I have always loved Summer, and now that Alexa is up and running around I know this will be the best Summer yet!

I love seeing her outside, exploring the world, not trashing our house 😉

While I know this Summer will be tons of fun I also know that it will be chaotic if I’m not prepared.

Pre-child, if I was leaving the house in the summer I just needed my flip flops and car keys, but now it’s a completely different story.

To help us all have a fun, safe, stress-free summer I have put together this toddler summer survival guide with ton of tips and tricks to have an amazing summer with your toddlers.

The Toddler Summer Survival Guide

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Schedule

Having somewhat of a schedule will help you stay sane this summer.

You may have heard it before, kids thrive on structure.

What I mean by this is your toddler is more likely to be happy and well behaved when they know what to expect.

For example, if you feed your child lunch and straight after lunch you put your child down for a nap everyday they will begin to expect this.

Now, if sometimes you let them play after lunch, sometimes you need to drive somewhere, and sometimes they nap straight after, your child doesn’t know what to expect and this may cause them to fight the nap because they know you sometimes let them play instead.

I know it’s not possible to do the same exact thing everyday, but keeping thing as consistent as possible will help your child be happy and behave well.

We all need this during those long summer days.

Here is our schedule to help you get started

7:00: Wake Up, I make breakfast and get my coffee and Alexa and I snuggle on the couch and watch cartoons while we eat

7:30: I do a quick workout while Alexa is supposed to play independently with her toys, but mostly tries to jump all over me (we’re working on that)

8:00: We shower and get ready for the day (Hair and teeth brushed, clothes on, etc)

9:00: I play with her outside. Push on the swing, dig in the sandbox, visit our animals, or go down to the river to throw rocks

10:00: Alexa plays independently while I do housework

11:30 Lunch

12:00 – 3:00 Nap. Her naps range from 45 min to 3 hours. If she wakes up before three I try to let her play in her bed until she starts to cry to get out.

3:00 Drive somewhere. We go to a playground, the library, go get groceries, anything to get out of the house.

5:00 Try to do something educational together (read books, do a puzzle, flash cards)

5:30 Independently play while I start making dinner

6:00ish (depending on what I’m cooking) Dinner

7:00 Play with Daddy

7:30 Get ready for bed (brush teeth, wash hands, new diaper, pjs)

8:00 Bedtime

I really try to stick to this schedule but it is very hard because Alexa’s sometimes wakes up a lot earlier in the morning, sometimes she takes a really short nap, and some days we have playgroups.

We do our best, that’s all you can do.

The more consistent our days are though, the more behaved she is.

Safety

Summer is a fun time but it is important to keep our little ones safe!

There skin is still fairly new and needs to be protected from the sun.

Apply sunscreen before going outside and use a wide brimmed hat to keep their face and shoulders out of the sun completely.

Also, depending on your locations you need to be wary of mosquitos and ticks.

Make sure to use a bug spray that is safe for little ones. I also always check Alexa for ticks before bed every night.

I got Alexa two of these and I love them because they can be tightened and loosened and have a chin strap to keep her from taking it off.

Another must have, is a first aid kit.

Most toddlers are fearless, because they just don’t know what’s going to hurt them yet. This lead to a few falls, and cuts and scraps. So you’ll definitely want to keep them clean and protected from infection.

Related Reading: Summer Safety Tips For Kids

Clothing

Summer weather is hot!

Obviously on those really hot days you’ll want to dress your little ones in shorts and T-shirt’s but this leaves a lot of skin exposed to the sun.

On the really hot days this is unavoidable, and you’ll have to apply sunscreen.

A lot of kids hate getting the slimy stuff rubbed on them and they will kick and scream, which is no fun at all.

If this is the case, on days that aren’t so terribly hot you can get away with no sunscreen if you put on lightweight long sleeve shirts and pants.

Keeping the sun off their skin but also keeping them cool.

Related: Spring Wardrobe Must Haves For Toddler Boys

Related: Spring Wardrobe Must Haves For Toddler Girls

Activities

There are so many ways to have fun with your toddler during the summer. This is what’s working for us.

For indoor play Alexa has a play kitchen with food and dishes.

Next to that I keep her cleaning kit. We just moved into our new house so right now this is all in our kitchen and it’s nice for when I have chores to do in there and she wants to help.

Her other toys are in our living room (will be moved to the playroom when that room is finished).

I find that keeping a few toys out and rotating them out with others toys everyday keeps her occupied much longer than having all of her toys out at once.

For outdoor play she has a swing, slide, basketball hoop, sandbox, and kitty pool.

All located close together, in a shaded area under our maple tree to keep her out of the sun.

All of the above are the basics that keep her entertained but I also like to find fun activities to change things up.

I know that sometimes I have a lot going on and it’s hard for me to think of something for Alexa to do so I’ve put together this printable go to summer activities list below.

Print it out and throw it up on the fridge!

Now you’ll always have fresh ideas for those days when your toddler is acting helpless and your creativity has just abandoned you.

Get the free printable —> HERE

Have fun with your toddler this summer. Make memories, take tons of pictures, and enjoy that little stinker. They grow up faster than you can imagine 😭

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