You guys, we can start to get ready for Summer! Here is your summer checklist that covers all the essential things you need to get organized and replenish BEFORE the beginning of the summer so that you get the most out of the best season of the year. So, without further ado, let’s go started!
Summer Essentials
- Sunscreen | Do yourself a favor this summer and get this jumbo everyday lotion with a pump for your house — it will make applying sunscreen every day so much easier and part of the routine. Then we always have Neutrogena SPF 45 and Neutrogena Spray in our bags to reapply. Check the expiration date(s) on your bottles, and make sure to stock up now, so you are prepared. Don’t forget to order a bottle or two extra to send to daycare with your kid(s)!!
- Mama Tip: Buy a blender makeup ball to get the sunscreen on your kid’s face without the fight and tears. MAGIC!
- Large Boat and Tote | Make sure you have a bag or two for all the stuff. The Large and Medium Boat Tote are staples in our house. Boat and Tote Bags, or we’ve heard this waterproof tote is fantastic!
- Swim Diapers | For your kiddos still in diapers, make sure you order a pack (or two) of swim diapers before your first trip to the pool/beach so you don’t have to scramble and stop at the CVS on the way to your first pool day (speaking from experience 😂)
- Bug Spray | Not the highlight of summer, but bugs are part of summer, so make sure you stock up on bug spray. Millie is super sensitive to bug bites, so we always make sure to travel/have Cortizone cream in our bag.
- Water Bottles | We love this $21 iron flask sports water bottle that keeps your water ICE cold all day long. My kids drink 100x more water when they use this bottle, and I love that I don’t have to juggle having multiple drinks of water to keep track of.
- Cooler | An essential. We love this LL Bean Shoulder Cooler (the strap is nerdy but very practical!) and this size Yeti Cooler for beach days. For a great boat or larger group cooler, we say go with this White Igloo Cooler or this yeti hard cooler.
- Beach Chairs | As much as I’d love to recommend an online option, we suggest finding a local store to buy beach chairs with the right height/weight, and style!
- Wagon | For carrying all the stuff and the kiddos! We are huge fans of the Veer Wagon (it’s fantastic and lives up to the HYPE) and love this Radio Flyer Beach Wagon. The cover is convenient since the walk to and from the beach can be a sneaky amount of extra sun for the kids.
- Beach Towels | Make sure you have enough beach towels for your family (and guests if you host often!)
- Disposable Camera | Okay, this isn’t essential, but I love the idea so much. Give your kid a disposable camera for them to capture your summer! I promise they will go crazy for it, and it’s such a fun way to capture their perspective and something physical that you can add to your treasure box to enjoy for years to come.
Summer / Outdoor Toys
Summer is a great time to refresh your toys to make sure you’re continuing to encourage independent play and the joy of being active. Look at your local Facebook marketplace or free market first. You can usually score a great deal of lightly used toys.
Here is a list of the toys we have bought or we are eyeing for this summer.
Puddle Jumpers and &/or Life Jacket | My kids loved their Puddle Jumpers when they were learning. For Life Jackets, Mustang PFDs were the most recommended when I polled my friends!
Shovels + Buckets | This eco beach bucket with tools is s.o. f.r.e.a.k.i.n. g.o.o.d. buy it now! You and your kids will love it, I promise.
Reusable Water Ballons | For hours and hours of water play without the mess of broken balloons! Great for your yard and the pool! REUSABLE WATER BALLOONS
Waterproof Camera | For them to capture precious water moments, only $30
Mermaid Dive Buddies | For hours of pool games! MERMAID DIVE BUDDIES
Ice Cream Sand Toys | What sitter-vising dreams are made of! SAND TOYS
Googles | Speedo Kids Googles
Picnic Table | For outdoor lunches and arts/crafts. I love this little tikes picnic table (the umbrella is excellent!) and this wood Toddler Picnic Table.
Giant Bubble Wand | Bubbles are a big hit for all ages, and this giant bubble wand set is so fun!
Stomp Rocket | Millie and Welles can spend hours playing with this stomp rocket to see how high it goes. Such a great toy for summer!
Water Blasters | I don’t know what it is, but every kid loves these water blasters.
Kid Size Gardening Tools | Welles is obsessed with gardening, and these kid-sized gardening tools make his play last for hours.
Traffic Cones | We have so many cones, and the kids have so much fun using them in a million + 1 ways to invent new games. Such a great purchase!
Hippity Hop Balls | My kids are begging me to get these bouncing balls after playing with them at school. It’s such a fun way to stay active, so I think I’ll cave and get them one for the house.
Water Table | Hours and hours of water table play. Such a great toy that my kids continue to enjoy years later.
Sidewalk Chalk | Make sure you have a new box of sidewalk chalk for all the pictures, hopscotch, and games!
Baseball | We love this t-ball set and have spent hours just hitting the ball when they were young and now love having a game as a family.
Basketball | This set baseball hoop lives inside our house (because we are obsessed), but we take it outside during the summer too. It’s just so fun, and since it’s adjustable, it’s aged great with the kids.
Play Grill | Our neighbor has this outside BBQ grill, and the kids love it so, so much! Having an outside kitchen for them to make whatever mud burgers/food they want provides for great messy play that doesn’t stress me out!
Scooter | Scooters are just so fun. From playing in our driveway to the library or playground, we love our scooters. ** I know the Micro’s are more expensive, but we went cheap first, and my kids got so frustrated with how hard they were, and it wasn’t until we got this one they fell in love.
Bike | If your kids are learning to ride a bike, we swear by this strider bike! For a bigger bike, stop by your local bike store so your kids can get fitted!
Plastic Pool | We love our simple plastic pool because it’s so versatile. Fill it with water for a fun backyard pool for those hot days. Or, for those cloudy days, fill it with a bag of dirt, sand, or water beads for the kids to play with without destroying your entire yard! We also used to bring it to the beach to fill it with water when the kids were little so that they could play without the danger of waves, etc.! If you’re looking for the most beautiful inflatable pool, check out this new-to-me brand Mylle. SO CUTE!
Pool Slide | We don’t own this pool slide, but it looks fun and has excellent reviews.
Jungle Jumper | This jungle jumparoo is another one on our wishlist, but it sounds like everyone who owns one is obsessed.
For a rainy day | Alright, this isn’t for outside, but it’s great for a rainy day. Preschool Kids Sewing Kit and make sure to top up/refresh your arts + crafts supplies!!
Summer Find The Fun Checklist
Finally, the very important Find the Fun checklist to make sure you check off.
- Join | Join your local pool or rent a cabana at your club pool (and find/buy your IDs!)
- Buy | Make sure you buy your Beach Badges, Oversand Vehicle Permits, etc.,
- Book | Ladies, don’t forget to book your very important grooming visits to get summer-ready.
- For those in the Northern New Jersey area, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Renata at Bellisima. She is fantastic!!
There you have it – our quick punch list to get you ready for summer fun! So go ahead and buy what you need now so that you and your family are prepared to have fun the minute the weather turns!
Thanks as always for reading (you got to the bottom, woohoo!) and for your continued support! I am forever grateful.
Xx Meg
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