10 Things Every Mom Needs In a Summer Pool Bag

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Huggies, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #HuggiesSwimmers  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

In my family, summer means a lot of time in the water. We just bought a camper, and are super excited to spend more time up in the mountains on the lake. {We’re actually thinking of buying a boat ourselves soon too.} My dad lives on a sailboat that he’s getting fixed up, and ready to take us sailing on the Washington coast soon. And we have a big in ground pool that is the main gathering place each weekend for all of our friends and family. Now that Abby is almost three, we’re finally teaching her to swim too – check her out in her first time swimming {in a life jacket, of course} without someone holding her, for the first time. So much fun… {And yes, her nickname is Chunkamonk, lol.}

Staying Pool Prepped at all Times

She’s getting so darn big! Last year she wouldn’t ever let you let go of her without screaming, and this year she’s already asking us to catch her as she jumps in. Time goes by waaaay too quickly. {Also, that video was made with one of my all-time fave apps. It’s called Magisto. It’s free, and you’ll use it like crazy this summer.}  Even though the pool is here at our own house, it’s a huge time-saver to keep a “pool bag” stocked and ready on the back patio. That way when we want to spend a day by the pool, I can have everything I need in one spot. I keep a second bag packed in the camper too – so we’re always prepared with everything we need. Check out my top picks for summer fun must-haves that every mom totally needs to have.

Top 10 Summer Must-Haves in a Summer Pool Bag

Whether you’re headed to the city pool, a water park, a friends house, or your own backyard pool, there are a few items that you totally must have on hand when you have little ones in your life. Here are my top 10 picks, and I’d love to hear what other suggestions you have too – leave some comments after the post!

• 1. Sunscreen: I’m sure everyone knows this already. My favorites are all from Coppertone – I love the sports stick ones to quickly swipe across cheeks and noses, and the Water Babies version has been a life-saver on Abby’s sensitive skin. And if you’re pulling any out from last year’s supplies, be sure to double check the expiration dates!
• 2. Towels: I always bring one or two more than I think we’ll need, since it seems like the kids go through them SO fast! Watch for a great deal on them at Target or Walmart, and stock up on a few extras, so you can swap ’em out right after swimming, and always have some in your bag ready to go.
• 3. Sunglasses: Just like you use sunscreen to protect your kiddo’s skin, they need sunglasses to protect their eyes too. It took awhile to get Abby used to wearing them, but since she sees me wearing them all of the time, she now wears hers regularly too. {Bonus if you add in a cute bucket hat or sunhat too to protect their scalps and block out a bit more sun.}
• 4. Swimwear: If you’ve never tried the swim shirts yet, you definitely should! I bought quite a few of the ones at Walmart from OP, just to have a big selection on hand. But my favorites by far come from SwimZip – the styles are adorable, and they offer such great protection from UV rays.
• 5. Wet Bags: I’d never even heard of a wet bag before becoming a mom – but they would’ve come in handy during the summer back in my pre-baby days too. They’re just cute little fabric bags that are treated with a special coating inside to make them waterproof. Perfect to throw wet swimsuits to keep your bag dry!

• 6. eReader: I love, love, love having my Kindle handy out by the pool. Then in between swims I can relax and lounge, while catching up on news, celebrity gossip, or a new ebook – depending on my mood. Much easier than toting around a ton of books and mags!
• 7. Water: The kids often don’t realize how thirsty they are when they’re in the pool – and since they’re swimming, they don’t realize how much they’re sweating either. So I buy those insulated water bottles, to keep cold all afternoon.
• 8. Snacks: What kid doesn’t get hungry every 10 minutes, right? If you’re at a public pool or water park, those snacks can add up quickly. So keep a supply of single serve snacks in your bag – and maybe a baggie of change to grab something extra from the snack bar if they run out!
• 9. Camera: Yes, I know most of us have smartphones now, and they can take some awesome photos. {Especially with photo editing apps like Instagram.} But even a simple point and shoot can be a big help – you can zoom in closer to the action while the kids are out there jumping and swimming and diving.
• 10. Little Swimmers: When I was a clueless new mom, I didn’t realize the difference between a swim diaper and a regular diaper. I made the mistake of letting Abby play in a friend’s wading pool one afternoon in a regular one… If you’ve ever done this too, you know the disaster this can be! They absorb all that water {like they’re designed to} – and kind of explode. Super embarrassing! And now, even though Abby is getting good at this whole potty training thing, she still has accidents. So Little Swimmers are an absolute must-have for us, and the best swim diapers I’ve ever used. {And how fun are those Finding Nemo prints, right? You know how much I love Dory!}

There you have it! My top choices to keep stocked in your swim bag this summer

One of my biggest stresses as a mom is trying to get everyone dressed, find everything we need, and somehow herd everyone out the door and into the car when we have somewhere to go. So when we are heading to the lake, the water park, or even just out back to our own pool – having everything in one place where I can just grab and go is a lifesaver.

Learn more about Huggies Little Swimmers

You can follow the #HuggiesSwimmers tag on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see how other real moms use Little Swimmers during their summer adventures. And if you want to stock up on them yourself, check out this Huggies Little Swimmers coupon you can print to use at Target.