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There are only a few more weeks of school for us and so I’m getting ready for pool season! Yay! I love to go to the pool with the kids, get some well needed vitamin D, read a good book, and spend quality time with the kids.
Whether you are headed to the city pool, the beach, a splash pad, or your own backyard sprinklers, there are a few must haves for your pool bag.
1. Sunscreen. Duh, right!? The last thing you want for you or your kids is a sunburn. Who wants to mess with skin cancer, not to mention the whining that will be going on all night long. Sunburns are dangerous. Make sure this is the FIRST thing you think about on your way outdoors this summer.
2. Towels. These seem to always be the last thing I think about on the way out the door. I can’t even tell you how often we’ve gone to the pool without towels. I love to keep a few sports towels in my bag because they are small and can stay in my bag without taking up too much room. We only use them for emergencies.
3. Drinking Water and Snacks. My kids always get thirsty while swimming. I always make sure to remind them to not drink the pool water. Ewe! It makes me sick just thinking about them drinking that water. They need to stay hydrated in the hot weather so bring along some sports bottles or bottled water. I love to use this misting water bottle to keep me cool while I sit in the sun for a while. The kids always work up an appetite swimming. I always bring snack foods that won’t spoil or melt. Things like Goldfish Crackers, Fruit Snacks, saltine crackers, graham crackers, apples, carrots, etc. I just always make sure my bag stays in the shade. Either under a tree, or under the chair we have our stuff on. And to make sure our snacks don’t get squished in the bag, I use these brilliant BlenderBottle GoStak containers. 
4. Plastic bags. I love having plastic bags to put wet clothes in. Sometimes we head to the store after the pool and so my kids change into regular clothes after swimming. You’ll want some plastic “wet bags” to put their swimming suits in. I usually use gallon size zip lock bags or the real wet bags used in diaper bags.
5. Sunglasses. This is a must have for me. I even wear them in the pool when I’m playing with the kids. If I don’t, I get a really bad headache. It’s important to protect your eyes from the sun too!
6. Razor and Shaving Gel. I am busy and never have time to shave when I’m in the shower at home. There is always a kid yelling my name at the bathroom door. So while we rinse off in the locker room shower before going to the pool, I take a second to shave. The little ones stay in the shower with me and it only takes a second. So always keep a covered razor and shave gel in your pool bag.
7. Extra Swim Diapers. This is a no brainer. Just make sure you have some extra swim diapers for accidents. Even if your toddler is potty trained, I would put a swim diaper on him until he’s about 5 years old. Just in case. There is nothing more embarrassing than your kid having an accident in the pool. It’s no good. No one wants that. I have never had any problems with Huggies Little Swimmers. They are the best swim diapers I have tried.
8. Pool Toys and Floaties/Life Jackets. Toys are particularly helpful for the child that get’s left behind. In our family that’s my 11 year old son. He’s too “annoying” to hang out with the older kids, and he’s to old to hang out with my 5 year old, so he needs something to entertain himself. We usually bring one of his friends along to the pool when we go. The floaties and life jackets are super important for the non swimmers. Don’t leave those behind. My son’s favorite floaties are the Puddle Jumpers. I feel like they help him learn to swim because they help him learn to lean forward and use his arms to swim. I love how it fits him securely and I never worry about them slipping off. I also love how I can just clip them onto one of the straps on my bag. (See image below.)
9. eBooks or Books. I do not condone any mother leaving their small children unattended at the pool. PLEASE don’t leave it up to the life guards to make sure your kids are safe. But if you are a mom with all older children that can swim, or are sitting and waiting for swim lessons, a book is always nice to have.
10. Money and Pool Passes. I always keep a little cash in the diaper bag for buying something cold at the snack shack. The money and the pool passes stay in the zipped pocket inside the bag. That way nothing super important falls out when the kids come digging through the bag. Our pool passes have a hole for keys, so I used a key holder to attach them to the zipper inside our bag for easy access.
So now that I’ve shared with you what’s in my swim bag, what’s in yours that I didn’t mention? Let me know what I forgot in a comment below. Have fun swimming with the kids! Get out there and make some memories!
Hi my name is raelene English my 4 kids are going swimming after the school holiday I want to know what they need to take they need a bag for wet clothes any bag will do just wanted to know what bag should they take