Everybody needs to get out of the house once in a while, especially families with young children. For parents, there are few better ways to unwind with the whole family. For children, playing outside gives them a sense of freedom and a positive outlet for their energy.
Getting outdoors with the whole family is always a good time; unless mom or dad forgot to pack something important!
There are always times when taking the whole family outside isn’t avoidable. Whether it is a family reunion, the 4th of July, or just a beautiful Saturday afternoon, getting the whole family outside is a rewarding experience.
Packing for the outdoors is often tough. As a parent, you never really know what to bring. Packing light is a plus, but forgetting something important is an even bigger minus. Follow this checklist to make sure that nothing important slips your mind next time you take your family on an outdoor adventure.
- Extra clothes – Extra clothing is very important when you have small children. Conditions outdoors can change quickly, even becoming hazardous at times. Packing extra clothing, especially for young children, can even be life-saving at times.
- Medicine – This item is the most forgotten thing for parents who are packing for the outdoors. Some medical conditions can become life threatening quickly, and you don’t want to be caught without medication. Children with asthma, diabetes, or severe allergies should never be at home without their rescue medications.
- Water – Always pack water, not juice, for your children when you take them outdoors for an extended period of time. Juice does little to quench thirst in the hot sun, and being in the sun can dehydrate children extremely quickly. Water is an essential, and should never be compromised for the sake of packing lighter.
- Food – Food is another item that could literally save someone’s life. Packing for the outdoors is never complete until you have something that your children can eat in the case of emergency. Even if you are going to a barbecue, you should still pack some food for your children in case of emergency. Calories are the body’s form of energy, so the body cannot go without them.
- Sunscreen – Another commonly left behind item is sunscreen. The sun is a beautiful thing. It can sustain all of the life on our planet, but that doesn’t mean it can’t harm us. Sun damage on skin can lead to cancer, so forgetting sun screen is kind of a big deal. Too much sun light absorbed into your skin can also leave you feeling physically ill; a condition known as sun poisoning. This can happen very quickly to a child with extremely sensitive skin, and it should not be taken lightly. Sun poisoning can be deadly for small children. And remember, just because the sun is hidden behind a few clouds, does not mean that it isn’t dangerous. Sometimes the moisture in the clouds can magnify the potency of the sun’s rays!
Travis Newville
Breckenridge, Michigan