I remember the first time I received a note home from daycare about “summer camp.” At first I thought it was a cute idea, to change the schedule up a bit in the summer and have camp activities, then I saw the extra cost on top of tuition and got a bit weak. In addition to cost, it means extra clothes at daycare for your child to participate fully. After scrambling to find what I needed that first year, I’ve rounded up five essential items to purchase so you’re child can enjoy the activities and you can feel comfortable they are safe and protected outside!
Water shoes – Usually during these camp activities there is a lot of outdoor water play. I recommend a close toe shoe to prevent them from slipping and/or stubbing their toe. Both of my daughters have extremely small feet, most stores don’t carry under a size 5, so make sure you build in time to order online.
Beach tote – There’s nothing worse than trying to schlep two kids into daycare with my arms full of extra clothes and supplies needed for each one. I recommend a designated bag for each child with the items needed for the day. I also suggest a separate plastic or reuseable bag to put inside the tote that the teacher can put the wet swimsuit in so everything else in the bag doesn’t get soaked.
Swim diapers– My oldest is out of diapers but I’ll still be picking up swim diapers for my toddler. I find these diapers work the best and don’t get too bulky when she goes into the pool or splashes in the water.
Swimsuit – Summer days are meant to be spent outside having fun but you also want to protect your kids from the sun. That’s why I always pick up a rash guard top for camp. I know the teachers do their best to monitor the kids in the sun but having my girls wear rash guards is an extra precaution against sunburn.
Sunscreen – Both of my girls have very fair skin and I worry a lot about sunburn in the summer. Their skin is also on the sensitive side and I have found this sunscreen to work really well at protecting them from the sun as well as not irritating their skin. On sunny days I put this on before daycare and the teachers reapply before they go outside.
These are the essential items I pick up each year, in addition to a hat and towel. I’m still on the hunt for both of those items, once the girls got to the toddler stage it became more difficult to find hats that stayed securely on their head. If you’ve found anything that’s worked well drop it in the comments! Camp starts Monday so it looks like I’ll be on the hunt this weekend! 🙂
Happy Friday!