What to Pack for a Park Play Date

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SummerSkinReady #ChooseSkinHealth #CollectiveBias

You’ve lined up a play date for your children at a local park and you’re so excited to get your children out of the house and meet other moms in the area. Right after you’ve patted yourself on the back for a job well done, the anxiety of “what will I talk about, what will I wear, and what do I bring” all begins to set in. Don’t worry, Mom. If you’re wondering what to pack for a park play date, you’re in the right spot!

What to Pack for a Park Play Date

Camera. You never know what’s going to happen and what cute or funny things your children will pull off while at a play date. Bring your camera along to get some great shots of the action. And even if you have a very mild-mannered child, you can never have too many photos of your kid, right?

Bug Repellent. I live in Texas and the bugs are bad, y’all. I’m assuming wherever you live, you have bugs too. Bring a bug repellent to help keep the bugs away. I like using a citronella oil, but feel free to use whatever you like.

Snacks. When my kids are hungry, they get hangry. (In case you didn’t know, hangry = hungry + angry.) Heck, I get hangry. Bring some easy snacks so you and the kids are fun to be around. Think fresh fruit or prepackaged snacks that won’t melt or get broken. Remember, no one wants to be around grouchy friends.

Drinks. Fill up the water bottles and stay hydrated while at the park. I like using insulated water bottles so that our water stays cold and refreshing while we’re playing at the park.

Sunscreen. You don’t want to remember all the fun you had at your park play date by the sunburn you came home with, right? You want to remember it because of all the fun you had. Lather up with sunscreen before you leave, and bring extra just in case you’re out for too long. I picked up the Neutrogena Sheer Zinc™ while at Target and I love that it offers superior UVA/UVB sun protection that is effective, yet gentle on even sensitive skin. It also features breakthrough Purescreen® technology powered by naturally-sourced, 100% zinc oxide. Sweating a lot? No problem. It’s sweat and water resistant for 80 minutes! That’s over an hour of fun on full blast without stopping to reapply. (See the end of the post for a special GiftCard offer!)

Picnic Blanket. This is mainly for you, Mom. Sometimes parks get crowded and tables and seating are at a minimum. Bring your own picnic blanket so you can find your own shaded paradise under a tree while the children play.

Sunglasses. When the sun’s out, my sunglasses are on. I like my kids to where them too, but when they’re playing they usually take them off. Since you only have one set of eyes, it’s important that you protect them from the sun.

Toys. This could be anything your children enjoying playing with at a park. Think soft balls, kite, water guns, etc. Really anything that allows your child to play with other children at the park.

Change of Clothes. Accidents happen, Mom. Make sure to bring a complete change of clothes, just in case. Even if you have older children like mine, a change of clothes comes in handy so that sweat and dirt doesn’t get on your vehicle seats.

My kids are older and homeschooled, so we do lots of park days so that they can mingle with other homschooled children in the area. Even though they’re older, I still find that the same rules apply when it comes to what to pack for a park play date. The only difference is I don’t have to worry about diapers and sippy cups!

Special Limited Time Offer

From May 21st – May 27th, when you purchase $15 in sun care at Target, either online or in-store, you’ll earn a $5 Target GiftCard with your purchase! Now is the perfect time to stock up on all your sun care needs before summer gets here!