We are lucky enough to be in the direct path of the total solar eclipse. Our plan is to head to a local park first thing in the morning to enjoy the day as a family. The kids do have school this day, but they have already been teaching the kids a lot about the eclipse prior to the event, and we’ve decided to use a parent excuse day. We all will have some Eclipse Shirts too! Some of our local stores have some cute ones! If you are in the path, or heading to the path of Total Eclipse, make sure to check the stores early in the weekend as I know items will sale out. We all want one that we can certainly re-wear after the date of the event.
Total Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017
Here are some items we’ve prepared to pack for the day
1) Solar Eclipse Glasses – Many areas around us are sold out. Thankfully we grabbed ours a month ago. Amazon does still have some, but the price point is going up. Check around your local stores, libraries, science museums, etc. You can find reputable vendors for solar filters and viewers here.
2) Sunscreen – We will be outside all day and so excited about all of the events. I know we think about sunscreen at the pool, lake, and beach, but it will be just as important.
3) Water – Make sure you are staying hydrated for the day!
4) Snacks and Picnic Lunch – I don’t want any of us getting hangry. Plus, I think the kids will want to snack a lot while waiting for the solar eclipse to begin! Think SUNchips, MOONpie, SUNDrop, SUNnyD, ECLIPSE gum, Milky Way candy bars, etc! The kids will think you were so creative!
5) Chairs – We will be outside all day and we will all get tired from playing! Make sure to bring a chair, picnic blanket, etc. to stay comfortable.
6) Shade tent or large umbrella – of course this will be put up when the solar eclipse begins, but for the morning prior to that, we are planning on taking advantage of as much shade as possible to stay cool. Also a great way for little ones to take an early nap before the event begins.
7) Water Misters/Fans – This is really important for little ones! Especially if it will be a 90 degree plus day like you can usually expect in August.
8) Sunglasses – You should not look at the sun with your regular sun glasses on of course, however, you should still protect your eyes when you are not looking at the sun.
9) Games – Bring some games that will keep your kids entertained while waiting. We will bring our cornhole, giant jenga, baseball gloves, frisbee, etc. to keep us all entertained!
10) Camera – While you should take in the day and the event as much as possible without on your electronics all day, you do want to remember these family memories. This may be the only time you or your kids see a total solar eclipse. Make sure to document those memories to cherish in the future.
Ultimately, be ready to make some great family memories together during this once in a lifetime event!
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My family loves anything celestial! We’re in Massachusetts so not in the direct path but my kids and I are still looking forward to watching it! These are some great tips for the day of and I especially love the snack items you are planning on taking! Such a great idea!
We are in the direct path too. Excited to see it but not looking forward to the hundreds of thousands of people that are supposed to come to our area. One note about the eclipse glasses-we purchased ours on Amazon a month ago too. I got an email from Amazon on Saturday that they could not verify the manufacturer so we are not supposed to use them. Luckily we were able to find certified ones at Walmart and our local library. Here is a link to an article that you might want to add to your post: https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters
One note about a camera/cell phone camera–you can totally ruin your camera/phone if you don’t have the proper filters on the lens. Taking photos of your family enjoying the eclipse is great, but don’t take photos of the sun unless you know you have the right equipment.
I am so excited for the eclipse. We are planning on taking the kids outta school and headed to the N. GA mountains to Unicoi State Park. We’ve rented canoes and kayaks so we can watch the eclipse from the lake. You are supposed to be able to see it in it’s totality from where we’ll be. It comes along once in a lifetime, might as well do it up right!!!
We are also in the direct path of the eclipse and are excited for the experience! I am saving your list of suggestions for when we get to experience it! Looks like a well-thought out list for sure! I wonder if you need to wear your sunglasses over your eclipse ones or just when you aren’t looking at the sun?
I’m sure you all will enjoy the day! I grabbed all our snack goodies and will deliver the teacher’s their “Eclipse Survival Bag” today to school. As far as the sunglasses, I’m certainly not a certified person when it comes to the eyewear, but the sunglasses tip was just when not looking through the glasses. If you have looked through the glasses, you realize they are BLACK, you can see nothing but a dot of sun!