretty much solve most messes. Also keep some hand sanitizer nearby for those pit-stops, when you’re far away from the nearest facilities.
• Mini first aid kits prove invaluable for accident-prone children. It could be a scraped knee here or an insect bite there… either way, always be prepared.
• Plastic bags. Who could live without them? From extra storage space to a makeshift vehicle bin, take a few with you for the journey.
• Of course, your children’s health and safety is top priority on a day out, so protect them from harmful UV rays with sun cream (very high SPF). The last thing you want is a car full of burnt kids after a lovely day out.

This post has been contributed and written by Zoe in collaboration with Knowsley Safari Park.