Summers call out for picnics, be it the poolside or the beach. In the scorching heat, even adults act like kids and wish to bathe in the water for as long as they can. Beaches can be a little tricky for a picnic with children as the vast area makes it difficult to keep the little ones in check. This is when public poolsides and recreational water parks come to the rescue. The benefit of these water parks is that there is better security than the beach.
Here’s what you need to pack in your picnic baskets:
Food For Everyone
Pack eatables for both children and adults. Try to pack summer-friendly foods that won’t go bad sitting in the food basket for hours. Get an icebox and pack juice boxes and Popsicle. Get all your summer fresh fruits and pack them in Tupperware. Wrap up light food like sandwiches and snacks like crisps and wafers in that basket. Do not forget your water bottles and some extra ice in that icebox. You will also need to pack suitable plastic cutlery along with the food. Some plates, spoons, and cups will do the work.
Extra Articles Of Clothing.
Along with the swimming costumes, you will need to pack towels and an extra pair of clothes for everyone. Pack some tissues or tissue rolls and baby wipes to clean up their crumbly faces! Pack a big plastic or a water-resistant bag to carry all those post-swim clothes.
Summer Essentials.
Do not forget your sunscreen at any cost! Be it you or your child, everyone needs proper protection from the sun. You will not need umbrellas for your poolside chairs so that’s one item less for sure. But a good sunscreen with the proper SPF protection will be a must item to carry. If you wish to take a nice sunbath sitting in your chair, do not forget your sunglasses and hat, that way you can even take a nap while someone else watches the kids over.
Pool Requirements
Pack swim tubes or life jackets for your little ones. If any of your children is a swimming enthusiast, pack the gear he will require like goggles and stuff. Pack creams like Vaseline in case any of them experiences itch or a rash from the chlorine in the pool.
Once your picnic basket is ready, you are all set to go! But along with these essentials, you should be aware of the responsibilities that come while taking the children to the poolside. Here are some things you need to take extra care of.
First Aid Kit.
Running along the poolside can cause injuries easily. You need a first aid kit prepared in case of a cut or a wound. Pack up some band-aids in your kit. But more importantly, you should keep a firm eye on the children while they are anywhere near the poolside. Sometimes extensive injuries can result when children fall on their faces. This can even result in the breaking up of a tooth or a molar in the worst cases.
In such situations, try to stop the bleeding by placing ice over the affected area, but later on, take your child to a dental space maintainer laboratory. The space maintainer keeps enough space for the new tooth to grow, in case of a premature loss such as this.
Safety Against Drowning.
With children, drowning is the most common potential danger. Sometimes even when you are paying maximum attention to them, they slip your view and either cross the depth markers of the pool or take a dive on the wrong side. Guide your children beforehand on how water can also be a danger like fire. The more they have the sense of fear of drowning, the more cautious they will be to take an adult with them or go under one’s supervision.
No Eating While in the Pool.
Food items like a crisp or wafer or even a piece of chewing gum can cause choking if eaten while swimming. Make sure the child is only eating outside the pool premises. And even if they insist do not let them go with food in their mouths in the pool.
By taking all the safety measures and keeping in mind all the essentials to carry to your picnic, you are all set to go off on your mini summer adventure. Water parks have all sorts of fun rides so make sure to read the age limit and height limit given for each. And you should always make sure that there is a lifeguard near each pool and water ride.
