Ultimate Summer Car Kit Guide

Summers in the PNW are pure magic and beg to be filled with adventures in nature all day, everyday, so having a summer car kit prepped is priority number one come June. Ok, ok, if you're a fellow PNWer you're scoffing at my use of June and summer in the same sentence. The unofficial rule here is that summer doesn't come until July 4th. I call BS. I just can't wait that long. Growing up in the midwest meant Memorial Day weekend kicked off summer, so I've brought that mindset to the PNW.

Summers adventures are easy to come by in the PNW. We are blessed with incredibly easy access to nature so for us summer means days at the lake paddle boarding and kayaking, picnic lunches at the river, hikes through old growth forests, heading to the coast to tide-pool and splash in the chilly Pacific waves, and camping trips to galore. It also means city playgrounds, pool days, splash pads, bike rides, and impromptu stops by the beach where, inevitably, my kids end up covered in mud, sand, or water. Usually all three. If there is water, guaranteed my kids will end up wet head to toe--even if they're fully clothed. Thus, my need for a summer car kit. Ok, I actually call it my summer shit kit, but I'm trying to keep it classy here. 😉

Clearly our car it an adventure car. It's never clean! ;)

If you're anything like me getting out of the damn house is the hardest part of adventuring with kids. I know that if I put in the effort ONCE at the beginning of the summer to put together my summer car kit, I'm way more apt to say "YES!! Let's do that!" when the kids ask to go kayaking after lunch (and we're already halfway through lunch). So let's get that summer car kit set up now to save you time later!

First things first. You need a large container to house all the goodies. I used to use a collapsable laundry basket--fail. It eventually just stayed in the collapsed position. So now I use a clear plastic storage tote bin and it's so much better! Now to fill that baby.

Summer Car Kit Essentials

• Extra clothes for each kid--Ok, this is a no brainer. Remember to pack extra socks and undies too. On more than one occasion I've been so glad I had spare undies for the kids. Just when you think you're out of the "pooping your pants stage" but no.
• Ziplocks/plastic grocery bags/Disposable gloves-- Large Ziplocks come in handy for sandy/muddy clothes so the mess doesn't spread. Plastic grocery bags and disposable gloves are for picking up trash. I don't know about you, but my kids get PISSED when they see liter and want to clean it up.
• Baby powder--This is a helpful little hack to dust off wet sandy feet before crawling into the car. The powder absorbs the water then sand easily dusts right off. Yhatzee!
• Sand buckets and shovels--A summer staple. Period.
• Beach blanket--This one is more for momma. I like to have my own space to stretch out whether we're at the beach or at a playground.
• Regular Blanket--Impromptu picnic lunch? Chilly summer evening? Build a fort in the forest? We're covered.
• Sunscreen-- Duh duh and duh. Double up here so you don't run out mid beach day.
• Bug Spray--I'm that person who gets bit when no one else is. Ugh.
• Baby Wipes-- A million reasons for these, but mostly we use them for stickiness that is ever present with kids. Even though we are out of the diaper phase, we still use wipes regularly. Hand sanitizing wipes are helpful to have too.
• First Aid Kit--You just never know when momma will need to become a nurse. Bandaids have magical powers.
• Activity Books-- Kids can easily get overstimulated and tired doing aaaalllll the adventures during summer months. Offering a quiet activity and some downtime to give your kid a chance to recharge is so helpful. Pair downtime with a snack to avoid tired, hangry meltdowns. We like to schedule downtime on beach days in the shade. Activity books are also perfect for car time while you're en route to your adventure!

• Towels--It's nice to have towels that aren't too bulky and are quick drying. These are large enough to use as a makeshift changing room for the kids to change into their swimsuits at the beach. I've actually become a pro at this.
• Snacks--Kids are always hungry, but is it me or does hunger spike during the summer months?? Regardless, pack aaalllll the snacks. Dried fruit, pretzels, and oat bites are some of our favorites.
• Extra Swimsuits--Because who can resist any kind of water play in the summer? I should actually just make my kids go straight from pajamas to swimsuits each summer morning.
• Cash--Last summer we learned the hard way that the beach concession only takes cash. When a popsicle is calling your name, you answer. Lesson learned.
• Gallon of Water--Summer adventures require extra hydration. My kids are little sweat balls, so we're always refilling water bottles.
• Water sprayer-- Here me out on this one. Yes, this is a garden weed sprayer, BUT you don't have to fill it with weed killer. Fill it with H2O and then spray down those muddy little feet before they climb into the car.
• Hats--No matter how much sunscreen we put on, cheeks are still prone to get rosy, so we wear hats a lot.
• Reusable Tote Bag--Grab the items you need from your summer car kit and throw them in a tote bag to take on the adventure. For us, this tote bag most often turns into a beach bag.
• Lollipops--because lolli's help improve everyone's mood. Sometimes its just fun to have a little treat after a long hike!

My trunk almost always has a portable camping chair too for all the baseball games and afternoons at the lake fishing.

Ok, that's a wrap! I hope this summer car kit guide helps you save time, stress less and adventure more this summer with your fam. No need to remember or write this list down--I made a checklist for you to help you get started putting your kit together! Will you be making a summer car kit this summer?