Since my girls love being outside, here are some of our summer must-haves for my outdoorsy kid and toddler. Hello, sweet summertime!

Now that the kids are older, we are less limited by nap schedules, but if I had a baby this season, I would definitely get one of these. I’ve had several friends say it’s pretty much a non-negotiable and they take it wherever they go, so you mamas with young babies to toddlers, check it out!

To start with the most important staple of all, let’s chat sunscreen.

With plenty of biopsy scars on my skin and a family history of melanoma, I’m pretty fanatical about skin protection. I make everyone follow the rule of applying 30 minutes before heading outside and we also apply before we put on our suits, as to ensure we don’t miss any spots.

We always start with the lotion, as opposed to a spray. This California Baby Sunscreen is my favorite. It is pretty easy to apply and scores highly on the EWG chart. For the girls’ faces I use Bare Republic Mineral Face Stick, which is easy to apply and leaves a little white residue briefly so I can see where I have missed, then it absorbs into the skin.

I’m a stickler for reapplying and though I prefer a reapplication with lotion, having a spray is also really helpful. I found this Alba Botanical Active Kids Spray at Target and like it fine, but will be buying Goddess Garden Organic Spray next for the sake of it’s high rating on the EWG chart.

This is our third water table and by far, our favorite. The Sandy Lagoon Waterpark Play Table is technically a sand and water table, though we just fill both sides with water. It’s a staple on our back porch and both girls (4 1/2 and 2) play with it constantly. I appreciate the sturdiness of the 4 legs and the fact that there are no little tubes to connect/fall apart underneath like my water tables of yore.

[Tweet “Moms, get ready for a fun summer with these staple items for the outdoorsy kid! @ahealthyslice”]

If your kids are super into water and need a more heavy-duty set up, I highly recommend the Clearview Water Table for Toddlers. I have a friend that has it and it’s great for her boys!

The girls and I are really loving our garden. Though the zucchini has pretty much taken over the entire thing, it’s still exciting to water, harvest and play in the garden. Since they constantly fight over the single kid watering can we have, I’m ordering this one as well. SO CUTE!

I also recommend these Kinco Kid Gardening Gloves. They are cheap and the latex coating makes them durable. We’ve gone through a couple cutesy pairs and these have withstood the test of time.

Living so close to the water and having a boat mean that we’ve tried a lot of different flotation aids. By far our favorite it the Puddle Jumper. It is coast guard approved and Hailey does not mind wearing it at all. I actually bought a couple to have in case friends come over.

If your child doesn’t fit into a puddle jumper, there are some alternatives. We’ve tried multiple options for her and found that the best so far is this Life Jacket for Toddlers. It doesn’t ride up as much as some others we’ve tried and the neoprene back makes it easier for her to sit comfortably.

With warm weather comes the BUGS. We don’t have a huge problem with them where we are (minus ants, which are everywhere but probably don’t really count in this conversation). However, ,if we are heading to a field party, cook out or something similar, we use California Baby Bug Spray and it seems to work pretty well for us without the use of harsh chemicals.

I’ve partially been submerged in either the lake or pool every single for the past 2 weeks. Because we love being outside and swimming so much, I’m a big fan of rash guards for the girls. We find most of the rashguard bathing suits we love at Target (like this one which is darling!). I’m tempted to get this 4th of July option too. And again, if you have a baby or young toddler, you really need one of these. I loved when Kaitlyn could wear them!

Though we have disposable options for a pinch, we really prefer the permanent swim diapers. And though I honestly can’t get Kaitlyn to wear a hat as regularly anymore, these i Play hats were always my favorite for babies and toddlers. They provide great coverage!

Just ending with a recent snack plate I made when we had two of Hailey’s friends over to play because what is summer without some snacks?! In fact, I need to go restock this morning since we seem to be flying through the food lately. I guess busy, active kiddos will do that.

Seasons always tend to sneak up on me, so this year I’m determined not to wake up in August and realize we’ve already spent half our summer. I’m intentionally going to fill our days with swimming, splashing and other warm weather fun, adding charms to our memory necklaces as we go!

What is one summer staple that you can’t live without?

And you can’t say a cold beer! Ok, well, you totally can. Cheers 😉