It’s not that hard to tuck a handful of crayons into a pocket, purse, or diaper bag. Oh, and a snack. And other toy. And paper to write on, and … and … and …

Or simply plan your outings well. This place has kid-friendly free appetizers. That place has sushi and dinosaur-shaped breaded chicken crisps. They always have kid-proof cups at that steak house we like. It works out splendidly … until they change something or run out.

So I put together a smallish “emergency pack” that does triple duty: snack container, drink cup, and toy holder. We can’t use it for all three at once, but two out of three isn’t bad.Rattling around in your purse, diaper bag, or glovebox, it looks like an ordinary re-usable cup from a kid-friendly restaurant. But inside, treasure resides:

Folded in thirds lengthwise, the paper is a standard 8 1/2” by 11” sheet of paper (reused school announcement). It rolls up neatly inside of the cup, and gives the crayons some cushion. The crayons are just short enough to fit in the cup, even leaving room for other small toys or a small sack of crunchy shelf-stable snacks.

Need to color? Pull out paper and crayons and roll. Need a snack? Pull out the amusements, wipe out the cup, and serve snacks. Thirsty? Empty and wipe, then use for drinking.

These tend to accumulate the more you go out; spare kits can be made up to keep near the door or at the office (some cars get unfriendly hot to crayons). Alternatively, cut an oval shaped hole in the lid and keep spare tissues in your cup holder in the car (or the kids’).