The Best 5 Baby and Toddler Summer Essentials: to Keep Safe & Healthy

Inside: Looking for safe baby and toddler summer essentials to keep your little one happy & healthy?? Keep reading for 5 of the best must-haves!

I was in big trouble…

It felt like it was a million degrees outside and the car AC wasn’t working. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a park with gushing sprinklers and then it hit me—I didn’t have any sunscreen or water clothes for my daughter…

Praying that she didn’t see the park, I tried to speed up.

But she saw it. And then the tantrum started.

I couldn’t blame her- it was REALLY hot!

So, I let her run in through the sprinklers a couple of times, just long enough for her to get cooled off but short enough where she wouldn’t get sunburned.

And I was kicking myself the entire time!

How could I forget the basic summer essentials?!

From that day on, I now carry all the baby and toddler summer essentials with me so I’m always prepared.

If you’re looking for the best baby and toddler summer essentials and must-haves, you’ve come to the right place!

I’ll share with you all of my favorite summer products for kids PLUS my essentials checklist so you can always be prepared too. If you’re looking for the best, all-natural, baby-safe products to help you glide through the summer, I’m so glad you’re here!

Let’s get down to it!

The Best Baby & Toddler Summer Essentials

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1. Sunscreen

My little girl is extremely fair-skinned…like Elsa’s ice transparent.

Because her skin is so fair, she’s extremely sensitive to the sun.

So I had to really do my research and step up my sunscreen and sunblock game.

I not only needed something that was strong enough and water-resistant, but I also needed something that was as natural as possible without the sneaky chemicals that most sunscreens have these days.

After 2 long summers of figuring out which product is best, we finally found our golden ticket!

Here are my 2 favorite baby and toddler sunscreens:

2. Hat

The next baby and toddler summer essential is a good sun hat. I prefer the ones that are also water-resistant so Baby L can run through the sprinklers at the park.

But any brimmed hat will work!

Check out this related post!

3. Bug Repellant

Bugs are not only a nuisance, but they can also be very dangerous. Especially if your child is allergic to mosquitos or bees.

That’s why bug repellent is a baby and toddler summer essential!

My daughter has an allergy to mosquito bites- I’m talking hives, fever, red knot, blisters and all. It breaks my heart to see her like that.

So, I use a special combination of 2 different products and it turned out to be a game-changer.

The first product is Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil Lotion. This stuff is seriously gold. You just slather it on your child and the bugs stay awaaaayyyy. You can also find it at Target (which is awesome for curbside pick up!)

Always look for the green bottle when shopping for it.

I also use a liquid organic bug repellant to spray on her clothes so it’s double the power.

4. Bathing suit

Never underestimate a good bathing suit! I’m always inclined to purchase a cheaper bathing suit because let’s face it, not everyone can afford a $50 baby bathing suit that your child is going to grow out of in 2.5 seconds.

But I’ve learned the hard way that not all bathing suits are created equal. A $5 swimsuit just doesn’t fit and protect as well as one of a higher quality.

The great news is, you don’t have to choose between quality and affordability- you can have both!

I’ve found some really great bathing suits that are not only great on toddler wear and tear but also really affordable.

These are my favorite:

5. Sunglasses

If your little one is old enough to keep sunglasses on, then this is a summer must-have to keep in your bag.

I found that Baby L won’t wear her hat but she’ll wear her sunglasses and then some days she’ll wear her hat and then refuse to wear her sunglasses.

Having both options is essential for any day out in the sun!

Keeping Sanitized: Baby & Toddler Summer Essentials

Another major part of my baby and toddler summer essentials is a list of products to help keep my family healthy and germ-free (ultimately keeping away sickness too!)

These are the products I always have on hand whenever we go shopping, out to eat, or pretty much anywhere that’s a public area.

We live in New York City- so that’s pretty much everywhere!

I also included my favorite house products that are not only disinfecting but totally safe to use around little ones.

Favorite Sanitizing Products

Travel Lysol Spray

Whenever I need to quickly clean a large surface that I can’t wipe down, I spray it down for 2 seconds with this disinfectant spray and I’m good to go.

This works especially well when you need to quickly clean down a shopping cart where your little one needs to sit in.

Travel Clorox Wipes

These travel wipes are super handy when you need to wipe down surfaces such as public tables, handles, bars, and chairs. One quick wipe and you’re all set!

Non-Bleach Antibacterial wipes

These wipes are awesome for cleaning any surface that your little one is going to directly touch, such as shopping cart bars. These wipes contain no bleach and are baby safe so they are great to always have on hand.

Lysol Laundry Sanitizer

I can talk about this stuff all day! This laundry sanitizer is great for when you want to make extra sure your clothes are disinfectant and properly sanitized. I add a cap full to any load where we sat in a public place for a long time or visited a high traffic area, such as a park or restaurant.

This laundry sanitizer has been gold during this pandemic too!

Seventh Generation Disinfectant Spray

I love this disinfectant spray because it is 100% baby and toddler safe for your home! It’s completely natural made with essential oils s you can spray until your heart is content, even with the little ones around!

I always spray down the diaper bag whenever we get home with this disinfectant spray so I get rid of all the germs.

Works like a charm!

It also gives you great peace of mind knowing everything is clean and sanitized so your family can stay safe & healthy.

There you have it!

Here are all of my favorite baby and toddler summer essentials that help me always feel prepared.

With these essentials, you’ll always have what you need so you never feel like you have to pull your hair out!

So now, if you ever find yourself in a pickle and your little one wants to run into the sprinklers, you won’t be like me running around trying to find sunblock– you’ll be totally prepared!

Happy Summer!

The Best 5 Baby & Toddler Summer Essentials