Our summer has been a lot of fun so far with our busy toddler. Last summer, he was still a baby and not even walking or crawling. Now, he is on the move and ready to explore. I’ve been taking inventory to make sure he has everything he needs to enjoy the summer weather, and I wanted to share them with the Glam Fam.
Here are the summer essentials for a busy toddler that are in heavy rotation for us!
7 Toddler Summer Essentials
Kid-friendly sunscreen. Sunscreen is so important because kids spend a lot of time in the sun. Even those of us with melanin in our skin still need to apply sunscreen because contrary to what some believe, we can get sunburned. I’m using Babyganics SPF 50 sunscreen lotion currently (it was a baby shower gift that keeps on giving). The creators of Black Girls Sunscreen has a BGS Kids SPF 50 sunscreen for kids that I hear nothing but amazing things about.
Swimwear. Whether he’s going to the beach, the pool, or the backyard water hose, I always bring some swimwear. I like the sets with a shirt because it helps protect him from the sun, and keeps him a little warmer when there is light breeze. I purchased the set he has now from Aldi, but I’ve purchased last year from Target and Old Navy.
Reusable swim diaper. While some prefer the disposable swim diapers, I prefer a reusable one. You just toss it in the wash, and it’s ready to use the next time. I purchased mine from Target both last year and again this year because I really love them. But I had a hard time finding it. Here’s a similar one you can find online if your local Target doesn’t carry them.
Water shoes. I didn’t realize how clutch these are for my toddler. I noticed he was having a hard time staying on his feet at the beach. I picked up these Batman themed water shoes at Aldi, and the next visit tot he beach I noticed a huge difference. He was able to stay stable in the water a lot easier than before. Plus, the sand can get really hot if it’s sunny out. So this helps protect his feet when he comes out of the water and heads back to our spot on shore.
Inflatable float. I purchased this float last year, only to find out that our pool doesn’t allow them. Well, they allow them in the kiddy pool that’s only 2 feet deep. This year, our pool isn’t even open, so we gave the float a try at the beach. He loved it. Instead of having to carry him the entire time, he can lounge in his float. We can go out much further knowing he is secure in the float.
The canopy that comes with this float was great for providing some protection from the sun. There’s even a place for his cup! Having a pump would be nice, but I can blow this one up myself with minimal effort. Definitely a good find!
Splash pad. We tried a few other water activity items, but many of them were a little too much for our young toddler. When I saw this one at Aldi and it said it was for 18+ months, I thought it might be more his speed. He absolutely loved this splash pad. It connects right to your water hose, and doesn’t need to be blown up. The water shoots out very gently, so it didn’t make him nervous at all. You can find it here on Amazon.
The only downside is that there is water waste, but most toddlers will tire themselves out before you waste too much water. If you’d rather not have to continuously have water running, you could always go with a toddler pool. We have one of those as well, and he loves that too, but he definitely has more fun playing in the splash pad.
Sand toys. These are a must have if you plan on heading to a beach at all during the summer. Playing in the sand is a huge part of the fun. Sometimes we can’t even get our son to stop playing with sand and get in the water! I picked up this toy set from Aldi but you can find them anywhere. Not only does my son play with these at the beach, he plays with them at home as well in the dirt in our yard.
These are the seven things that I’m finding are summer essentials for our busy toddler. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments so I can check it out!