Planning the perfect outing: How to enjoy the drive in with kids

by - 5:02:00 PM




Hey y'all!

Summer is basically here now  and you know what that means! Family outings! When you are a mom, you LOVE and LIVE for family outings. Getting everyone loaded up and out the door not only has some adventure perks, but it also has some "I don't have to do the dishes!" perks too. 

However, there are times when getting the family out and about can become more of a headache than actual fun. You may forget something, you could be running behind ( like we do A LOT lol) or you could just have so much going on that your brain ends up being completely scattered! 

A few weeks ago, we decided to head to the drive in to celebrate little Italy's birthday. I knew from the moment the plan was marked on the calendar that I needed to plan it all out and make sure I had everything ready for that evening. A drive in can be very fun for the whole family or it can be total chaos if something gets left behind.

So, just how do you plan the perfect outing? Well keep reading for a few of my tips on how to plan for the perfect evening and how you can enjoy the drive in with kids!

1. Set a date- We all know this is the most important for obvious reasons, but setting a date is more crucial than you may realize. When you set a date, you are able to put together a checklist or deadline to get everything in order. Also, you can check the weather (if it's not too far in advance) to make sure that the evening temps will be doable. The last thing you want is to have extreme heat with newborns our youngsters that don't do well in the heat.


2. Make a list- Making a list and checking it more than once may seem like a lot of "extra-ness". It's not! I made a list and I checked it over every time I got something that was on it. I actually still ended up missing one thing on my list, but I ended up not needing it anyway so pheww!
A few must haves for me are:
  • Blankets
  • Pillows
  • Allergy Medicine/Tissues 
  • Charger
  • Activities etc..



 3.Snacks/ Refreshments- Since this was for Italy's birthday, I pretty much let her pick out what she wanted lol. As you can see in the list above, we wrote down everyone's  ideas and we went from there. Packing plenty of snacks for in between dinner and shows is just as important as the refreshments. Since it is a drive in, you can pretty much bring anything in! So, I packed plenty of bottled waters, kid fruit infused waters, my La Croix and some sugar free pop! The kids enjoyed pizza for dinner and a yummy cupcake for dessert in honor of the birthday girl!







4. Get comfy- Since you are headed to a drive in, you should really plan to be there for around 5 hours and well into the early morning hours. We arrived around 6:45 and the show did't start until around 7:30 which was perfect for us. I made sure I packed their favorite pillows, plenty of blankets that I didn't mind getting messy. I also had them get showered and dressed into their pajamas so when we got home, they could just got right to bed. Make sure you pack plenty of blankets and sweaters. It may be summer but once the sun goes down, you could be in for quite an evening chill. 


 5. Pre game activities- Since we were there so early, I knew the kids were going to need something to keep them from getting restless! Each kid had their own backpack with books, coloring pages, pencils and crayons. I also brought a deck of kiddie number cards to keep them busy!



Check out some of the fun we had!




So there you have it! A few simple tips to help you plan the perfect family outing at the drive in for you and your family!  Did I miss a few? Let me know in the comments below!

You May Also Like

16 comments

  1. I am a HUGE fan of making lists and preparing. I feel like the key to any enjoyable outing is planning in advance. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely! Planning makes everything so much smoother!

      Delete
  2. You are so organized I am inspired! That trip looks awesome too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just had a full flashback to when I was a kid going to the drive in with my family. I'm so glad drive ins still exist!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are around but so underrated! I am definitely going to them more often!

      Delete
  4. What an awesome experience. We don't have any drive ins around us, but I have always wanted to go to one as an adult! I remember doing it more when I was a kid because there were more drive ins back then. I bet this was such a fun time for everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a blast! I really wish they would make more of them! They are so much fun.

      Delete
  5. Great post! I loved going to the drive thru theater when I was younger.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love that you came prepared with snacks! So smart! I so wish we had a drive in close to use they’re so much fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Snacks are a must for my kids lol. They definitely need more!

      Delete
  7. They’re such cuties! What a great idea to do a drive in. I bet they had a blast, I’ll have to keep this in mind for a kids outing in a future. Good call on getting them in PJs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! It was so much easier to transfer them from the car to the bed hahaha.

      Delete
  8. How fun are you?! That looks like an amazing time. Also, those Marketplace salads are LIFE. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IKR!! I love them! The one I had that night was ok. I prefer the caesar and the southwest salads!

      Delete