Top 10 Summer items for Baby {Perfect for the beach & more}

Beach Essentials for baby

For my fellow SoCal mamas summer might not mean that much of a change…but I know some of you have these things I’ve heard about called seasons.

Whether you’re headed to the lake, camping, or taking baby to the beach like me there are some summer baby essentials to keep your little one safe and happy in the sun this summer.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of my links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

1. Safe Sunscreen for kids & babies

Please, please, please keep your little one’s skin protected from the sun. Not only will a burn be a painful experience but repeated sun damage can lead to skin cancer later in life. So protect them now and teach them good practices for later in life.

So grab some from Target, Amazon, or even your local gas station and slather up yourself and your kids before heading out for summer fun. If you are concerned about the chemicals you’re putting on your child you can see a comparison of sunscreens from the Environmental Working Group.

We’ll be using ThinkBaby once my little one hits the 6-month mark.

Fin more non-toxic products in my Spring Cleaning series.

Please note that sunscreen is not recommended for babies under 6 months of age. As with any product, even a natural/organic one, test it on a small area in case of reaction before you apply it everywhere.

2. Sun hats for babies

As if babies don’t already have enough cute gear they make awesome sunbonnets for babies. I was able to find one that offers UV protection as well. The wide brims will help to keep bald heads, necks, and ears out of the sun at the beach and offer extra protection for little faces.

3. Swimsuit with Rashguard

Anyone else immediately have the yellow polka dot bikini song pop into their head?…just me?…moving right along then. Every baby needs an adorable suit for swimming.

For younger babies, they also make suits with UV protection that cover their arms and legs. These are perfect for little ones with very sensitive skin or ones that are younger than 6 months old where sunscreen is not an option.

4. Baby sunglasses

To finish off their summertime outfit any cool kid needs a pair of sunglasses. Necessary or not they are adorable!

You can get regular pairs in lots of different colors, or if your baby is given to taking things off, they make baby sunglasses that have a band to keep them on. Now your little one can be part of the cool crowd.

5. Swim diapers

Nobody likes pee in the pool so grab a pack of swim diapers before you let your little one dive in. They will keep all the mess contained while your water baby splashes around. Use my diaper saving tricks to save on swim diapers too!

6. Beach tent for shade

Shade is essential for keeping little ones cool. They make lots of baby sun shade tents that will provide shade while still providing plenty of air flow.

If you don’t want to haul and entire shade tent they make these cool umbrellas that clip right onto your beach chair!

When putting baby in a tent or covering their stroller or pack n play be very careful. While providing shade is important a cover could also cause them to overheat quickly.

Be sure to educate yourself about the dangers of covering strollers and other devices in the heat.

7. Stroller fan to keep baby cool

You may also want to consider a stroller fan for those hot outings. You charge them up and they clip right on to the stroller provided a cool breeze on a hot still day. Supposedly they last about 3 hours on the battery charge. Just make sure to keep them where little fingers can’t reach.

8. Bug spray

For those of you in balmier climates, you may also want some bug repellent for your outdoor fun. They even make a green bug spray with none of the harsh chemicals we want to keep off our babies. As with the sunscreen make sure you test it on a small area in case of any reaction before slathering it on.

9. Baby toys for summer

Toys are a must-have of course. I recommend keeping them in the trunk so they’re ready for impromptu stops at the beach or park.

I love this set of sand toys as it includes a variety of toys including a truck. There are also plenty of toys to share with any friends they make along the way.

10. New addition: Outdoor Blanket

I’m now headed into my second summer with my little one. One item I’ve added to our summer must-have item list is an outdoor blanket!

Even in warmer weather, the grass at parks is often wet so a regular blanket isn’t quite going to cut it. Grab an outdoor blanket to create a clean, dry place to lounge with baby. It can easily be used at the beach as well.

We got ours at Costco but you can easily grab these outdoor blankets on Amazon.

Summer Baby Items List

10 things you must have for baby to protect them from the sun these summer at the beach, lake, or poolside.