Sometime around 2:30 a.m. I heard the sound every parent learns to dread. My daughter was vomiting and we most definitely had a 7+ hour road trip back home ahead of us that morning. I felt the panic start to rise. I’ve never had to travel with a child sick of the stomach flu, let alone drive all day! How in the world would we survive? My brother handed us some puke bags as we left Tennessee and NOW I understand why these things are top sellers on Amazon! So what does the stomach flu and summer car kits have to do with each other?
There’s nothing worse than being on an outing with your kids, seeing an adventure you COULD have, and not having the supplies you need.
Or you’re having the time of your lives with friends and someone gets hurt, forcing you to head home early for bandages and ice packs.
There’s things like…
An unexpected creek to play in.
Hiking trails you didn’t know were there.
Kids asking to leave the park 20 minutes after you arrive because they are “bored.”
Someone (we won’t name names) getting wet when you didn’t know water even existed in this place.
Getting in the van and finding a tick.
Mud.
Hungry kids, last minute errands, and a longer than normal drive back home.
My list could go on and on. Every year around this time I start to think about what I need to stock up on and place in the back of our van. I also like to think through what worked well last summer and what was difficult. Were there any things that seemed consistently hard that I could better prepare for this year? I recently read these questions from Abbey Wedgeworth and thought they were gold.
What worked well last summer?
What are some ways I would like to enjoy my kids this summer? What are some things we’d like to enjoy together?
What is my “grab bag” of options for when we need a change of scenery?
How can I keep my kids fueled up to avoid meltdowns? (make ahead snacks or grilled chicken for easy dinners)
Who do we want to foster relationships with this summer? How can we bring others along in our fun or our rhythms for love’s sake this summer?
What are some simple rhythms or habits we can put in place to keep things from going off the rails in a more flexible season?
What is ONE way I want to equip each of my kids this summer?
I like to pack things that will help extend our outings, encourage us to adventure more, and be proactive to difficult things we might encounter while spending time outside.
So here’s my go-to list this year.
- Tic Card
- Sunscreen & Bug Spray
- Travel First Aid Kit
- Instant Ice Packs
- Snacks (that won’t melt in heat), bottled water
- Old beach towels, change of clothes or old swimsuits, water shoes
- Baby wipes (even if you’re out of this stage, these have saved us so many times)
- Puke bags
- Outdoor toys: Foldable buckets and shovel set, nets, ball, truck or cars
- Picnic blanket
- Plastic bags
- Cash (a few random times I remember encountering ice cream places that only took cash!)
How do I store it all?
We personally use these collapsable crates to throw most of the supplies in.
Busy Toddler recommends these containers and labeling them.
If you’re a pool family, definitely a bag like this that can get wet.
I like to think of this kit as a way to better love my family and others. Who knows who else might be blessed by some of the things we keep in our van (first aide supplies? instant ice packs? bug spray?) OR the joy of simply saying “yes” more to my kids because I took 15 minutes to place an Amazon order for a few things to throw in the back of our van.
Happy summer adventures,
Emily
Little Roots Co. 
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