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(Inside: Park days with a large family aren’t always a walk in the, well, park… With these 5 tips you’ll actually enjoy a day at the park with your large family!)

Before I was a mom, I pictured myself doing a lot of things…

And I always thought I’d be that mom at the park.

The one whose kids are happily playing, and she’s engaged with them too… They have plenty of snacks and even share with others.

In reality? I turned into a hot mess mom.

So I usually only brave the park when my husband is with me, and after a really fun trip to our favorite park, I decided to pull together my 5 tips to actually enjoy a park day as a large family.

5 Tips to Actually Enjoy a Day at the Park with a Large Family

So whether you’re out for a fun day with the kids or you’re trying to brave a nature study, these 5 tips will help you actually enjoy a day at the park with your large family.

#1 Always Start with Food

Hungry kids are the worst.

The. Worst.

I used to run into problems when I tried to squeeze a park trip in after another activity.

For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why.

I mean, a park day should be a fun reward, right?

What I wasn’t realizing is that I would run some errands, and by the time we’d get to the park the kids would be STARVING.

So always, always, always start a large family park day with food!

Bring snacks, grab lunch before, whatever fits your schedule… But start with food!

#2 Bring More Supplies than You Think You’ll Need

You will run out of something.

It’s inevitable.

So always bring more supplies than you think you need.

More diapers and wipes.

More snacks.

More extra clothes.

Bring. More. Supplies!

#3 Plan to Divide and Conquer

If your large family has older kids, this may not be as relevant…

But in our family, we have an 8-year-old, 7-year-old (who’s autistic), a 5-year-old (with a global developmental delay), a 2.5-year-old, and a 10-month-old.

That’s a LOT of tiny humans to keep track of… Especially when they all run in different directions!

So my husband and I typically divide and conquer!

One of us is typically tasked with following Miss S (2) and the other is on “meltdown duty” to handle any of the kids who have meltdowns while we’re there.

#4 Explore Each Child’s Interests

Each of our kids have really distinct interests and preferences that they want to explore at the park.

Mr. C is always looking for science experiments… A-Man could stay on the swing for hours.

Miss S is obsessed with the slide, while Cap’n M would rather dig in the dirt…

To actually enjoy a day at the park with a large family, take care to explore each child’s interests while at the park.

#5 Babywear, Babywear, Babywear

Can I say that again?

Babywear.

I found babywearing while I was pregnant with my third, and I cannot imagine handling a large family without it.

We almost always have Sweet C in a baby carrier because it’s so much easier than trying to lug a stroller around everywhere.

We also put the older kids into carriers whenever we go anywhere that involves a lot of walking or when they’re tired.

Always always always babywear!

BONUS: Embrace the Chaos That is Large Family Living

Okay, I know I said 5 tips… But I had to throw this in here.

Large family living isn’t for everyone.

When you have a bunch of kids, they come with a bunch of chaos.

But I promise you, it’s so, so worth it.

I can’t imagine life any other way.

So my bonus tip to you is to embrace the choas of large family living, and head to the park!

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About Kaylene

Kaylene George is an autistic self-advocate, author, and mother of five, including one autistic child. She realized her own autism as an adult shortly after her son received his initial diagnosis. Suddenly the parts of her that seemed so “weird” to society had an answer. Since then, Kaylene has passionately shared about her experiences with autism from both sides of the great divide between parents and autistic self-advocates on AutisticMama.com.