Finally! Summer is here! After what has felt like the longest winter ever, the sunshine has arrived and it’s time to soak up some sun! Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of some nice weather and play outdoors with your kiddos. Outdoor play is essential for growing kids and they can learn so much by being in an outdoor environment. Whether you have an infant, toddler or a kindergartener home on summer break, I’ve got some amazing ideas for you to keep your little one busy and active all summer long. All while beating the heat, of course!
25 Must Haves for Toddlers and Babies This Summer
Inflatable Swimming Pool
Nothing beats the heat like floating in a kiddie pool. This one is the perfect size for you and your little one, or even the whole family! It’s inflatable so no need to worry about it taking up too much space during winter months.
SunSmart Lazy River Kiddie Pool – Inflatable Kids Pool with 2 Toy Ducks and Removable Sunshade Canopy
If you’ve got a baby, this is the perfect pool for you! The SunSmart inflatable pool has a sunshade canopy with UPF 50 that will protect your infant from the sun, as well as a fountain for them to play and splash in.
Splash Pad, Sprinkler for Kids
Babies and toddlers love splash pads. They can crawl around in just enough water to keep them cool and the best part? You can sit in it too and beat the heat!
Airhead WICKED Kwik-Dry Neolite Flex Life Vest
A US Coast Guard approved life vest is a must have when you’re near any body of water with your child. This one comes in infant, toddler and child sizing. Whether you’re on a boat or swimming in the pool, make sure your little one has a life jacket on!
Shark Fishing Play Set for Babies and Kids
Too hot to play outside in the pool? This toy set is a must have for playing either in the bath! Playing in a lukewarm bath is a great summer activity to beat the heat and play in some water. The net in this toy set is perfect for your child to practice hand eye coordination and is sure to keep them busy for a lot of time.
Step2 Rain Showers Splash Pond Water Table
I have yet to meet a child that doesn’t absolutely love playing with a water table! Water tables are great for babies who are standing but not quite walking yet. They can pull themselves up, stand, splash and play until their heart’s content!
Magnetic Fishing Game
This game is great for toddlers playing in a water table. Dump the fish in, give them a pole and let them have at it! It’s also a great outdoor activity to practice numbers and colors – “Can you catch the blue fish? How many yellow fish are there?”
UPF 50+ Easy Pop Up 3-4 Person Beach Tent
Heading to the beach during the summer months? This pop up beach tent is the perfect way to have shade with you wherever you go! There are a ton of pop up shade options out there, but I especially love this one because 3-4 people can fit so you can comfortably sit with your baby in the shade and feed them or take a rest. It also offers UPF 50+ protection to keep those bright sun rays off your little one.
3 otters Baby Beach Toys
You can’t go to the beach without playing in the sand! This set is great for building castles or just digging in the sand. These toys would also be great to play with in a water table, pool or bathtub!
Baby Boys Kids Swimsuit One Piece Toddlers Zipper Bathing Suit Swimwear with Hat
The sun can be so unforgiving, especially to young skin. Since sunscreen isn’t recommended for babies under 6 months, you want to be sure to keep them protected in other ways. This one piece suit is long sleeved and comes with a hat.
Baby/Toddler Swimsuit UPF 50+ Sun Protection One Piece Zipper Bathing Suit with Sun Hat
This set is similar to the one above, offers UPF 50+ sun protection and comes in the cutest print!
i play. by green sprouts Snap Reusable Swim Diaper
Regular diapers do not stand a chance in the pool or playing in water. A good swim diaper is a great investment, they are washable, reusable and keep things contained while your little one is splashing and playing in the pool!
Pampers Splashers Swim Diapers
While reusable swim diapers are an excellent choice, sometimes you just need a disposable! Disposable swim diapers are great to keep on hand in your diaper bag in case your reusable gets soiled and you don’t have a backup!
Coppertone Pure & Simple Kids Sunscreen SPF 50 Multi Pack
Don’t forget sunscreen when getting ready to spend time outdoors this summer! This set is great because it has simple ingredients, comes with an easy to use spray and a sunscreen stick which is so handy for applying sunscreen on wiggly kids faces.
Baby Sunglasses
Protect little eyes with sunglasses! These infant sunglasses have a strap so that they don’t get lost. They’re also made of flexible plastic, you know your baby will bend these like crazy just to see what they can do!
Simple Modern Kids Water Bottle with Straw Lid
Staying hydrated on a hot summer’s day is so important! This water bottle is made with insulated stainless steel and will keep drinks cold for HOURS!
Hooded Towel
Whether you’re hanging out on the beach or taking a dip in the pool, a hooded towel is a must have for your little one. I love them because your kiddo can wear it and you don’t have to worry about it staying wrapped around them. Kids love them because they are almost like a costume! They come in astronaut, mermaid and all kinds of other designs! No more fumbling to the car or to change clothes and having a towel drag on the ground!
Chalk City Sidewalk Chalk
What better way to let your child’s imagination and creativity shine than by giving them a piece of sidewalk chalk and letting them be creative. If you’ve got a toddler, use this as an opportunity to practice colors, letters, numbers, shapes, etc. The list goes on and on! If you’ve got a baby, draw simple pictures and shapes and tell them what they see.
Durable Automatic Bubble Blower
Have you ever met a child who didn’t go nuts for bubbles?! This machine is perfect for any bubble loving little one. Simply fill it up with bubble solution, flip the switch and watch the bubble magic happen.
Bubble Solution Refills
You can’t have a bubble machine without having lots of bubble refill solution on hand. This one makes up to 2.5 gallons of bubbles!
Big Bubble Wand Assortment
While bubble machines are ideal to have at home, they aren’t really great for on the go. This set of bubble wants comes with 12 different colored wands, along with bubble solution refills! Perfect for the beach, a nice day at the park, or just playing in the back yard.
Mini Stroller Fan Clip-on
This fan very well may be the top summer essential for babies! When it’s hot out your baby can’t tell you they’re uncomfortable. The best thing you can do for them to assure they’re not too hot is to have a stroller clip on fan to circulate the air around them. This one is great, you can attach it directly to their stroller or car seat to ensure they’ve got cool air blowing.
Baby Sun Hat
Keeping sun off your baby’s face is imperative when it’s sunny. A good sun hat will keep them cool and sun burn free!
Silicone Popsicle Molds
Nothing cools you down on a hot day like a popsicle. Having a popsicle mold on hand is an excellent way to use up leftover smoothies, juice, or anything else you can think of that would freeze into a tasty treat!
Outdoor Yard Games for Toddlers
If you’re looking for games to play indoors or out with your littles, this is a great option! This set comes with mini bean bag toss, safety darts, sticky ball and tic tac toe. Great for hand eye coordination, numbers, letters and other gross motor skills! It’s perfect to travel with and small enough you can play inside if it’s just too hot to be outdoors.
I hope this list gave you some fun ideas for the summer! The above links are affiliate links from Amazon and I may make a small commission if you purchase something from them.