If you are looking for easy snack ideas for the pool or summer activities, you will enjoy this list of 30+ easy pool snack ideas! These are the best healthy pool snack for your busy summer!
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Snack Ideas for the Pool, Beach and Summer Activities
Is it just my family or do your kids constantly snack all summer long? It does not matter if we have just eaten, if go somewhere in the summer, the kids are asking for food! We spend a lot of time at our local pool, so I try to load up on healthy pool snacks or else I will be turning over all of my money to the pool concessions stand. Of course my kids will still enjoy a pool concession treat, but it is nice to have some healthier poolside snack options on hand.
These are some of our favorite snack ideas for the pool and all of our summer activities on the go!
30 Easy Pool Snacks
- Hummus and Veggies: We love this homemade, freezer friendly hummus! I use snack size containers from the Dollar Store or like this containers on Amazon.
- Fruit Kabobs: Keep it easy and use up whatever fruit you have on hand or you can make them really colorful with fruit kabobs like these from Spend with Pennies.
- Frozen Grapes. Grapes are good on their own but keeping them in the freezer is so refreshing!
- Crackers and Cheese. You can buy pre-made small cheese slices at the store to make prepping even easier!
- Graham Crackers and Nut Butter
- Mini Homemade Muffins Make up your favorite muffin recipe in mini size portions.
- Yogurt Squeezers. We keep our yogurt tubes in the freezer so they taste more like a Popsicle.
- String Cheese or Babble Cheese
- Make Your Own Trail Mix. One of our kids’ favorite pool snacks because they can each customize their snack with their favorite mix-ins.
- Granola Bars
- Protein Bars
- Fruit Leather. We have never made our own fruit leather but this oven made fruit leather recipe looks pretty easy!
- Chips and Salsa or Guacamole. Buy the individual serving size containers of salsa and guac!
- Veggie Straws
- Turkey Tortilla Roll Ups
- Veggies and Ranch Dip: Cut up veggies like snap peas, carrots, bell peppers, celery and cucumber
- Homemade Pizza Bagels
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Dried FruitÂ
- Homemade Lunchable:Â Why not pack your own punchable and save money. You can customize the punchable to exactly what your kids will eat!
- Rice Cakes
- PBJ Sandwiches: What is better than good old Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches? You can save time by getting the Uncrustables or making your own and using this uncrushable tool!
- Popcorn: Bagged or make the popcorn at home and stash in reusable containers.
- Beef Jerky
- Shelled Nuts: We love these Pistachio snack packs!
- Green or Black Olives
- Pasta Salad or another summer salad: These are some of our favorite summer salad recipes!
- Prepackaged Hard Boiled Eggs
- Chilled Edamame (You can buy these shelled as well)
- Make Your Own Sandwiches: Bring a variety of bread including bagels with some deli meats and cheeses. Let everyone make their own sandwiches.
Get the list of Snack Ideas for Pool and Summer Activities
Prepping Your Summer Pool Cooler
When you are packing a lot of pool snacks, it is important to have a good cooler so that your food stays chilled.
I am sure to pack a lot of ice packs. I love these ice packs that I also use for my kids’ lunch bags.
For the pool, I prefer a soft sided cooler because it does not get too heavy.
I also have this cooler backpack. This comes in handy for the beach and trips to the park. It is a good size if you are packing lunch or a few snacks.
Summer Pool Essentials
Besides all of our summer snacks, we also bring several other things to the pool.
Of course, with all of the snacks, there is a necessity to good bags to carry it all! Now that my kids are older, each of them can bring their own pool bag. I bought each of them one of these personalized drawstring bags and they are still holding up several years later.
They are the perfect size for a towel, change of clothes, googles, a snack and money (if needed). Once swim season is over, we use the bags for the next seasonal activity!
I’ve carried a variety of bags myself over the years for pool trips. My favorite bag this year is this inexpensive tote from Target. It washes so well and the sand goes right through the weave. Plus it holds a lot of stuff!
Most days, I opt for a large beach bag to hold towels and toys PLUS a purse or a backpack. I like to have my keys, wallet and personal items separate from the pool bag to prevent these things from getting wet!
Pool Bag Must Haves:
This is everything I keep in my pool bag!
- Bandaids
- Water
- Snacks
- Sunscreen
- After Sun Lotion
- Googles
- Hat/Visor
- Sunglasses
- Towels
- Change of Clothes
- Toys
POOL ESSENTIALS
If it was up to my kids, they would have unlimited funds to hit the pool snack shop. But the snack shop options are both expensive and not very healthy. It is a balance. There are a few days that I let them pick out a treat and then there are most days that we bring our own snacks. I try to make our snacks a little more exciting so that the temptation for the snack shop is not as strong.
What are some of our must haves for a day at the pool?
Other Summer Posts You Might Like:
How to Have a Stress -Free Summer with Kids
Printable Screen Time Checklist
Screen Free Road Trip Activities for Kids
Why I am Letting My Kids Be Bored this Summer
Snack Taste Test Activity with Free Printable Ballots
The Best Family Staycation Ideas
Love all of your snack ideas and LOVE your Sea Bag!! Aren’t they the greatest?
Love the idea of snack prepping!! That would make it so much easier to grab and go. My son has those water blasters as well and they were the best purchase so far this summer!
My boys LOVE the water blasters too.
These are great tips. I miss the days of taking the kids to the neighborhood pool! Those are great snack containers! And I love the Amazon big tote–it looks like a copy of a 31 bag that I have. Have a wonderful day!
Yes–I have a 31 bag just like the Amazon one…nice that there are some less expensive options.
Great list of ideas! I love banana boat sunscreen spray. I need to get better about packing snacks.
It’s so easy to forget about the snacks but I always regret it if I don’t bring any.
Meal prepping is a great idea if you’re going to go somewhere to use the pool. I’m lucky to have one, but I didn’t always, and I still go to a local water park, etc. Love that little sand shaper!
-Lauren
I’d love a pool so we didn’t have to leave the house–you are so lucky!!
I love these pool essentials. I always try to grab a few to rotate for my son, but never the less, he finds everyone else’s toys so much more amusing!
Very true Kelsey–other kids’ toys are always more exciting!
Snacks are a must! Especially after a few hours of jumping in and out of the pool, my kiddo is starving lol.
Well those snacks look delicious!
Thanks for these suggestions- just added a few to our grocery list- such great ideas and yes the kids snack constantly over the summer!! 🙂