I’m often told that I am prepared when it comes to the kids. I have extra mitts in the bag, or a snack on hand, or Bandaids, (you get the idea). I can’t help but laugh a little when I’m told this because I consider myself a very unorganized person in many ways.
Getting to school early? Who does that?
Showing up at a party and bringing the book I had borrowed from the hostess? No way. It’s still sitting at the front door.
I aspire to have more organization, but it’s not always the case.
I can say, however, that I have learned a few tricks when it comes to making my life easier with the kids. That makes it seem like I’m organized, but it’s just as much about survival as anything.
Be prepared when heading out with the kids
Heading out to do errands? Trying to get to the Museum? Once you pack the kids up in the car, we don’t want to have to stop a bunch of times when we don’t have to. We always make sure that they all go to the bathroom before we leave, right?
But the other thing I always ensure is that I bring snacks with me. And yes, this means even when I’m driving across town for quick errands because what if?!
There is nothing worse than getting stuck in traffic, or wanting to make a random park stop and the kids whining that they are hungry. There’s always the choice to grab something at a drive thru right? But that isn’t realistic all the time. Those snacks are full of sugar (or salt) and aren’t filling or won’t satisfy them long enough if we are out longer than expected.
Kid-Friendly Snacks to Pack in the Car
Not sure what to pack up? Here are 5 car friendly snacks (just remember safety! Be sure the kids are old enough to be snacking in the car and that snacks are ok for on the go. I avoid grapes for example. Otherwise, it’s worth pulling over or snacking at the museum food area, a park and so on if handing the snacks over in the car doesn’t seem right.)
1- Hard boiled eggs
Portable protein that packs a punch! I love hard boiled eggs and it’s easy to keep them in the fridge ready to go. My kids used to more than now but they are still good to have for me. Put them in a container and an ice pack in the lunch bag and off you go.
2- Banana or other fruit
It comes in it’s own case! Bananas can be filling enough to get them home, but sometimes just grabbing an apple or pre-cut berries in a container can come in handy too.
3- Crackers
Dry crackers are easy to vacuum up after being dropped all over the car. Pick something easy and pack them in separate containers per kid. It’s smart to bring the whole bag, but when they are in the back fighting over the bag, you’ll be happy to have brought a container.
4- Bagel
With or without cream cheese (each of my kids eat them differently) bagels are tasty and feel more filling than a few crackers. If you do use cream cheese through in a simple cooler pack if you are going to be out for a while.
5- Rice Cake and Peanut Butter (or pretend Peanut Butter)
We’ve often used WOW! Butter when out and about so that I don’t worry about leaving peanut butter in our wake when in public areas. But spread over a rice cake (a tip learned from my friend Amanda) makes for a healthy snack or lunch item. Peanut Butter works too of course!
Need a drink? Bring water always. Refillable water bottles for each of the kids when heading out are a must, because nothing is worse than a thirsty kid when you just need to make one more stop! Plus, they don’t need juice or milk. If they are thirsty, they will happily drink the water.
Plus, if you bake muffins or homemade snacks, those can be easily packed up, but sometimes, we don’t have those on hand!
Any easy-to-pack snacks that you grab when heading out the door?
