Our Toddler Summer Essentials

We’re already in the swing of summer over here – pool is out, splash pad is being enjoyed, outdoor furniture is nearly all purchased, and our work days are getting shorter and shorter. As I’ve been sharing more and more on Stories from our days outside, I’ve been getting a few requests to share all of Harper’s summer toys and essentials. I’ve rounded up our favorite and most used items for summer below.

Minnow Swim swimsuits – I absolutely LOVE Minnow Swim. I’ve tried other swimsuits for Harper and the quality does not live up to these. The styles, prints, and colors are a great balance of what I like and what’s more kid appropriate. I appreciate the attention to detail on these. We get compliments on her swimsuits all the time, they’re honestly the best!

Crocs – Harper wears her Crocs everyday! We got them for her to wear in our backyard and she’s taken to them really well. She can put them on and off herself, they’re great for water play, but the strap allows her to run around in them as well. This has been one of our best purchases since moving to California.

Mylles Shop Pool – A non-toxic, neutral kid pool – they do exist! The second I saw this pool I knew I had to have it. I was on the waitlist for half a year for this one, it was in the off season, thankfully, but still lol. It’s great quality, holding up well and it’s a good size. We’ll be using this all summer long!

Splash Pad – We’ve had this for 2 years now and it’s held up well. Harper will switch between going in her pool or splash pad – it’s a nice way to change things up. This is a great size for 1-3 kids, doesn’t take up too much space, and it’s super affordable.

Polo Ralph Lauren Hats – We initially had the smaller hats with the animals on them, but I had to order a few more in bigger sizes as Harper outgrew those. I found a few options on Zappos and I love the fit of these on her. They have neutral, classic colors, and the overall style is just so classic. Hats are another one of those things where it’s hard to find anything that isn’t too kid-like and bright red, lol. I highly recommend these!

Liewood Beach Toys – My favorite beach toys. If you don’t go digging, it’s really hard to find outdoor kid toys that aren’t plastic, bright, and an eye sore. Anything from Liewood is stunning, non-toxic, and of great quality. I can’t recommend this brand enough!

Zara brown sandals – Harper has been wearing these for the last 2 years. I bought a second pair as she outgrew the first pair, but we’re already going on a 3rd (just ordered the other day). I love these because they’re comfortable right  out of the box. Toddler/kid sandals are weird, I can never tell if she’s going to get a blister/cut from something digging into her foot. But, not with these. they’re  are soft all around, great quality, and look adorable. They run TTS.

Native Water-Friendly Sneakers – I just placed Harper’s order for these. We’ve had them the last 2 summers and love them! They’re great for water activities or for everyday. You can slip them on and off and they go with everything. These come in a ton of colors for both girls and boys. They do run big, so size down.

Sunscreen – We’ve been using Think Baby sunscreen since the very beginning. This goes on pretty white and thick, but it’s clean and safe. I’ve been meaning to try this sunscreen as well as this stick (for the face).

Beach Towel – I think a lot of times parents get caught up in buying kid sized things (just so they can grow out of it). I know there’s a lot of kid towels out there, but we like to stick to using what we have. We love our Serena & Lily towels – they’re plush, thick, soft, and absorbent. They’re big enough for Mike, but Harper still loves to get wrapped up in them. On the pricier side, but they’re amazing.

Hydro Flask Water Bottle – We’ve been using these for the last 2 years and have really enjoyed them. They get pretty dirty (as expected), but we’ve been able to clean them easily. Our whole family uses Hydro Flask and our water stays cold.

Gathre Mat – I’ve been using Gathre mats since Harper was born (we had a small one as a changing mat in our baby bag). We LOVE these. They’re vegan leather, clean well, and so adorable. I bring the big one with us (midi+) to the beach, park, or lay it out in the backyard. These are great because they’re thick enough to not feel anything pocky on the grass, etc.

Outdoor Chair (linked a wood version, plastic seems to be sold out everywhere) – Mike found this tiny chair at Target, but looks like they’re sold out. Linking to a similar option for you. Harper loves any chair/seat that’s her size. If you child loves a small chair, these are great to use, but also great entertainment as well, lol.