8 Kid-Friendly Summer VACATION Organization Tips

Summer is in full swing. The kids are on summer vacation, the pool is open, and the weather is perfect for tons of outdoor activities. 

If you’re feeling like summer snuck up on you and you weren’t prepared, never fear! There is still time for you to organize your home to make your kids’ summer a blast and keeping you sane in the process. 

Below are our V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N tips for getting the kids organized this summer. 

Vacation-Ready Resource

This organization tip takes the most planning but will be worth it. Your vacation-ready list should be a resource for everything you might need this summer, like babysitter lists, trip planning, pool opening and closing checklists, and summer reading lists. 

It doesn’t matter how you compile this resource. You can have a physical binder or notebook, or you can use an app like Evernote so you can access it anywhere you are. 

Having this resource ready to go will mean you’ll never scramble for a babysitter’s contact information, won’t forget a step when opening your pool, and will have an activity for the kids at the drop of a hat.

At-the-Ready Caddy

Having an at-the-ready caddy near the back door or on your back patio will save you the headache of running around trying to find certain items. 

Pick a caddy that lets plenty of air circulate through and one that you can put labels on. Have drawers or dividers for sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, WetOnes, and anything else you might need outside. Having these items ready to go right by the door will help your kids get ready faster so they can have maximum time outside.

Car Kit

A similar idea to your at-the-ready caddy, this kit should be packed with everything you might need for your favorite family activity. If your family loves going to the neighborhood pool, pack it with sunscreen, towels, goggles, sunglasses, and fresh bathing suits. 

The trick to having a car kit is knowing what items are okay to sit in the car for a while and which are not. Also, you’ll have to remember to put fresh clothes and towels back into the car kit once you’ve used them. 

Anticipate Boredom

Inevitably, your kids will get bored this summer. Imagine situations where they’ve reached their max television time and it’s raining outside. 

To combat the moans of “I’m boreddddd,” have a list of activities you can do when the kids are bored. It should include different games, 30 minutes of reading from their summer reading lists, going to the museum, and whatever else is in your area. 

And, luckily, you’ve got the perfect place to store this list - your Vacation-Ready resource!

Towels at the Ready

I’m not just talking pool towels here. While having a fresh stack of clean pool towels by the back door and in your car are extremely helpful, you should also have grungier towels on hand. 

Having several towels you don’t mind getting extra dirty from cleaning off muddy feet and dogs will save you a huge headache. When your stack is all gone, throw them all in the washer together and give them a heavy-duty wash for next time.

Inspire Responsibility

It’s all too easy to be lax with the kids over the summer but, too often, this turns into toys everywhere and a seemingly never clean house. 

This summer, inspire responsibility in your kids by establishing a chore list to help keep your house clean and ready to entertain at a moment’s notice. Here are a few examples of chores you can put on their list:

• Put toys away after each use so you don’t have to go looking for them next time
• Keep your rooms tidy so you don’t have to pick up 2 weeks’ worth of stuff all at once
• Help Mom with dinner
• Spend 30 minutes reading each day so you don’t have to do all your summer reading at the end of summer

Outside Toy Bin

The purpose of the outdoor toy bin is two-fold. First, it helps keep dirt outside instead of all over your home. Second, it maintains continuity for your kids’ chore list so they have a specific place to put their outdoor toys.

The best outdoor toy bin will allow for tons of ventilation so wet toys can dry out properly. Make sure your kids give any muddy toys a good rinse before putting them into the bin. We also suggest if you have a pool to keep a separate bin for the pool toys.

Nutritious Snack Station

So you don’t have to constantly get up to make your kids a snack (and to keep them from eating tons of sugary snacks), keep a nutritious snack station in the fridge and pantry. 

For your fridge station, spend Sunday prepping any chopped fruits and veggies and putting them into single-serving baggies. Throw in some yogurts and string cheese for some variety, too. 

Your pantry nutritious snack station should be loaded up with individual servings of healthy trail mixes, peanut butter, and healthy snack bars. If you make your own snack mixes, try using Amazon Prime Pantry’s subscription service for your ingredients so you’re never caught without a key ingredient.

Ready, Set, VACATION!

We hope you’ve picked up some helpful tips for how to keep your kids organized this summer. If you have any questions about getting organized this summer, get in touch with us or leave a comment in the box below.