Or in other words, summer ‘stuff’ our kids have had their eyes on and the products we think will keep them busy over the 6 weeks (which feels like 6 years) of summer school holidays. Everything from bathers to pool toys to beach essentials like hats and towels and sun shades, plus a few products we’ve found for us parents. These all make great Christmas gift ideas too so take a scroll through and make sure you’re set for Summer!
Tesalate Towels
These towels are a game-changer when it comes to beach days. With their patent-pending fabric technology, Tesalate towels are sand-free, meaning my kids can play in the sand without bringing half of it back home with them. As a parent, that’s a huge relief!
What makes Tesalate towels even more incredible is their ultra-absorbent and rapid-dry fabric tech. No more waiting around for hours while traditional towels struggle to dry. These towels are quick-drying, making it easy for my kids to wrap up after a swim. Plus, they are super-compact and lightweight, so they’re a breeze to take with us on beach trips, a visit to the local pool or even when we travel.
Aussie owned, all the designs are stunning. In fact, we struggle to choose a favourite!
Beach Soul Portable Showers
If there is one summer must-have to save your sanity (and the floor of your car) this is it! A pump operated, portable HEATED outdoor shower from Beach Soul!
Either keep it in the car for the kids to wash sand off their feet before hoping in after a beach visit, or take it with you wherever you go for washing hands, bodies or even washing the dog! The thing we love about Beach Soul is that their portable showers can hold heated water and stay warm, thanks to the neoprene cover. So don’t stress if the tap at your beach carpark isn’t working or is inevitably FREEZING cold. Be the envy of everyone else lining up for a cold shower and rinse your kids off with your Beach Soul shower!
They come in two different sizes with a few different design options for the neoprene cover.
Nateve – Hooded Towels
Don’t struggle to carry towels or fit them into a bag – let your kids wear them!
Nateve Australia stock hooded towels for both kids and adults in a fantastic range of patterns and colours. We take these camping with us, the kids put them on as they get out of the pool and by the time we are back at our campsite, they are pretty much dry!
They are also perfect for walking from the beach to the car or home – and they are sand free so you don’t have to worry about them dumping a heap of sand into the car! We also love that they are quick dry, lightweight, compact and offer sun protection without the kids getting overheated.
Will & Bear Hats
Will & Bear have the cutest range of hats for kids and we just love this Little Calloway 100% wool fedora style hat. The wide brim and UPF 50+ rating ticks all the sun safe boxes and the shape and design tick the cuteness boxes, or “coolness” boxes when it comes to tweenagers like this mine. Wool naturally regulates temperature, meaning its warm in winter & cool in summer, making them great for all year round. Available in two colours and suitable for heads 53cm and below. Around 12(ish) and under.
If straw hats are more your style also take a look at their Little Rider straw hat.
Icy Pole Mould from Seed + Sprout
I mean what screams summer more than an Icy Pole!? We can always trust Seed + Sprout for their high quality products and plastic free eco credentials. Ideal for a healthy and refreshing after school treat without any preservatives! Get creative with fresh fruits or use up any excess smoothie mix.
CoolCabanas
Families will love this lightweight, easy to set up (yep, even solo) beach shade. It has just one centre pole, and is anchored by sand in four columns. From our experience it holds up well in a bit of wind, provides plenty of shade for every one and packs away into a nice small carry bag. Honestly, we have carried this thing a long way! Forget pegs and ropes and complicated bendy poles – this is the shade you have been looking for.
Check out all of the designs at coolcabanas.com.au
Outdoor Aqua Pouch from Playpouch
Outdoor Aqua Pouch is a unique waterproof carry-all with shoulder strap and zip pocket that opens out to become a mat, play space or picnic rug.
Take all you need with you outdoors – for the park, camping, or a day at the beach in the Outdoor Aqua Pouch. Lay it out for a place to sit or play. If the ground is damp, you’ll stay dry. When it is time to go, simply pull on the rope and everything is gathered neatly into the Pouch.
Outdoor Aqua Pouch Mini is also available!
shop online at www.playpouch.com.au/collections/aqua-pouch
Wahu
Don’t hit the beach or the pool without Wahu this summer. Whether you’re after a swim ring, beach ball, pool games or the beach must have “Surfer Dude” you’ll find it at Wahu.
The neoprene mini beach balls are the perfect size to throw in the beach bag and it’s waterproof neoprene skin makes it buoyant and kid tough.
These make great Christmas gift ideas too!
Check out their huge range at wahu.com.au
Bebe Luxe
With the summer holidays just around the corner, it’s time to shake out the picnic rug.
We LOVE the cheerful, bright colours of Bebe Luxe’s five different designs. The Rainbow Pop Picnic Rug is an absolute showstopper on the grass and nice and easy to spot on a crowded beach. The rug is a roomy 2m x 2m so it’s big enough for the whole family. Machine-washable, the under-side is waterproof and rolls up into a velcro-secured carry case, making this the perfect travel companion. Combined with a cooler bag to keep your drinks and snacks nice and cool, you are basically set for the best summer ever!
Basil Bangs Beachbag
A beach bag with a mesh bottom is genius! The Basil Bangs Beach Bag is perfect for family beach days where your bag is full of sandy towels, bathers and toys.
Waterproof, stain resistant fabric designed for outdoor use. It’s a huge 47L size with a sealed wet pocket for stashing wet bathers as well as internal mesh pockets for the rest.
Something that will help keep more sand at the beach and NOT in the car has got to be a summer essential surely!
Silicone Beach Bucket Set with Australian Animal Moulds
This Silicone Beach Bucket Set ticks all the boxes! Australian Animals, awesome quality and from another Aussie business. The kids will LOVE playing with this set down the beach, in the sand pit, at the snow, in the bath or in the dirt…Made of 100% silicone. They are durable and have the ability to be scrunched and squished, whilst maintaining their shapes. Silicone is safe for your little one – it is BPA and Phthalates free.
Crocpad
If your kids are already lucky enough to have a pool, take that luck to the next level with a Crocpad inflatable pool waterslide!
If you’re after a waterslide for your pool but don’t want something permanent or you rent your house or you have little kids and want something soft and inflatable but still SUPER FUN – this is for you.
The Crocpad inflatable water pool slides are the first inflatable slides designed for residential use but made with commercial quality. Made from 0.65mm PVC tarpaulin material they are designed to last for years, super easy setup – I’m talking literally minutes, easy to store and no mould. They even come with a 2 year warranty, which is great peace of mind when you invest in a big backyard piece of equipment like this.
to find out more take a read of our product review here
Crochet Reuseable Water Balloons
Summer is-a-comin and what better way to cool down than water play out the back on a warm arvo!
Crochet water balloons are washable, reusable and eco-friendly! No more spending time filling balloons with a tap or a hose, only to have them break on the ground at your feet or bounce off your opponent! But best of all – you and the kids won’t need to pick up the little pieces of balloon from the grass. These give you a satisfying splash without the mess!
Currently 12 packs are available from Harbor Collective on the Fleurieu, located in Victor Harbor or available to pre-order from Crafted for ALL by Deb.
Folding Seat from SUNNYLiFE
You know what makes sitting at the beach for hours even more fun. A comfy bum!
We love these Terry Towelling folding seats from SUNNYLiFE. They’re highly absorbent, ultra-soft and easy to carry with 6 adjustable settings so you can lounge in luxury no matter what S.A beach you’re at this summer.
Sunscreen
And of course you can’t go through summer without at least one good bottle of sunscreen to make sure you’re taking care of the slap part of slip, slop, slap. There are so many different types of sunscreen out there and choosing the right one for your family can be tricky. If your kids have eczema (like mine), you’re looking for an all natural alternative or you just want to try something new, check out some of the brands we’ve tried here
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