7 Tips for Successful Summer Outings with the Kids

Well, it’s official. Summertime is almost here! I have 3 kids at home so summertime is always a lot of fun, even though it can get hectic. Full disclosure, I have a teenager, a pre-teen and a toddler, so basically I am that exhausted mom you see running from place to place no matter the time of year, but summertime seems exceptionally so. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a set schedule like we do during the school year, or maybe it’s just the buzz and the excitement of the sun shining and the kids being on break, but the fact remains that although I love it when my children are home, I do feel like I am in a constant fog during the summertime. Not this year though! This year I am more prepared than ever and I am ready to take on and rock this summer vacation!

In order to make summertime fun, I know that we need to have days out of the house every once in a while, which is great, but those are the days that I always found most stressful. During the busy school year I have started to follow a checklist to keep our busy days feeling a little less so and I know that these will help us get through the summer as well. If you want to keep your summer days a little less stressful and a little more fun, I have put together a list of 7 tips Tips for Successful Summer Outings with the Kids that are know are going to help:

1. Plan your destinations. You don’t want to just go wandering, that’s a waste of time, gas and money. Why not plan out the places you are going to stop and map your route ahead of time? No need to go from one side of town to the other (I plan my playtime the same way I plan my shopping trips...no wasted trips for me!)
2. Invite friends. Now, don’t get me wrong. I know my kids LOVE hanging out with their mom all the time, but I have found that some of our best days are days where we extended a welcome to a friend or friends and invited them along.
3. Pack a lunch. If I have learned anything about being a parent over the last 14 years it is that kids are ALWAYS hungry at the worst times! Be sure to pack a lunch and some snacks to beat off the boredom snacking and the dreaded drive through purchases. Plus, you can get the kids in on this too by having them pack and carry their own lunches! Check out this adorable lunch bags that we have that would be perfect for a summertime adventure, all of which are lightly insulated and can be hand-carried or slung over the shoulder with the adjustable nylon strap:
   • vinyl duck lunch bag
   • vinyl frog lunch bag
   • vinyl ladybug lunch bag
   • vinyl penguin lunch bag
4. Try someplace new. Sure the same old park is always nice, but wouldn’t it be nice to check out someplace new this time around? I think so! I recently drove by two parks in my little town, the two parks were less than a half mile from each other, but both of the parks had completely different playground equipment. That means two different park trips with two different kinds of fun!
5. Check out kids summertime programs. Did you know about all of the super cheap and even free summertime kids programs that are out there to take advantage of? Here are some of my favorites:
   • Kids Bowl Free (2 free games of bowling for kids everyday during the summer)
   • Regal Movie Express (Just $1 to go to the movies?!)
   • Summer Reading Programs (check out your local library for info on these awesome programs)
6. Bring your stuff with you. If you are anything like us, you just never know how long your adventures will last! Make sure you bring all of your stuff along for the ride with you. Yes, we already talked about lunches, but I’m talking about all the other stuff like sunscreen, extra clothes (you never know when you might drive by a splash pad), baby supplies, water bottles, hand sanitizers, towels, etc. One of my favorite parts of my kids getting bigger is that they can bring along their own stuff! I actually keep this stuff packed up in the car most of the time. I don’t like to use their school bags or my bags though (I hate having to switch stuff out all the time), so I have bags dedicated for this exact thing. If you want to do the same and you are looking for some new bags to use for just this reason, I’m loving these super cute vinyl pull along bags for my little kids. They are fun, they match the adorable lunch bags I told you about earlier and they can hold a decent amount of stuff too!
   • vinyl duck pull-along backpack
   • vinyl frog pull-along backpack
   • vinyl ladybug pull-along backpack
   • vinyl penguin pull-along backpack
7. Be spontaneous. Yes, I did say that a schedule has helped us keep summertime less hectic, but I’m not afraid to be spontaneous. If you drive by a park or some other place that looks interesting, stop and visit! These are some of our favorite times!