Summer Day Packing List
Kate Reed, Co-Owner Angela Reed
I absolutely love summer! Who doesn’t? The kids are out of school, you can go outside and play and eat and enjoy the sunshine. I think I come into my own in the summer, when you can be outside and feel revived.
When you are out and about a lot, you need to ensure that you pack the right essentials though. There is nothing worse than getting you and your family out for the day when someone shouts “oh no, we forgot the suncream!” or “did anyone bring a hat?”
Let me take some of the stress out of that for you though, with my essential guide to what you need to pack in your bag during the summer months.
Picnic
After a particularly cold and wet winter (that seemed to go on forever!), I am embracing every opportunity to get outside and to eat. But there is nothing worse than getting really excited and finding that you failed to pack the most important element. Make sure you take things either in Tupperware boxes or with something to cover them. You don’t want to open the olive pot and then realise that you have no way of stopping the olive oil dripping everywhere afters. Lots of picky foods is perfect too. Strawberries are an obvious must! I am also a huge fan this year of bulgur wheat. Super easy to throw a load of veg, salad and feta in with some bulgur wheat and you can then eat it with a spoon, so that you don’t drop it everywhere.
Picnic Blankets
My kids and I hate, hate, hate scratchy picnic blankets. I therefore am rather a fan of something really soft. I would be inclined to put down the itchy, scratchy that has the plastic sheet to stop any dampness coming through, but then I pop down one of our gorgeously soft throws so it’s actually comfortable. You can lounge around then without feeling like you have things poking into you. Throw a few cushions on top of that and you can lie down, prop yourself up to watch the kids, or get yourself super comfy to read a book.
Cushions
As I said before, cushions are a must. People don’t tend to take them out in the same way that you might a blanket, but keeping a couple thrown in the boot of the car can be really helpful with all sorts of days out. You can use them on the picnic blanket, throw them on the floor to sit on or use them for sleepy children at the end of a long and fun day.
Cutting Board
Ok, this does sound like a bit of an indulgence, but have you ever taken an apple or cheese on a picnic and then had no idea how to cut them? Yes? Well, then. Grabbing an olive wood board to do lots of chopping on is perfect and they tend to fit in the tote bags too!
Bag
I am such a fan of a large Tote bag or basket. Picnic baskets are wonderful, but I never feel that I can throw my book and suncream and phone in one of those. So, ta da, here comes this season’s tote bag. You can get them in varying sizes and colours and they are perfect for the beach, the park, your friend’s garden! My top tip is always to take a couple of plastic supermarket bags – you know, the ones that you got your shopping in and keep to reuse. Then you can put dirty forks and spoons in one and all your rubbish in the other. The other must to pack is tissues! Sticky fingers and hay fever sneezes, make this the ultimate necessity for summer!!!
If you are lugging a lot of food that needs to keep cool, then you definitely need to take a cool bag as well – and of course, it needs to keep the Pimm’s cold too!
Kids get bored, but so do grown ups! Taking a bat and ball is always a good idea, or if you want something a bit less strenuous, you can take a travel chess board or other portable game that means you can stay seated but still have lots of fun.
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