What To Pack For A Family Day at the Pool

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Most of my fondest summer memories as a kid involve long days spent at the town pool. I wasn’t a camp kid (too structured, ha! Go figure.) so I spent a lot of my days running around the pool and I LOVED IT. Being in LA, we’re lucky enough to get pool days year round at friends pools and our local pool, plus on vacations and at families’ houses too. It’s kinda a whole different ball game doing a pool day as a parent though! Lots more gear and planning involved… but so worth it!

With summer on the horizon, I put together a list of all the gear, snacks, entertainment and clothing we pack for a day at the pool in partnership with ALDI. They have a huge selection of summer goods and allll the yummy (and healthy!) snacks at the most amazing prices. So if you’re looking for a one stop shop to hit before your next trip, hit them up. Keep reading for our full list!

Pool Gear

The exact pool you’re headed to will dictate a lot of the gear you bring, but here’s a general list we find we need most of the time!

Towels – These oversized towels for two from ALDI ($14.99, available starting 6/5!) are AWESOME to have on hand because they’re big enough to use for a picnic on the grass, too, so you don’t have to pack extra blankets or sheets!
Beach Bag – Something big enough to fit as much of your gear as possible
Cooler (optional) – I forgo one if I can, but if you’re headed out with a big group on a long day, you may choose to bring one!
Water Resistant Clutch, Tote or Bag – For storing wet clothes in after the pool!
First Aid Kit (Or Clutch) – Bandaids, alcohol wipes, gauze… you hope you don’t need it but you’ll be grateful to have it if you do!

Sun Protection + Outfit Changes

Without a doubt, the most important part of a pool trip… sun protection! And the second most crucial: outfit changes! We usually wear our swimsuit under an outfit or cover-up and then tote everything else with us. Here’s a quick list of what we bring:

Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Hats (for everyone!)
Rash Guard for Arlo
Extra Swim Diaper(s)
Change of Clothes (for each person! Underwear included!!)
Regular Diapers + Wipes

Pool Snacks To Pack

I have a couple rules for snacks by the pool: they can’t be too messy or too perishable, and ideally they’re as healthy as possible since lunch and ice cream are usually involved somewhere! 😉 Here’s a few things we love to bring with us, all of which can be found at ALDI! I am always so impressed by their selection of organic produce, and the prices!!! The Simply Nature brand also has so many great non-GMO or organic options for snacks.

Organic Fruits – Berries, Oranges, Grapes, Apples
Veggies – Grape Tomatoes, Baby Carrots, Cucumber Slices
Protein or Granola Bars
Trail Mix
Cheese Puffs
Veggie Chips
Freeze Dried Fruit
Napkins or Wet Wipes
Hand Sanitizer (for before each snack!)

As far as packing them goes, if they come in an already re-sealable bag, I’ll leave it in that. If not, I’ll portion out things into reusable containers to take with us. Nobody wants an open bag of cheese puffs spilling in their tote bag! For anything that I’d like to stay cold, I pop it in a zip bag with an ice pack. Plus, I always bring an extra zip bag to use for trash, especially if any of my snacks are individually wrapped (like those snack bars) or have peels (like the oranges!).

Lastly, I’ll bring a water bottle or cup for each of us. These colorful glasses come with a lid and straw and are super summery and fun!!

Pool Toys and Entertainment

I bring a few pool toys and activities with me for Arlo, since he’s the busiest kid around.

Pool Floats – Always a hit! Both the donut and the popsicle ones below are from ALDI and a literal fraction of the price of other ones I’ve seen!!! $4.99!! And look how cute they are!! Arlo’s currently obsessed with all things dessert (oops) so he’s thrilled that these are now a part of the fam.
Paint Brush – Stole this from my Mom! She always brought one to our town pool so I could “paint” the ground with water. I LOVED it.
Cups – Arlo could pour water in and out of cups all. day. long.
Small Toys or Dive Toys – Arlo loves to hide toys in said plastic cups as he’s pouring them, or just tossing them in the pool for one of us to dive in and retrieve. 😉
Small Ball or Beach Ball – No explanation needed!