It’s Summertime, which means most of us are trying to survive this heat by spending time by the pool or water. This guide is for Baby and Toddler water fun essentials. It includes all things swimsuits, rash guards, water shoes, and water toys.
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Baby & Toddler Swimwear
You can find baby & toddler sizes for swimwear anywhere you buy children’s clothing. Personally prefer ones suits with more coverage for so I opt for rash guards. It helps with the extra sun protection as well as keeping sand out of unwanted areas.
My daughter has very white and sensitive skin so her first bathing suit covered from her neck to her ankles. Most rash guards you’ll find in store are t-shirts or long sleeve shirts. Online you can often find suits with complete coverage.
Baby & Toddler Floats
Babies and toddlers love splashing around in the pool or the ocean. Sometimes we don’t want to be constantly holding our infants in the water so using a float is always nice for us as well as for our children. Most baby floats come with a shading cover above as well. These usually work for babies 6 months-18 months depending on the product.
Rarely you will find floats for 2-3 year olds but I was gifted a The Swim Academy 5-Piece Learn-to-Swim Set which included one perfect for my older toddler of 3 years old (the yellow float in the picture below).
Another great option for toddlers are specially designed life jackets and swim vests in the next section.
Life Jackets or Trainer Vests
Most toddlers don’t want to be stuck on a baby float and want to swim independently. It is essential that a child learns how to swim but having a life jacket or training vest will come in handy. Regardless of their swimming abilities, a life jacket or trainer vest holds a lot of benefits for general security and can be removed when teaching a child how to swim without them.
With these, we have peace of mind watching our toddler float on their own and having fun in the water. They love the independence!
Baby & Toddler Swim Diapers
Swim diapers are sold as reusable fabric or disposable and are to be used underneath bathingsuits or as part of a bathing suit. Public pools and splash pads will require them for children that are not yet potty trained.
The difference between regular disposable diapers and swim diapers is that they won’t swell when wet and can be easily removed with tearable sides. Trust me, it makes a difference after a while. Regular diapers swell up, make a big mess, and can create a skin irritation.
Baby & Toddler Sunscreen
Sunscreen is the most essential item of this list!
Babies have extremely sensitive skin and you do not want to take that risk. The younger that child is, the higher you’ll want that SPF number (usually 50). Remember to apply just before and reapplying as needed (every few hours).
Personally, I prefer to have full coverage suits/rash guards as the main sun protection so that I only need to apply sunscreen on their faces, ears, and neck.
You may also want to consider sunglasses and hats if your child will allow.
Water Tables
Sensory and water play is loads of fun for babies and toddlers! They’re so refreshing for the little ones and come with little toys and accessories as well.
You can put them pretty much anywhere. If you have a patio, lawn, or even garage you just add some water with a hose or bucket and sit down while the kids have hours of fun. They’re fairly portable as well.
Water Toys
Toys are always ideal for extended entertainment of water play, whether with a water table or swimming. Toddlers seem to love anything that can hold or drain water, they also love spoons and squirt toys.
At our house, our collection of these toys are a mixture of beach toys, water play toys, plastic kitchen utensils, and bath toys because they’re useful for all of these. Kids also love bubbles and sprinklers, just check the water temperature before to prevent any serious burns from the heat.
Additional Tips:
- Minimize sun exposure to avoid heat strokes. If you’re spending the day out at the beach, consider a good umbrella or tent.
- Keep those kiddos hydrated.
- Use sunscreen and reapply as needed.
- Check water temperatures, especially in hoses, to avoid burns as well as cold waters, which reduce body temperatures.
- Floats and life vests should not be a substitute for supervision
- Follow basic water safety. guidelines (ex. no running near the pool.)
- Have the latest knowledge on CPR in case of emergency.
- Be aware of Secondary Drowning symptoms if your child has a near-drowning accident (troubled breathing, extreme fatigue or lethargy, coughing or sudden changes in behavior.)
- Stray away from lightning, check the weather forecasts.
- Keep a phone nearby in case of emergency needs.
The list can go on forever. Be smart and cautious, but best of all, have fun in the water with your babies and toddlers!
Have a great summer!
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My name is Paula and I’m a mom of two scrumptious cuties. Thanks Mommy Blog became a project for me to help guide other new moms and current moms through any of my own personal experiences and struggles. My hobbies include singing, doing jigsaw puzzles, baking, designing and trying to stay creative.
I didn’t know they had swimsuits with hoodies! My daughter has a pretty prominent part in her hair and it always gets red because we forget to put sunscreen on it sometimes. She may like the hoodie! These are great recommendations. I especially like the different trainer vests since I… Read more »
I love all of these suggestions! We have the speedo jelly shoes and they’re a huge hit
So many cute products! Thanks for the extra tips. I only learnt about secondary drowning last summer
We play with the water table every day that is sunny right now! But I also love the fishing set.
The water table looks great fun! Great tips for keeping safe too. Have a lovely summer!