Hello, and welcome back to CloudMom! I’m answering an excellent question from one of our Facebook community moms, Marina Kao, on what to pack in your children’s bags for daycare. When you think about it, it can be hard to determine what items are daycare bag essentials and what items aren’t. What’s a mom to do in this situation? Well, the daycare teachers won’t be thrilled if you send your child in with a suitcase, but I think it’s important for moms to make sure that their children are well prepared for the day. Let’s try to narrow the list down to what our kids really need!

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How do I prepare a daycare bag for a preschooler?

In my children’s daycare bags, I always make sure that I have extra changes of clothing for them.  Whether or not your child is potty trained, I found that it’s best to pack 2-3 light changes of clothing. Accidents do happen, so it never hurts to be ready for them! For girls, some light leggings, a pair of socks, extra underwear and a light T-shirt would be ideal. For boys, it wouldn’t hurt to have a pair of sweatpants, extra underwear, a pair of socks and a T-shirt.  Keep each change of clothes in a ziplock bag; that way they stay clean no matter what!

Diapers and wipes are also essentials, if your children are still at the age where those are needed.  Keeping hand sanitizer in the bag may also be a good idea if the daycare center will use it, especially since germs can spread so easily in those types of facilities. A light, portable, favorite book is a nice addition to any daycare bag, as is a favorite toy or blanket (bring this home and wash it once a week).

We’ve got essential items out of the way, but so how aboutideas for daycare lunches? It really depends on if the daycare center refrigerates food, and how much storage they have for food. Once you figure this out, then you’ll have a better idea of what to pack in your child’s bag! If you have a baby who is still taking milk, I found that the best way to pack milk is to make sure that it is ready to be served as it is, then throw a card in the bag with serving directions. I also love small portion packages, such as Plum pouches, raisins, cheese sticks, etc.—any items that don’t require refrigeration and are easily accessible.

This may sound like a lot, but I’ve been able to squeeze this into a small or medium-sized bag.  

Parents, please weigh in—what items do you always keep in your children’s daycare bags? How do you make sure that your children are well-prepared for daycare? Share your ideas in the comments section below!