ShareSummer Car Kit for Nannies
My school-aged nanny kiddos and I spend tons of time outside during summer break. We live in Seattle, so we’ve got to soak up the sun while we can!
As I was recently restocking the back of my car for my tenth summer nannying (what?!), I figured I’d share some of my must-haves for anyone else gearing up for some sunny adventures with their big-kid nanny charges. These are the things that make spontaneous play easier, keep everyone comfortable, and help us feel prepared for whatever summer throws our way.
Here are my 10+ car essentials that keep big kids happy, comfortable, and ready for outdoor adventures in every sunny moment.
1. The Necessities
Let’s start with the basics: sunscreen for the kids and for yourself (I’m obsessed with this fun glitter sunscreen!), baby wipes, hand sanitizer, and band-aids (including the big ones!). I also keep a substantial first-aid kit in my glove box year-round.
2. Snacks & Water
Nothing fancy here – just shelf-stable snacks that won’t melt and can tide us over until we get home. We grab things like granola bars, trail mix, applesauce pouches, and a stash of water bottles. I like having my nanny charges help me pick the snacks so I know they’re more likely to be eaten. Having a few back-up snacks in the car can make the difference between that extra, unplanned stop at the spray park to meet a friend versus having to go home and miss out!
3. Athletic Toys
My trunk is full of athletic toys, but I nanny for two particularly sporty kiddos! A soccer ball, a basketball, a couple of tennis balls, a pickleball set, a few frisbees, a kickball, and a skip-it. I don’t think my nanny kiddo believed me when I told her just how cool skip-its were when I was a kid! Michaels and thrift stores are great spots to get cheap-y toys, so nobody is devastated when and if they get lost. We’ve lost LOTS of frisbees and kickballs in trees, and life is just too short to be bummed about that!
4. Other Outdoor Toys
Bubbles and sidewalk chalk are classics for a reason and still big hits with my older crew! I love pulling out chalk for old-school games like hopscotch and four square or just for free drawing! It’s also fun to make little obstacle courses for other kids (run, hop, tip toe) or write positive, affirming messages for strangers to find.
5. Water Toys & Accessories
If kids have a chance to dip in a fountain, run through a sprinkler, or wade into the water – they’re going to take it, and I’m ready for those wet kiddos with beach towels and hand towels. We have a few fun water toys too: spray bottles (kids LOVE these + they can help us stay cool on particularly hot days) and even a mini squeegee (this has been surprisingly fun – my nanny kids LOVE squeegeeing the playground dry after a summer rainstorm and feel proud that they made the park nicer for littler buddies).
6. An Extra Outfit
I try to pull a just-too-small outfit out of my nanny family’s donation pile to keep in the car each summer. They’re not always a favorite, but they’ll do in a pinch if someone gets soaked. An old outfit is way more pleasant than a filthy outfit. Throw in hats and a few sweatshirts, too, if you’ve got the room!
7. Ziplock Bags
Oh man, I’ve learned this lesson the hard (gross) way. I really appreciate having a fresh ziplock ready for us – I use them for wet clothes, sticky/wet trash, and give them to the kids for whatever treasures they’re after that day – flowers, rocks, feathers, pieces of half-melted chalk, you name it.
8. Books to Donate
We love stopping at little free libraries, and I try to always have a few books to donate. It makes the outing feel a little more special and gives us a chance to talk about our community and reusing materials. This is also a perfect time filler if we need to burn 5 to 10 minutes in the neighborhood. Plus, sometimes we find a cool new book to enjoy ourselves!
9. Library Books
We hit the library every week to refresh the book bin in the backseat. Some of our summer adventures have long drives, and having new books keeps them engaged (and less sibling arguments when they have something to focus on other than each other!). We love listening to children’s audiobooks, too!
10. Blanket
The blanket stays in my car year round and gets tons of use: picnics, beach days, fort roof, and even as the occasional superhero cape.
It sounds like a lot, but it’s all packed into one bin (shoutout to Busy Toddler for the inspo!) in the back of my car (except for the library books, but that’s just for ease of access). This works well for me because I can easily pop it out on evenings and weekends when I’m not working and don’t want to haul all the kid accoutrements. I definitely lean toward over-packing, but it means we can stay flexible, be spontaneous, and say yes more often because we’re already prepared. Plus, I love the moments when we get to share from our stash, like when another nanny forgets a towel or needs a bandaid (believe me, I’ve been that nanny too!), and we’ve got one to spare. We’re ready for anything!
My last tip: ask your nanny kids what they want in the car for your summer adventures together! They’ll likely have some fun, surprising ideas to add to the mix.
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