A well-packed pool bag can make all the difference between a fun day at the pool and a frustrating search for missing goggles. After years of hauling kids, towels, snacks, and pool gear, I finally landed on a simple pool bag organization system that actually works. Here’s how I pack our pool bag and the essentials I never leave home without.
The Pool Bag Problem
My pool bag was a hot mess for the first 8 years of my parenting career.
It was often the reason we were late to swim lessons (I was always repacking it). It was usually the reason we forgot things (I kept forgetting to put them back in). It was typically the reason my kids would go the whole lesson without their goggles, only for me to find them at the very end when we were getting out of the pool…
Yikes.
It wasn’t a great look for me.
And this went on and on for years. Every lesson. Every time we went to the pool. And every time we went to the beach because that bag was pulling double duty, of course.
Back in 2022, I had enough. I went for a major overhaul of my bag system, and… it worked. Four summers later, this is still the system I use for my pool bag.
How the System Works
My pool bag system is (essentially) a bag turducken. It’s bags within bags, and I’m fine with that.
I set up my pool bag with the ever-popular “zipper pouches” of Instagram fame. These bags haven’t failed me yet, and now they’ve taken over as my pool bags.
The Zipper Pouches
MVP of the pool bag: the zipper pouches. These pack easy, hold a ton, and come in different sizes. We use them for lots of things like game storage, travel, and craft supplies.
In this very simple system, everything goes into a zipper bag. From towels to goggles to hair brushes. Simple right? And yet, absolutely pool-life-changing.
When we are getting ready for the pool, I can glance at each bag to make sure we have exactly what we need.
I bought some duplicates of items, like hair brushes, so we wouldn’t be stealing those from the house and taking them on a pool field trip.
After we get home, only the things that need to be washed come out. Everything else stays put in the bag.
Bonus level up: I made myself a list of what goes in the bag so I can glance fast on my way out the door and know that I have everything…
What’s Inside My Pool Bag
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Here’s an overview of what’s in my bag (and yes, I have a zipper bag for each):
- Towels
- Hair care
- Goggles
- Toys (each type of toy in its own bag)
- Snacks
- Dry bag for wet suits
- Poolside games
- Poolside quiet toys for kids not swimming (like a book)
Not everything in this list has a link to go with it, but I’ve linked a few key items below that have really helped my family.
Best Pool Towels
These are the most compact and lightweight (but still giant and absorbent) towels. I’m so obsessed with them for kids and the fact that they don’t take up every square inch of space in my bag – I can roll four of them into the largest zipper bag. They are space saving brilliance.
Wet/Dry Bags
Best way to take home the wet swim suits at the end of the day. This pack comes in three sizes – it’s a must. I put my kids’ dry clothing in it that they’ll change into after the beach and then swap in the wet suits. I actually DON’T put this in a zipper bag. Bagging a bag seemed too far…
Fabric Strap Goggles
I didn’t think I could have strong feelings about goggles until we switched to fabric strap goggles. They’re incredibly easy to get on and off wet hair, don’t snag, and have completely replaced traditional goggles for us. Here’s the link to see them in blues and greens.
Gems
This is our number one pool toy. I keep a handful in my swim bag at all times (in a zipper bag, of course), and the rest live in our kinetic sand bin and outdoor play space, where they regularly become decorations for elaborate imaginary cakes.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
One of my all time favorite games released a waterproof version last summer, so we spent an entire season taking this everywhere. It’s the most chaotic version of Slap Jack ever.
UNO Splash
Uno, but make it waterproof. Need I say more?
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