June 7, 2018

35 fun things to do outside with your kids this summer

It’s finally summer! I compiled this giant list of 35 fun things to do outside with your kids this summer.

To me, summer means meals outside, sticky ice cream on my kids’ hands, and sunshine. Good ol, Mr. Sun. Summer also means the sweet smell of sunscreen on my kids. When it comes to protecting my children from the sun, I don’t take any chances. My family has a history of skin cancer, so I want to make sure I do everything I can to minimize my children’s chances of sun exposure any time we are outside. Whether we’re eating outside, playing in the sprinkler, or at the pool, I make sure any of their exposed skin is slathered with sunblock.

Last summer, I went back to work from my maternity leave in June. So this is my first summer home with my kids and I am so excited to let them spend lots of time outside. While it does get hot and humid here in the midwest, it’s usually best to do something outside, if it’s not water related, in the morning or evening. We like to spend the early afternoon at the pool or playing in the water, then both kids are exhausted and ready for a nap right after. #score.

35 fun things to do outside with your kids this summer

We use Aveeno Baby because it’s safe for both of our children’s sensitive skin.

Aveeno Baby is a hypoallergenic, natural sunscreen with 100% mineral sun blockers. I am happy to know we can enjoy our time in the sun without having to worry about Blaire or Ben’s sun exposure. We keep a tube in the diaper bag, my purse, and in each car because you never know when I’ll take it out of the diaper bag and leave it sitting on the counter. It never hurts to have a back up! We also provide the suncare we authorize daycare to use on Blaire. So we buy the 2 packs of AVEENO® Baby CONTINUOUS PROTECTION Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 50 at Walmart. Now through July you can save $5 on the AVEENO® Baby CONTINUOUS PROTECTION Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Twin Pack at Walmart through Ibotta.

I love that this sunblock doesn’t have the traditional whitening formula. Since I slather both of my children with sunscreen, they both sometimes look like ghosts when we’ve tried other sunscreens. (That looks super cool! Not.) It is also 100% Zinc-Oxide UVA/UVB mineral protection for those of you who are wondering.

I hope you enjoy your summer with your family! I love that kids don’t care how fancy something is. Blaire has just as much fun in the sprinkler or the sandbox in our own backyard as she did at the beach. You don’t need a big vacation to make your kids happy. You just need some time together outdoors.