Summer Essentials I Use With My Baby And Toddler

With summer in full swing here, I want to share the summer essentials I use with my 1-year-old baby and 3-year-old toddler.

In January of this year, I talked about what it was like to care for my baby girl during the winter and included some of my must-haves that we use in that post.

Some of you all appreciated those tips in that post, so I also figured I do a similar post during the summer.

This is the time of year when everybody is ready to get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine which is exactly what we have been doing as well.

When dealing with the heat of the summer you want to be prepared and have things that not only provide entertainment during these hot summer days.

But also protect you from the sun as well as water safety devices in case you decide to take your little ones to a pool or another large body of water.

The must-haves that I will list below will include sun care products, water toys, and water safety products that we have consistently been using this summer.

If you are interested in the summer essentials that I use with my baby girl and toddler, then just keep reading.

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When Is It Too Hot To Take My Child Outside?

Before I get into my summer must-haves for my girls, let’s talk answer this.

When is it too hot to take my child outside?

This is especially true for babies and smaller children who are not of school age.

If you all are familiar with me, then you know that I live in Texas where the summers can get really hot.

In fact, this summer is breaking records with consecutive triple-degree weather days.

According to What To Expect, babies, toddlers, and small children shouldn’t be outside for any prolonged period of time if the heat index is listed as 90 degrees or higher.

They even go on to say to limit sun exposure as much as possible between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m because this is when it is the hottest outside.

This is especially true with smaller babies and infants.

But we all know that as much as would love to avoid getting out during those hours during the day, it cannot always be avoided.

At some point, we are going to venture out during this time so you need to be prepared.

Some things that you can do to protect your children during extreme heat are:

• Dress children in light clothing
• Utilize hats
• Apply sunscreen regularly
• Have water nearby

Most younger children don’t understand that in order to endure the heat, you have to stay properly hydrated and apply sunscreen.

So as adults, we have to make sure we take care of them by having the things that they will need so they can safely navigate the heat.

With being said, let’s get into the summer essentials that I use for my baby and toddler.

Summer Essentials I Use With My Baby And Toddler

Sunscreen

I feel like it is only right to my summer must-haves with sunscreen.

Sunscreen is so important and something that people will overlook because they think that they don’t need it.

Well, I’m here to tell you that you need it and your skin will thank you later for it.

If you start showing your children the importance of using sunscreen at an early age, then they will know that it is a necessary part of their sun care routine.

We have been trying out a new sunscreen this summer and so far I really like it.

For my 1-year-old, we have been using this Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion from Earth Mama Organics.

For my 3-year-old, we have been using the Kids Mineral Sunscreen Lotion from Earth Mama Organics.

I also have a discount code that you all can use when grabbing these products from Earth Mama Organics.

Be sure to use my code JUSTJASS25 to save 25% off your purchase using my link here.

Sun Hats

Along with sunscreen, another item that you can use to protect yourself from the sun is a sun hat.

My 1-year-old is not the biggest fan of wearing hats, but I still try to put one on her when I know we are going to be outside for a longer period.

I prefer bucket-style hats when looking for hats for my girls.

But my oldest daughter has a lot of hair so I typically have to get her visor in order to wrap around her head and still block out the sun.

I have included the style of kids’ hats that I typically go for below that you can find on Amazon.

Water Bottles

Another tip I mentioned above was making sure our children stay hydrated.

For this reason, I usually have my girls’ water bottles everywhere we go.

I consider it a necessity in the summer because it does get really hot and I want to make sure both of my girls are staying cool and have water on them.

If you caught my post on what I got my 1-year-old daughter for her birthday, then you would know that I mentioned these Munchkin Weighted Straw Cups in that post.

I really like these cups for my baby girl because they don’t leak and she is also learning how to drink through a straw.

For my 3-year-old, I like using these Ello Plastic Water Bottles.

You can get these from Target or on Amazon.

Bug Spray

While outdoors, there is a very good chance that you will run into the bugs that are outdoors as well.

This is the time of year when the bugs are out and about and some of these critters can cause harm if we are bitten or stung by them.

This is where bug spray will come in handy.

We use the OFF! Family Care Insect & Mosquito Repellent and this repellent has been working well for us so far this summer.

Outdoor Blanket

The next summer item that we have been using quite a bit is an outdoor blanket.

Our outdoor blanket is pretty large, waterproof, and can be rolled up so that it is easy to take around or store away in my car.

We mostly use this blanket at parks or outdoor areas where we may need to sit down.

I found myself using this blanket quite a bit last year before my baby could walk as a way to lay her down and get some tummy time in.

This blanket also makes for a great picnic which is something that we have also done in the past.

Life Jacket

Shifting towards some water safety and water products that we use during summer, I have to start with a life jacket.

Little kids and water are one of those things that cause my anxiety to go through the roof.

We have not had the chance to put either of the girls in swim lessons so we have to be extra whenever we are near the water.

Like most younger children, my 3-year-old loves the water and is always itching to get in without realizing that she can’t swim.

So I always make sure she has a life jacket on at all times whenever we are going to a pool and keep her within my sight at all times.

For my 3-year-old, she has the Swim School Swim Trainer Life Vest.

As for my 1-year-old, we keep her in this Baby Boat that is also from Swim School.

This boat is perfect for allowing our baby to enjoy the pool while also being safe.

Swim Diapers

Since I just mentioned my baby getting in the pool, I need to also mention that she is always wearing a swim diaper when she does so.

Swim diapers are absolutely a summer essential for babies and younger children who are not potty trained.

I will even have her wear one when she is playing at a splash pad or in the water toys that we have here at our home.

The swim diapers that I use for my baby are the Huggies Little Swimmers.

Wet Bag

After your little ones get out of the pool, they will need to change out of their wet clothes and you will likely need something to put those clothes in.

When I know that the girls are going to be playing in the water, I always bring a wet bag to put their wet clothes in.

I can store this bag away easily without worrying about getting the rest of the items in my bag wet.

Water Shoes

Another must-have to have handy on those water days are water shoes.

On the days that it is hotter, we will go to our local splash pad to cool off.

If you are familiar with what splash pads are then you know that most of them are just areas where water is shooting up out of the ground along with other water-related things to do.

There is not normally a large body of water present because it is just made for you to get wet from running through the water.

On really hot days, the ground that is not wet is really hot so I always make sure the girls keep on their water shoes the whole time so they don’t burn their feet on the hot ground.

This also goes for when we visit water parks or pools.

When they are not in the water, they put on their water shoes.

As far as water shoes go, I prefer the sneaker style of shoes that look those Native Shoes.

These types of shoes are breathable, waterproof, and great for everyday wear.

I will link a similar shoe that I like to get below so you can see what I mean.

Bubble Machine

If you have younger children, then you need to get a bubble machine.

During the summer, this machine in itself will provide entertainment for a little while as your little ones chase after the bubbles and try to pop them.

We have had cheaper bubble machines in the past that would quit on us after using them for a little while.

We recently got his bubble machine on Amazon and we joke that is a bubble machine on crack.

It spits out so many bubbles at once which is exactly what we want out of a bubble machine.

I will link the one that we have below if you are interested.

Water Sprinkler Toy

If you are looking for a water activity to do at home, then you may want to consider getting a water sprinkler toy.

At the moment, our townhome doesn’t have a backyard so we don’t have anywhere to put a blow-up pool.

If you are in a similar living situation, then you have to get creative with water options.

This is why we decided to get this Twisty Water Sprinkler.

We have a little bit of a yard in the front that we can set this up in and we will let the girls run and play in the water.

You essentially create a mini splash in your yard that is bound to fun way to cool off this summer.

Water Play Table

And the last of our summer essentials that I use with my baby and toddler is a water play table.

If you read my post on some of the play-based activities that I have done with my toddler, then you would know that we have this Water Play Table by Step2.

We have had this water since my oldest daughter was 18 months old and she still enjoys it today at almost 3 years old.

Now that my baby girl is getting older, she is starting to enjoy playing at the water table as well.

So it looks like we will be holding on to this water table a little longer and continue to enjoy it for a couple more summers.

Your Turn

Well, those are the summer essentials that I use with my 1-year-old baby and 3-year-old toddler. If you are interested in grabbing the sunscreen that I mentioned early on from Earth Mama Organics, make sure to use my code JUSTJASS25 to save 25% off your order using my link here. I want to hear from you all now. What are your summer must-haves for your babies and toddler? Let me know in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below.

• Read More: Walking Activities To Do With A 12-Month-Old Baby

Love,

Just Jass