11 Baby Things I Still Tote Around Even Though My Kids Are Big

Baby wipes are one of those items you’ll just buy forever. They’re obviously great for bathroom mishaps, but wiping faces, sticky hands, getting mud out of cleats before letting your children anywhere near your minivan — they’re incredibly versatile. And I love the Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes because they’re unscented, come in a big, sturdy pack, and seem to stay wet and moist much longer than other brands. Bonus: nothing, and I mean nothing, cleans up sticky coffee spills out of your center console better than a baby wipe.

When my oldest was about eight months old, we started carrying a book everywhere we went. She’s now 11 with two little sisters and we are still toting books around. I especially love The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels because every age kid enjoys flipping through them, but just pick a few you know your kids will love. Keep them in the car or a bag for easy access, whether you’re waiting in line at the DMV, needing them to sit quietly during a sibling’s school performance, or just stuck in traffic. A book cheers everyone up, and we always have a few floating around in our minivan.

Listen, accidents happen, no matter how old you are. I once had a pair of underwear’s elastic pop and immediately the undies were threatening to fall out from under my dress. Keep a few back-up pairs of undies with you, just like you did when you were potty-training an unpredictable 3-year-old. A nice big pack like these Fruit of the Loom undies is perfect, and at this price, you can easily stash a pack for every family member somewhere in your car, just in case.

Blankets are just always a good idea. My very first car, the first thing I put in the trunk was a blanket, in case I ever found myself stranded in a snow storm while driving around my suburban Atlanta neighborhood. You just never know. Blankets with babies are always a thing, but even my big kids love to snuggle up with a blanket on long car rides. They also work in a pinch for picnics, sitting outside at a soccer game, sprawling out at the park, whatever you want. I love the Mainstays cozy plush throw blankets. They come in tons of colors (and some seasonal patterns!) for a great price. Super easy to wash, too.

I still have a pack of burp cloths from my oldest, and I keep them in the kitchen for easy mouth and hand-wiping. There’s just something about the muslin cloth that makes them great at grabbing all the yuck off of a kid’s face, and I always have a couple in our glove compartment. Car-sick kids? A burp cloth is nice and durable. Kids feeling hot and need something to cool down? A burp cloth dipped in water is perfection. Someone’s got a bloody nose or scrape? A burp cloth really holds down the fort better than anything else. These Neat Solutions 3-pack burp cloths are just the right size for any and all mishaps.

The days of carrying around a bunch of toys are gone, but I still love some form of entertainment in my bag, always. For bigger kids, a card game like UNO is the perfect thing to have on hand at restaurants, especially if you’re trying to avoid screens or phones at the table.

And don’t forget something to color on and with, even for your big kids. I promise, an art set like this Crayola Silly Scents kit never goes out of style, and all three of my girls love being creative. Use this anywhere, including the car, when someone needs to keep their hands busy.

I know, I’ve already mentioned a million other things to wipe noses, but nothing — and I mean nothing — beats a pack of Boogie Wipes. These are the most gentle wipes to ever exist, and they’re filled with saline so they actually are meant for those stuffy, snotty, crusty noses. I’ve had these on hand ever since my oldest got her first cold and I’ll never, ever be without them.

Hand sanitizer, always. I love the Germ X hand sanitizer spray because even big kids seem to be unsure what to do with a squirt of hand sanitizer. These also don’t leak and can fit anywhere. You thought you were only a germaphobe when your kids were babies? No, friend, you’re now a hand sanitizer freak for life.

I once bought a pack of these for holding wet clothes, soiled outfits, and even for car puking purposes and I’ve never looked back. A box of Ziploc gallon-size storage bags is a must for any parent, and they are so versatile. Need to store someone’s leftover fast food they didn’t finish before running out to soccer practice? Toss it in. Someone had an accident and you need to store the clothes? You got it. Someone feeling sick in the back seat and needs something to puke in? Pass them the box. Seriously, never underestimate how good a plastic bag with a zip top is.

Look, it doesn’t matter if it’s a tiny bouncy ball, a soccer ball, or a baseball — having a ball on hand is always a good idea. When my kids were babies, we had the squishy kind they could hold and chew and toss to themselves in the car, but now I always have at least one soccer ball in the trunk in case we find ourselves with ample time to run around or somebody needs to get the wiggles out while waiting on siblings at piano practice.