Hurray!  Summertime is here so let’s get ready to have fun!  Plan on hitting the beach or the pool?  Well you’ve got to pack your beach bag (or pool bag) with everything you need! 

Here are my suggestions for packing the perfect beach bag, with a couple of great pool toys thrown in, too.

1. Sunscreen – This is a no brainer, but make sure to bring plenty of it. I absolutely love MD Moms sunscreen towelettes for babies. For toddlers, I love Neutrogena Wet Sunscreen spray for their bodies.  It goes on easy and stays on for a long time!

 2. A wide brim hat – Don’t forget your own hat or your little one’s! Even with sunscreen, it’s important to protect those pretty faces.

3. Towels – You’ve got to dry those bodies after splashing around!

4. A nice big blanket to sit on – Try the Sand Away Beach Sheet by One Step Ahead; its lightweight and repels sand!

5. An extra change of clothes – It’s a good idea to put a spare pair of clothes in a sealed plastic bag so they don’t get wet or sandy. That way at the end of a fun day at the beach or pool, you have a nice dry pair of clothes for your little one to change into.

6. Water shoes – Flip flops, crocs, or any kind of water shoes. The sand or pavement can get hot, so you need protective shoes for little feet!

7. A sweatshirt or cover up – It’s also good to put this in your sealed plastic bag.  Often the end of the day can get windy or chilly so bring something warm, just in case.

8. Small first aid kit – You never know when your little one will get a boo boo.  Be prepared at all times!

9. Healthy snacks – You may be bringing a cooler of snacks and drinks.  If not, pack some healthy, delicious snacks in a sealed container so you can keep your little one energized, and you don’t have to buy junky, expensive food at a snack bar.  (Although an ice cream treat on a hot summer day is always fun!)

10. Beach toys! – Melissa and Doug have awesome beach toys, but you can also find great ones at any drugstore. If you are really ambitious, bring a medium size gardening shovel to dig a big sand pit at the beach for the kids to play in. They will have hours of fun jumping in and out of it and playing with all their toys! Just make sure the hole is far enough away from the water that it doesn’t fill up.  

11. Pool and beach toy suggestions – The Original Floaties makes great pool products.  I love their arm floaties and kickboard.  At the beach, besides sand toys, trucks are always fun to bring for boys AND girls.  I also bring a plastic measuring cup, measuring spoons, and a stirring spoon so my daughter can make “cakes.”

If you’re going to the beach, don’t forget to pack an umbrella or some kind of tent.  It’s nice to have a shady place to take a break from the hot sun.  Don’t forget beach chairs! Melissa and Doug make adorable beach chairs for little ones that I recommend.  They even have cup holders!  And pick up a beach chairs for yourself too!

Hope you have a lot of splish-splashy fun this summer with your family.  I know I will!