Ahhh summer. Doesn’t it feel good, Smarties? Time to hang up the backpacks and get those pool bags packed. Before you go swimming, make sure you don’t leave home without packing these five essentials in your pool bag.
1. Baby wipes
The most versatile and handy thing any mom can have on her at all times. Baby wipes serve a multitude of purposes and always seem to be needed when you weren’t thinking you would need them. Spilled food? No problem. Messy hands or face? Got it covered. Greasy hands from sunscreen application? Quickly handled by a baby wipe. Just throw the whole package in your bag, you’ll go through them I promise.
2. Water bottles and snacks for everyone
Swimming makes everyone hungry and dehydrated! Most pools have a snack area and adult swim is the perfect time to refuel. I usually grab something quick and easy to prep ahead of time that will also be gentle on little tummies who jump right back into the pool. Bonus is if the snacks don’t melt! We typically pack our reusable water bottles filled with ice water to try and keep everyone cool when they are out of the water. A little cooler for water bottles and snacks might be just what you need in addition to your pool bag or you might even be able to find one that fits inside of your pool bag.
3. Water-friendly bag
Having a bag that is safe to get wet makes all the difference when you’re leaving the pool. Wasting time carrying soggy towels and tired kids is the worst. Grab a bag that you can put everything in while it’s still really wet and that won’t require too much maintenance between pool trips. We are big fans of our Bogg bag but there are plenty of other awesome water friendly bags. You can also turn any bag into a water friendly bag by grabbing a sealable “wet bag” or even just a grocery bag to put wet things in for the ride home.
4.Sunscreen Applicator
You can purchase a sunscreen applicator that rolls the sunscreen on with a sponge. No messy hands and the kids can even try to do it themselves. (No promises that they won’t miss a spot) I’ve also seen a ton of moms use makeup brushes to spread sunscreen on little faces, which is truly brilliant. We have a sunscreen stick for faces that also works great. Whatever you choose just know that long gone are the days where you have to have greasy hands all day at the pool thanks to these cool sunscreen tools.
5. Lightweight Towels
Space-saving microfiber towels are quickly replacing traditional terry cloth towels on the pool decks. In lieu of lugging big, heavy, soggy towels, many moms are opting for lighter weight, faster drying towels. No one likes using a cold damp towel, so having a towel that dries in between snacks and adult swim is fabulous. Plus it leaves more room in your bag for the important things like snacks or 11 pairs of goggles. Pro tip: roll your towels and stack them on end so they take up even less space.
Smarties what are your must have pool bag essentials?
