What to Bring to a Swimming Pool with Children?

A beginners guide of things to consider when taking your little ones out to the beach or a pool:

• Call ahead! If you are going to an indoor facility to check their hours and fees. There is nothing worse then pulling in to a pool that is closed for updates when you have told the kids where your going. 
• Are food and drinks are allowed? My kids love to have a snack midway through playtime offering them a break. Some establishments do not allow food and drink so please make sure to ask to plan ahead. 
• Will you need your own towels? Some facilities charge for open swim, but this fee doesn't always cover use of the on premise towels. 
• Will there be a place to change? Will laying down you child be an option? Do the facilities offer a large enough space to handle you and your children for changing? Consider it might be yucky to lay a child down or deal with multiple kids getting dressed. I am not modest so if you cant deal with my kid's nudity at ages 3 and under getting dressed in front of you and your kids... too bad so sad. 
• Is the facility toy and/or floaty friendly? It always seems like every time we go swimming we find something another family brings that our kids think is awesome. I have a bag of beach/swimming goodies I keep adding to in a mesh bag so it lets the water out and air dries the toys when we are done. Things I have in our bag so far are: toddler floaties, infant floaties, toddler life jacket, sand toys, bucket, balls, diving toys and I just keep adding. 
• Bring a bag for garbage (this makes things easier, throw it all at once when your leaving).
• What are the ranges in depth of the pool? This is important to ensure you have the right safety equipment with for the kids to have a fun time.
• Wet clothes bag.
• Plan to take baths when you get home or before bed that night. I have noticed the kids get itchy a few hours after swimming in chlorine and lakes are yucky. 

Planning ahead can make life a lot smoother when dealing with kiddos. making sure to ask the right questions ahead of time can ensure you are not telling your children something that cannot happen due to rules of certain facilities. Happy swimming!