Beach and Pool Essentials for Toddlers

Summertime means going to the beach and the pool, which we have done a few times and plan to do a lot more before the season ends. When you do these things with a baby, you obviously need a lot more stuff and I've decided to share what we use to make these outings easier and fun for everyone.

1. L.L. Bean Extra Large Zip-Top Tote Bag.

I love this bag because it's huge and can hold pretty much everything for our entire family in it. The zip-top is nice because it keeps sand and stuff out of the bag, and I like the canvas material because it's easy to clean. This bag was around $40, which is very reasonable considering how much it holds and how often we use it.

2. Beach towels. Bring extras!

We got all of our beach towels at Target. They're super cute and they were pretty cheap. Landon has a dinosaur beach towel from Carter's, but that thing was like $20 bucks and there was no way I was buying him more than 1. Extra towels are nice for helping get the sand off of everyone and for multiple times in and out of the pool. I think we have 5 adult towels and 1 child towel.

3. A beach blanket.

Someone gave us this great blanket that can be used for pretty much anything. I have no idea who gave it to us or when. I just randomly found it in a closet one day and it's perfect for the beach, park, picnics, whatever! It's a vinyl material, so sand doesn't get stuck on it and it's very easy to wipe off if your kids drop anything messy on it.

4. Sand toys!

We got a cute truck sand toy set at Target, and the bag and other toys from CVS. Of course Landon likes the bag more than anything else, but he enjoys playing with these toys at the beach too.

5. A bunch of baby supplies!

This is most of the stuff we bring for Landon when we go to the beach or pool. We always have plenty of regular and swim diapers, wipes, a wet bag for his swim clothes (that's the white bag with blue animals on it), a hat, a fan that sprays water, Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Stick SPF 60 for Landon's face, Banana Boat Baby Spray Sunscreen for Landon's body, (the spray is a million times easier to use and doesn't leave a white film on his skin), a plastic shopping bag for dirty diapers, and various squeezie fruit and veggie pouches, kid snacks, and a sippy cup filled with water. Landon's swimsuit consists of trunks and a short-sleeved rash guard with UV protection. I like not having to worry about covering his entire torso and back with sunscreen since the top takes care of that. 

6. A beach chair. 

Landon got this Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Flex Octopus Chair for his birthday. As you can see, we use it in the house as well, but this chair is really meant to be used outside. It's super cute, very easy to open and close, and comes with a carrying case. I personally love the cup holder and Landon enjoys it too.

7. A tent.

*Picture from Amazon.com

We got this tent to use in case Landon needs some shade. It has UV protection and it was pretty easy for Jeff to assemble. It comes with a carrying case and it was helpful at the pool party we went to on July 4th. We haven't used it at the beach yet. I seriously doubt Landon will ever sleep in here, but it will be nice for him to have access to shade during our beach trip next month.

8. A pool float

We got this pool float for Landon and it's awesome! It springs open once you take it out of the bag, it inflates in 2 seconds, and it has a sunshade which I believe has UV protection on it. Landon really enjoyed being in this at a pool party we went to, and he actually almost fell asleep in it at one point he was so relaxed haha!

Along with all of that stuff I pack snacks, water bottles, and sunscreen for Jeff and I. I like the Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunblock in SPF 70 or 100 because I burn easily. I like this sunblock because it's not greasy and doesn't break me out. Jeff will use anything and I force him to get SPF 30, but he'd prefer 15. 

I think that's it! What kind of stuff do all of you other moms pack for the beach or pool?