Notes for Traveling by Bus to the Park

When you travel by bus to the park you are committed. If something happens you can not flee to your car and own surroundings at a moments notice. You have to think as though you are in the wild. Although there may be many people around you they may not be able to help you with your toddler's specific needs. Therefore; here is a list of things to bring.

Backpack, so that you can wear it as you load boys and stroller on and off the bus.
Diapers, wipes (these can be used for cleaning hands as well)
a small towel (if you may be the first ones at a dew covered playground-)
plenty of food and drink (a waterbottle! works great for cleaning hands, wounds, and quentching thirst).
Extra clothing for each child. (This could be used as another layer or for a change of clothes- don't forget SHIRT, PANTS, SOCKS and even SHOES)
a small toy or book for quiet time or a missed bus
Change to pay the bus fare
Hats for sun
Sunscreen if you choose to use it. Some places require bugscreen as well.
A small first aid kit

Also, remember to dress yourself in comfortable clothes and shoes. You never know when you may have to walk a ways either carrying a child or pushing a stroller home on a long walk after missing a bus.

Today we had left the house only partially prepared. The sunshine made any dangers seem far away. We missed disaster by a wee bit. Thanks to the incredible May sunshine and layers. Today we stopped by the lakeshore to look for ducks. But, one thing leads to another and soon the boys were playing with sand and throwing sticks. Toes were very close to getting soaked, but their shoes seemed to repel the water. However, it was the slippery log that S scrambled over that led to him falling on his bottom and getting his pants wet. I went into immediate thinking like a first aid wilderness responder; analyzing the situation and trying to decide if the conditions were such that S would get hypothermia. We had only been at the park 20 minutes. We had not made it to the playground or the forest and I wasn't even sure when the bus would come. Luckily, S seemed unphased by the wet pants. We played in the sun for a bit and then took off his pants and let them dry on a rock as he got swaddled up in his monther's sweatshirt. Lucky for us the pants were lined and not soaked through. They dried enough in 20 minutes time that we were able to play and even swing some more before catching the bus home.

I don't take wet clothes lightly- as hypothermia can strike even on relatively warm days. I also want to make sure that we form positive memories about nature as often as possible so I try to alleviate discomfort. Hopefully, next time I will make sure that my bag is packed correctly.