Playing it safe in the sun (review + giveaway)
Disclosure: I received a sun hat and rash guard to review (and the opportunity to giveaway a set.) No other compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.
Years ago I discovered i play., Inc. baby items and was gifted several items while I was pregnant. Some of the things I discovered were their sun protection clothing. I remember stocking up on hats, swim diapers and rash guards before my son turned 1. He’s such a water baby, and we love pool time (and later beach time.)
I’m really fair skinned, and my son is rather fair skinned. We want nothing more than to protect his sensitive skin from the sun’s rays – especially before he turned 2 and could be protected with copious amounts of sunscreen (even now, he doesn’t get sunscreen when he’s at daycare, so I always make sure we have a sun hat in his diaper bags.)
The i play. sun hats are really wide brimmed and protect your little one’s face, neck, shoulders. We had an almost two-week trip to beaches last summer, and Lucas wore mostly i play. gear from his sun hat to his bathing suit and rash guard (the shirt). We also made sure he was covered in sunscreen, but you can’t use most sunscreens on babies and I always err on the side of caution. I’d rather have him too covered up than risk a burn.
Now for the more informational portion of this post. This week is Recreational Water Illness awareness week. RWIs are caused by ingesting, inhaling, and having basic contact with contaminated water, often in swimming pools, but in other recreational water areas as well. Although anyone can become sick from RWIs children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are often more susceptible. A fashionable and functional way to help prevent the transmission of RWIs is utilizing swim diapers for diaper-aged children that are specially designed to prevent the leakage of solid waste into water. Pool approved swim diapers minimize the introduction of pathogens and reduce the risk for RWIs, keeping everyone healthy and happy!
From the folks at i play., Inc.:
As a company, we feel it is important and beneficial for children to learn to swim at a young age, but we also understand that accidents are unavoidable. The Ultimate Swim Diaper is designed with snug-fitting legs and waist and three protective layers to help keep accidents out of the water and keep babies safe. Through research, continual testing, and improvements, the i play. Ultimate Swim Diaper has become the trusted swim diaper of parents, swim schools, and public facilities all over the world. Best of all, no other diaper necessary! Being reusable, the Ultimate Swim Diaper is also an eco-friendly alternative to disposable swim diapers.
i play. has the Ultimate Swim Diaper that offers layers of protection to help keep accidents out of the water and keep babies safe. My son is mostly potty trained, so he really doesn’t have to use the Ultimate Swim Diaper, but I still have their swim diapers on hand just in case. They’re not only functional, but they’re really cute. We also have the rash guard (so much easier than having to remember to reapply sunscreen to his back) and a plethora of sun hats. They cover him without overheating and give the most protection. We have three different diaper bags, and I keep a hat in each one, as well as an extra in my car and in his dresser (you never know when one will be dirty or lost!)
I am now giving away an i play sun hat and rash guard, just in time for the beginning of summer! Be sure to “like” i play on Facebook, and complete the Rafflecopter widget below. A winner will be selected and notified next Monday (the same day the Green Sprouts warming plate giveaway ends!).
What is your best tip for keeping kids safe during the summer season?
And if you’ve made it this far, be sure to check out i play.’s Facebook page for giveaways of their Ultimate Swim Diaper this week!
My favorite summer item for my kids are sunscreen, hats, and water diapers. We go through quite a bit each summer season.
We may not be headed to the water today, but we are going to the park! With a redhead that’s nearly translucent, a hat with a brim is my #1. other than that, rash guards and high natural SPFs.
My boys are older and won’t wear sunhats anymore, so now it’s sunblock, sunblock, sunblock for us!
I am not looking forward to finding the right sun tan lotion this year. Too many choices, and I don’t what is safest for my son’s skin. Thanks for the reminder to start moving forward on this issue!
Mitchj
I love his little sun hat! I’m all for sun protection – especially for young children. I’ve read that a childhood sunburn can lead to adult skin cancers. Scary!
Sun hats are great for kids to wear in the summer to protect their little hats. Sun care is important, as its easy to get sun stroke these days with the UV rays!
My favorite summer item is the pool for our neighborhood. It’s fun for everybody and we can walk there!
They have some great products. Love the hat.
We use a ton of sun screen at our house and sunglasses. I always make sure the kiddos where them.
I’m not familiar with it, but it looks great for our toddler. I’ll have to check them out.
My kids lived in swim diapers when they were younger. We loved swimming in the pool regularly! I love the cute sun hat and we didn’t use the rash guard, wish we did. I also love how they have sun screen protection clothing nowadays. That’s so cool.
I keep my kids safe by using sunscreen. And we out earlier in the day when the sun is not directly above us so we can get some shade.
That hat is beyond adorable. My son is fair-skinned and we have to take extra measures to protect him from the sun.
My favorite summer items are definitely our sun shirts! We burn way too easily.
Your little one is so cute! I love rashguards for my boys because when we’re out in the sun all day, it’s easy to forget to reapply sunscreen as often as needed.
Our best tips are like yours. We have to keep them covered as much as possible and keep layering on the sunscreen.
I hope everyone is using this kind of protection to help keep the problem at bay. Wise advice over all here too.
Sunscreen is so very important for the skin especially during the summer months. I don’t wear a whole lot but I need to start
The sunhat is so cute! My girls are older so I remind them to wear sunblock.
We always slather on the sunscreen and the kids love their rash guard shirts. My son refuses to go to the pool without the thing lol.
I totally need to win this! The rashguards are critical in my house! 😉
My favorite summer item for my little one is the small pool, transitional lenses on his glasses and a hat for him. Oh, and bubbles and outdoor toys! We spend a lot of time outside. I need to buy–no dig up from the woods–a tree really soon and give it a new home in my yard 🙂
We always bring along a rash guard shirt when we’re going swimming. I love the beach hat too though, that’s really cute (and great for protection!).
Sun hats are a must! My son burns so easily- any added protection is ket!
What an adorable little hat! It’s really nice that it has those wide brims to keep the wee little ones face protected 🙂
My tride and true tip is sunscreen, sunscreen, and more sunscreen!
You can’t be too careful with the sun, especially at such a young age. he looks adorable!
Sunhats are such a great option for little heads. My girls are older now and don’t wear them any more, but we make sure they are covered in sunblock because they are so fair skinned too!
Hats and shirts even when swimming is our tip. It helps keep the sun off our shoulders and face.
I love Rash Gaurds! I remember when my son was about 6 and we went to the beach and he was like …. “where is the rest of their swimsuit?” He had no clue that lots of kids don’t wear them!
i have a supply of sun protective hats for my kids and friends kids. its the simplest way to protect them from the sun
Your son is adorable! Keep that skim healthly!
It is definitely a good idea to keep little ones from too much sun exposure. I just love that little outfit!
Avery hates when we rub any lotions onto her face so an SPF 50 hat is a must. Her current one almost doesn’t fit anymore…Going to need a new one!
Definitely sunscreen and reapply often! He looks adorable in his hat
We have a few rules! Everyone gets sunscreen all the time, and we don’t stay out all day long, we take time out of the sun to rest!
my favorite summer item for my kids are their rash guards. I LOVE them and my boys are never allowed in the water with out them. It protects their light skin and I don’t have to worry about missing any skin with the sunscreen
I remember how hard it was to keep my son safe from the sun. We lived right next to the beach when he was a baby and he loved the sand and the water, even the vawes. But since he was so little I had to be carefull with the sun and the sunscreen. Good memories, though.