In our day to day lives, we’re adults, doing adult things. Paying bills, going to work everyday, and just overall taking care of ourselves. We don’t have the luxury of having our parents wake us up every morning. Our mothers aren’t helping us get dressed, while breakfast is cooking. I don’t know why we were so eager to grow up as kids… don’t get me wrong, being an adult definitely has its perks, but being a kid was such a simpler time.
When the stressors of life have taken us to a point of rage that seemingly has no return to normalcy, that’s when you know it’s time for a vacation. You need a break away from work life, and anything else that brings discomfort in your life. So, with all that being said…what’s the one place where you can really let your hair down and truly feel like a kid again? The answer is amusement parks.
Growing up, amusement parks were the best vacation spots a kid could ever ask to go to. Now that you’re an adult, you can still go to amusement parks…the only difference is that you’re going because you want to go, not because your parents said it was okay. I can’t think of a summer where I didn’t go to an amusement park…in fact, my childhood memories would be so different without these wonderlands of fun.
Once you get to amusement park paradise, there are a few essential items you need to have to enhance you and your family’s adventure experience. Without these essentials, your entire trip may not be ruined, but it can put a damper on your fun.
I’m not saying to bring a backpack full of stuff that will eventually weigh you down, and still manage to ruin your trip… just a few items will enhance your adventure. To make sure fun is what your family experiences on this trip, lets go over these packing essentials.
Sunscreen
As you enter the amusement park for fun and adventure, you want to be sure you have your sunscreen. The peak seasons of amusement parks are during the summer months, so that means the weather will be gorgeous, but it will be hot, so you’ll want to protect your skin with sunscreen.
Be sure to check your sunscreen’s SPF as well. Typically, when you go to an amusement park, you’re going to be spending hours outside in the hot sun, so packing a sunscreen with a higher SPF would probably be your best bet for this particular trip.
For those that don’t know SPF stands for “sun protection factor,” and the SPF number gives you an estimated amount of strength that the sunscreen will protect your skin before sunburning will take place. For instance, if you have on a sunscreen lotion with an SPF of 30, then you’ll get to enjoy the sun 30 times longer before you’ll need to apply more sunscreen. It blocks around 97 percent of UV rays.
Ziplock Resealable Bags
Ziplock bags are not just for storing food…they can also be used to store tons of other items, especially at an amusement park. You can get these handy bags in gallon size and quart size. The quart size is perfect for storing your cell phone in. It works wonders for when you get on a water ride and hit that steep drop, and the water splash gets everything wet…except your phone.
The gallon size bags are ideal for storing your wet clothes, like your swimsuit or swim trunks, after a day at the water park. This will keep those clothes from getting anything else damp. When it comes to your amusement park adventures, you have to think outside the box and more in the bag…the ziplock bag!
Sunglasses
Just as sunscreen protects the skin from UV rays, sunglasses protect the eyes from UV rays as well. Allowing the sun’s UV rays to penetrate your eyes without the protection of sunglasses can lead to cataracts. Wearing sunglasses during the daytime hours, when the sun is at its peak, can also protect your eyes from the “blue light” of the solar spectrum. This blue light has been linked to macular degeneration. To prevent this, just have your sunglasses on while you’re enjoying the amusement park.
Travel Size Wallet
A travel size wallet is small and compact, and perfect for an amusement park. You have to think about where you’re going. With that being said, you’re not going to need your library card, Kroger card, or department store card at an amusement park, so those particular cards are ones that you can leave at home, and not worry about bulking up your wallet. You’ll want to carry your debit/credit cards, also maybe have a little cash on hand as well.
Water Bottle
A day at the amusement park can definitely take your energy away. You’re out in the hot sun sweating, and screaming your lungs out on the roller coasters…and you wouldn’t have it any other way. But you do have to be careful, and mindful that no one gets dehydrated, especially the kids.
There are concession stands that will gladly give you free cups of water if you ask, but while you’re out and about on your thrill seeking hunt for roller coasters, it’s very helpful to have a water bottle handy in your bag.
Share Your Adventures
If you and your family love amusement parks, you could create a travel blog highlighting your family’s adventures. Share the whole journey with your followers, from the time you loaded up in the car, to the time you arrived at the hub of fun.
You could talk about all the different roller coasters you rode, and even give reviews on the different rides. People love reviews because it really gives them an idea of if they even want to take the time out to experience something, especially when someone has already given it a bad review.
With you being an amusement park connoisseur, you would be doing the world a disservice by not sharing your helpful information. You know all the cool spots to go to, you know what you should pack, and you have a wealth of knowledge on fun…why not be a consultant on the world of fun?
Tammy Litke is a Dallas blogger, blogging since 2008. She loves to watch movies, play video games, spend time in the kitchen, and travel. Between recipes and reviews you’ll find many helpful and some just plain funny posts on her blog. Welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while!