Boston winters are brutal. They are so horribly cold and snowy with wind chills below zero and 3-4+ layers of clothing. It’s actually my worst nightmare. I count down the days to summer as soon as the first chilly fall day arrives. And NOW, warm weather is here to stay with the first official day of summer on Thursday. For Everly and I, this means lots of days at the playground, outdoor workouts with the jogging stroller, and time in the pool or at the beach!
I’ve rounded out my favorite summer essentials for babies 6 months and older. I’d fully recommend keeping any babies younger than 6 months out of the sun/heat as best as possible.
Outdoor play mats/blankets
Any blanket will usually do the trick for the day at the park, but I’d recommend one that has stakes to stay in the ground if there’s any wind. We have one that we purchased from Target when they did their collaboration with Hunter a few months ago and it’s perfect. It folds up into a small bag and has a beautiful pattern. Everly is able to crawl around on the blanket and play with her toys out of the grass. PS: most kids are afraid of the grass! Here are some similar options:
Opalhouse – Black and White Animal Picnic Blanket
DOUSPT Beach Blanket Picnic Blanket
Travel Fan
We can’t sleep/relax in the heat when we’re sweaty, so babies definitely can’t either. To keep cool I bought Everly a small fan that clips on to her stroller. We like the one with foam fan blades, but all baby fans are safe for the stroller and tiny fingers.
Dreambaby Clip On Stroller Fan, Black w/Silver
Sun Protection
The best way to keep your baby protected from the sun, is to keep them out of it. Sun shades, beach umbrellas, long sleeve bathing suits, sun hats, and sunscreen are so important to keep your baby safe in the sun.
i play. Baby Flap Sun Protection Swim Hat
It comes in 10+ colors, works great in the pool, and ties on under babies chin. It’s basically the only hat that Everly will keep on her head!
This suit comes in different patterns, has a zip for easy on/off, and is UPF 50+ for sun protection. The best part is the long sleeves = less time applying sunscreen.
Beautycounter Countersun Sunscreen: Pediatricians recommend not applying sunscreen to babies under 6 months old. The most important things to think about when buying sunscreen for your child are safety and effectiveness. The safest sunscreen that I’ve found for Everly is by Beautycounter. And best of all is that it’s effective too! There is an option for a mist, lotion or face stick. I’ve used a combo of all three on her, but the mist is definitely the easiest to apply when she’s squirming around. It’s important to remember to reapply every 2 hours or immediately after they go into the water and dry off.
Summertime Toys
Everly loves the water, so we have a great float for the pool. At the beach she will play with the sand – it’s inevitable for them to eat it too. She has sand toys and stacking cups to play with as well.
We are ordering her a water table for the backyard. She played with one over the weekend at a birthday party and loved it!
Bubbles are another easy, inexpensive toy for babies. 20 minutes of guaranteed excitement!
What are your must haves for the summer with your baby?
xo,
Jacci
