I’m not sure where you live but here in Vancouver, Canada it feels like summer is suddenly upon us. The waterparks are on, the temperature is heating up and the endless hours of the summer seem so close.
As we’re still in a pandemic, the “normal” things we’d do in the summer like travel or visit attractions just aren’t going to happen. So I thought I’d share a few of our summer survival items that we love for our almost five year old, three year old and baby.
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- Sun shade
Trust me when I say you will use this all summer. It’s awesome when you have little babies – gives them a shady spot to hang or somewhere to eat quietly. But it’s great for the big kids too. If you’re spending a good chunk of time in the sun, they’ll enjoy having lunch or maybe even a nap here. They pop up quick too. I usually keep mine in the car all summer so it’s always there, ready to go.
I love having a simple audio monitor because when I want to stay outside in the backyard with one or two of the kids but the other(s) need to nap, I use this. I find they have better range than the video monitors. I also love it for sleepovers at grandparents or travelling (remember before the pandemic… when we traveled?!).
Instead of our kids getting multiple things for their birthdays, we usually get grandparents, any interested aunts/uncles to go in with us and get a bigger present. Last year we did that (plus used some money from a cancelled trip – pandemic) and got this inflatable water slide. Our kids loved it. Was definitely worth the investment for a summer spent at home!
These are so much fun! All our kids love them. We put it in our front yard and often look out our window to find neighbourhood kids on it too! Every kid from 1-12 years old can’t help but jump on!
I have two!! I keep one in the car and one in the stroller. I find these so convenient for the beach, park, backyard… wherever!! Talk to any family you know and I guarantee they have one!
We used this sooooooo much when Bug was a baby. I had a lot of friends come over for play dates who also had a toddler and a baby and I think at one point we had five babies in here, haha! So convenient to keep baby safe (ie keep crazy toddlers away from the baby or keep baby contained).
A splash pad is such an affordable way to have water fun in the backyard. Also great for tights spaces and fun for a baby too!
Of course a pool is a great addition to the backyard. Since I have a dog I find the inflatable ones are no good. So I like the idea of this one.
My kids loooove having their own camping chairs. We use them in the backyard, camping, back when we went over to friends’ houses (remember doing that before the pandemic?!). If you’re looking for a bunch of gift ideas, Melissa and Doug has a bunch of outside things that match this chair, btw.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love Jan & Jul’s sunhats. These Adventure Hats are so great, they give so much coverage from the sun and have been total lifesavers the last few years we’ve had them.
