5 Must-Haves for Great Outdoor Play Days
Thank you CLIF Kid for sponsoring this post. Be sure to check out the new CLIF Kid Zbar Filled and encourage your kids to get outside and play!
Fall may be coming, but we’re still over here soaking up the last weeks of summer sun! The cooler months in the area where we live can be rather harsh. As a result, we like to spend as much time as possible playing outside while we still can. It’s not uncommon for us to pack a bag and head out to the playground or park for quite a while. To keep things as easy and safe as possible during our play-days, I have some essentials I like to bring along each time. Read on to see my family’s 5 must-haves for great outdoor pay!
Need more info on my disclosures? That page is right here!
1. PACK IT UP
We love to pack a small but sturdy backpack with all our must-haves for the boys before we head out to play. Small bags make sure that we don’t pack TOO much- chronic over-packer, right here! By choosing a smaller bag, I also can encourage one of the boys to carry it themselves, which helps teach a bit of self-sufficiency… Always a good thing in my book!
2. HYDRATE
Even as the weather turns cooler, we are always careful to pack a bottle of water for each of the boys during outdoor play. Playing hard and long can cause sweating, regardless of fall or summer weather, so it’s important to have water available for kids. My husband and I remind them frequently to take water breaks, so having bottles on hand makes it easier for us to stay outside and keep playtime going.
3. REFUEL
Moms of young kids, especially moms of boys, will totally understand that packing snacks is probably the MOST important thing I put into our backpack before heading out for some serious playtime! My boys are always hungry, and that hunger just intensifies when they’ve been running, climbing, and jumping hard.
Trying to find nutritious snacks that are easy to grab and that my picky kids will love has proven to be a challenge for us. Things in the snack department were a bit hit and miss for a while, until we discovered the CLIF Kid Organic ZBars filled with nut butters. They’re made with wholesome ingredients (non-GMO, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors, and organic ingredients) which means I don’t worry about giving them to my boys. And luckily, they taste great, with fun flavors like apple with almond butter, double peanut butter, and chocolate with peanut butter. (Big surprise, chocolate filled with peanut butter is the current favorite with my kiddos! Can you see their messy faces in our playtime photos?!)
Some days we’ll throw a pouch of applesauce or a baggie of trail mix in the backpack as well, but without fail- my kiddos will ALWAYS choose the CLIF Kid Organic ZBars when they’re available. The bars are the perfect choice to a quick snack to refuel during a day of fun outside playtime! A quick bar-break and my kiddos will quickly return to their play time with messy faces and TONS of energy!
4. STAY SHADY
Year round, but especially in the summer, we’re very proactive about protecting our boys from the sun during outside play time. I’m always careful to add sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen to the backpack before we head out. I also make sure to apply sunscreen at home shortly before we get going, so that it has a little time to kick in before we play in the sunshine. In cooler weather, a light jacket or hoodie adds a layer of sun protection as well as warmth, so it’s a great option to throw in the pack as well.
5. BUG OFF
There’s nothing I hate more than itchy bug bites, so you’ll always find some sort of bug repellant in our play bag as well. Because we live in upstate NY where ticks are fairly prevalent, we’ve also taken to keeping a small make-shift ‘tick kit’ in the pack. We have a small lint roller to roll the boys clothes down after hikes and play time and tweezers to remove any ticks we find. We have some index cards, markers, and transparent tape to record when and where we found each tick. Whenever I think about it, I also throw some taller socks in the pack, to keep ticks off of naked ankles during hikes!
Need Some Snack Time Inspiration For Your Play? CLIF Kid has you covered!
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What Are Your Family’s Must Haves For A Great Day Filled With Outdoor Play?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
babiestobookworms
These sound delicious. I love that tick kit idea! I will have to create one of those for us!
Kate
My oldest got a tick bite once before, so he’s very cautious about them! He likes the reassurance of having the kit with him, haha.