Theme Park Preparedness

The kids had their school day at Kennywood Park today. It was rainy...it was cool...we ate much more junk food than normal (Kennywood does have some good new healthy choices---we had great watermelon and salads; it's still hard to resist those potato patch fries though)...the kids loved it!
With five children, I have learned that it really pays off for me to spend a few minutes to think about and pack a bag (filled with things we may or may not need) for the day.
I think of it as my Mary Poppins Bag, because it seems that I can reach in and pull out almost anything we need for almost any situation.
I bring:

• a small first aid kit with water-proof Band-Aids - not just for cuts---good to have for blisters from park-walking, etc.
• anti-bacterial hand wipes - which I used today to wipe off tables and hands, to wipe a little bit of "ride grease" off of my daughter's leg, and to hold on my youngest son's lip, which he bit on the jack rabbit ride (poor baby).
• small bottles of water - water's healthy, and it's good to have some of your own to save time and money on drink stops.
• sunscreen
• lip balm
• sugarless gum - can satisfy a sweet tooth, and has way fewer calories than a funnel cake!!!
• little two-way radios - we have four that can all work on the same channel, which is great to keep in touch quickly when the group splits off for a bit.
• socks - how nice not to have to walk around with wet feet after water rides!
• cameras - I took our little Flip---which I love--to get some video, and a small digital camera.
• a little notebook and pen - how many times do you run into an old friend and have nothing to use to jot down their contact info?
• cash in small bills - to make paying for games faster and easier. Decide on an amount you want to spend, get that amount in $1 bills, and when it's gone, no more games.
• some business cards - you just never know who you might run into.
• umbrellas that fold up to only about 7 inches - wow were those great to have today! I got mine at Target---bright yellow, which made it easy to keep an eye on everybody.

I am able to fit all of this in a medium sized zippered tote bag that is made of durable, water-resistant fabric and has comfortable shoulder straps. It has a zippered pocket inside where I keep my keys and cell phone. It also has a little coin purse that hooks onto a loop inside, so it's easy to find. I still have room in the bag to load in small stuffed animals and other park souvenirs.
After you get a bag like this set up, it's easy to maintain. I keep mine stocked most of the time, so that I can grab it and go to soccer or baseball games, too (I add snacks if we're going to a game). You can of course customize your bag to fit your family's needs. I hope this list will help to get you started.
j.