6 Splash Pad Essentials

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

Saturday was Kris’s birthday! In honor of his birthday we took our first trip of the summer to Waldameer waterpark. This is the first week this year that every single day is forecast to be summer weather. FINALLY! Why does summer have to come so slowly and go so fast? My goal is to spend as much time out doors as I possibly can and soak in all the warmth. Like I talked about in my recent post, Trying to Wake Up, getting out the door has been difficult for me since having two kids. Being the summer lover that I am, I decided I wouldn’t let that stop me from getting my fill of sunshine. I just have to put a little more thought and planning into our excursions then I did before my babes were born.

Step one is having a splash pad essentials bag ready to go at all times. Zoey has one too… She saw it at the store the other day while we were out and reminded me that I have a beach bag, and she doesn’t. I couldn’t say no. I keep my beach bag with my kids bathing suits so when we decide to go to the beach, the waterpark or the pool – I can just grab the beach bag, slip on our suits and go.

One thing I cannot leave the house without is snacks. So I definitely have a bunch of snacks on the essentials list. Apple sauce packs, crackers and baby food packs for Zoey and Zander are really important. But one thing I realized recently is I always bring snacks for my kids when I go out, and never for myself! It would be hard to count how many times I have eaten an extra apple sauce or snacked on baby rice puffs because I needed something to munch on at the park or out shopping.

Baby food is not my go to snack of choice. So when we stopped by Krogers the other day and I saw a huge display of OREO’s I had a brilliant idea. Since OREO cookies are (without question) the best snack in the world😜, I thought, why not have a pack of those in my beach bag? That way whenever we are out and I need a snack, I can enjoy one or two cookies to tie me over till we get home! My life got even better when I started browsing and found three delicious flavors of OREO cookies. OREO Birthday Cake, Red Velvet and Cinnamon Bun were the flavors that caught my eye. They are part of Kroger’s ‘Wonder Vault‘ of OREO flavors, which will be shown in store demonstrations live at participating Kroger grocers 6/15-6/18. I thought it was a fitting name for the new line of flavors – life is definitely more wonder-filled with OREO😍.

I grabbed all three new flavors and some MILKA OREO Chocolate Bars. These chocolate candy bars will be part of the in store demo as well. Usually I am a stick-to-the-same-flavor type person, but I am glad I ventured out of my bubble to try these flavors. The level of love I feel for OREO Double Stuff cookies felt unbeatable. But seriously, I was wrong. OREO Birthday Cake flavor is… wonderful😜.

I am excited to head back soon as they now have an offer that lasts till the 20th of June, buy any three Wonder Vault OREO flavors and get a MILKA OREO Chocolate Candy Bat for free!! It doesn’t get much better than that! My beach bag is now well stocked with snacking essentials for me, not just my babies. The one down side, I now have to hide my beach bag from Kris, or my cookie supply seems to diminish a lot faster…

You don’t need a lot in your splash pad go bag essentials kit, but you do need more than just snacks. Below is my list of splash pad essentials so you can be ready to the splash pad at the drop of a hat.

6 Splash Pad Essentials

1. Sunscreen

Obviously, you can’t leave the house without kids sunscreen during the summer! I keep a sunscreen stick stocked in my purse as well just in case. It is one thing I never want to be without at the beach. In this department I also like to make sure my babies are wearing their SwimZips. They are bathing suits that help protect from the sun and keep your babies skin safe, while also being cute and stylish!

2. Water

Sunshine tends to dehydrate us, so it is best to keep a water bottle in your bag. I find this especially important for kids who often won’t tell you they are thirsty. They get distracted playing outside in the sun. Zoey is a lot more likely to drink water when she sees the bottle laying out on our towel.

3. Diapers

Can’t go anywhere without an unreasonable supply of these once you have kids! You never know when a major blowout is going to occur💩😳. Better safe than sorry in this arena. I even pack one in Zoey’s size if we have a longish drive. Sometimes when toddlers have to go, it is immediate, and there isn’t always a bathroom nearby…

4. Change of clothes

You never know when you are going to need a change of clothes for a kid. It seems that the few times I have decided I will be ok without one are the times Zoey decides to do something like run into the lake fully clothed. One thing to remember with growing kids and babies is to change your spare outfit as your child grows. I have had a few outfits sit in my bag for months and when I pull them out they no longer fit! Right now I have some spare July 4th outfits in our bag🇺🇸.

5. Toys

Entertainment is a must. Even if it is just for the drive home after the splash pad. Worn out toddlers and saying goodbye to something as fun as a splash pad can often equal sadness and tears. Having a toy in the bag can help!

6. Snacks

Like I mentioned in the beginning of my post, always bring some snacks when you go out and play in the sun. I like rice puffs and apple sauce packs for Zoey and Zander. Don’t forget something for yourself too, us moms tend to think so much of our kids, and so little of ourselves sometimes! I always feel excited when I remember I have some OREO cookies in my beach bag to snack on. I know I have a lot in my beach bag, but the serving size is no more than two OREO cookies so they last me awhile.

What are your splash pad essentials? Do you always have a go bag packed for the beach or waterpark? What is something you always forget???

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My Bathing Suit: Michael Kors | Zoey’s Swimsuit: SwimZip | Zander’s Suit: SwimZip | Stroller: EvenFlo