Nursery Bag Essentials for Toddlers

Meet Jamie, father to 2-year-old, and member of our fantastic Parent Panel; a diverse community of Bright Horizons parents sharing their experiences of raising happy, thriving and confident children. 

Working out what to pack for your little one can be quite stressful. Knowing that you are at work, usually quite a distance away from your child, can lead you to overthinking and therefore overpacking! Here are my top tips for packing everything you need, so you can do drop-off stress-free.

• Vinted is your friend! - Brand new is not needed. If you thought your child came home from the baby room messy, wait until they hit toddlers! Cheap t-shirts, shorts, trousers etc from Vinted mean they stay clothed in an affordable way, and it doesn’t matter if they are ruined after a day of painting.
• Spares! - It seems obvious, but it should not be overlooked. Now you have your Vinted clothes, pack a fresh set in the bag. Water play is fun but requires a change of clothes (even socks).
• Label everything – Toddlers swap, a lot. If you want to keep hold of items such as hats and coats, label them!
• Home comforts – My son preferred to sleep in a sleeping bag, so we ordered him one (off Vinted again) to help him drift off at nap time. This alongside his dummy gives him that home-from-home feeling when trying to sleep.
• The water bottle – my main tip is making sure they can open it by themselves. The toddler room is very independent, being able to use their water bottle without assistance is crucial.
• Medication – The nursery team are great with medication, pop it in the bag and once explained, they will do the rest. Don’t forget the sun cream in the summer!
• Prep the night before – I know it seems obvious, but having a fully packed bag before you go to bed, really reduces stress in the morning.
• Check the bag – Remember at pick up, check you have everything you need. Toddlers love to swap clothes and shoes. Checking at the door saves the stress of finding out you are missing something (or gained something) when you get home.

As I said at the start, not overthinking is the key. Always be reassured that the room team are amazing and will plug gaps if you have forgotten anything.