Summer Essentials for Family Adventures

Summer is an awesome season to get out, enjoy family adventures, and make memories! The weather is often nice and our kids enjoy a break from school. Here’s a few summer essentials for exploring with babies and kids.

Some years we’ve gone RV camping, stayed in a forest service fire lookout, and explored new destinations while traveling with kids. It’s important to bring the right gear and make reservations in advance. Here are some great items to consider bringing along on your family adventures this summer.

Keep>Going First Aid Kits

For bumps and scrapes, this adorable kit has all the summer essentials for first aid. Keep>Going First Aid contains bandages of several sizes, tape, antibiotic cream, burn gel, hydrocortisone, disposable thermometers, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and more! All the travel size items come inside an adorable zipper bag. I can easily tuck this woodland gokit in our backpack for a hike, or take it to the beach. Furthermore, Keep>Going first aid kits come in several sizes and patterns. You can choose from a minikit, gokit, and superkit. This bag shown below is the gokit in the woodland pattern, containing 130 first aid items. The woodland pattern is a whimsical assortment of trees, flowers, and forest creatures.

First Aid Summer Essentials

This compact first aid kit has many helpful things for small cuts and scrapes. It’s ideal for soothing scraped knees on a hike, and minor burns from activities such as making s’mores. I think the bandage patterns are cheerful and happy, which can help soothe a hurt child too! Additionally, the hand sanitizer and lip balm are simple essentials you can use anywhere. I often need lip balm for chapped lips, and it’s a bummer when I forget to bring some. This kit has chapped lips covered! Everything fits into a streamlined zipper bag, and the items are easily refillable. Overall I recommend bringing one of these kits along on family adventures.

Keep>Going First Aid kits are very helpful to bring along on hikes, camping trips, and road trips.

Sunscreen

Next on our list, sunscreen is another essential for exploring the great outdoors. Bare Republic is one of our favorite brands, with a range of products that protect the skin with broad spectrum SPF. I’ve used the tinted face sunscreen, mineral sport sunscreen, and mineral shimmer sticks. I especially love Bare Republic mineral shimmer sunscreen, which deflects the sun’s rays and adds a bit of glitter.

Babywearing

One of our greatest adventures has been adding a new baby to our family! A Moby Wrap is my favorite carrier for babywearing, especially when baby is ages 0 to 6 months old. Babywearing is a great way to include a baby while hiking, exploring a new city, or using public transportation. I can keep her close and she can easily nap wherever we are.

I think the reversible Moby Wrap design is great because it securely hugs my baby close to me, spreading baby’s weight evenly across my back and hips. Baby’s head can be tucked under one of the side panels, while her torso is held securely, and her legs and feet can be tucked up too. The Moby Wrap is also so comfy. The featherknit fabric is soft and doesn’t dig into my shoulders. Furthermore, the two-color design I received is reversible to show either the jade or gray side. Overall, I love the style, colors, and feel of this Moby Wrap. Once I learned how to put on this babywearing summer essential, it’s very easy to use!

Babywearing is the only way I can bring my baby girl on trips and hikes at this age. The Moby Wrap allows me to carry her to places that are too hard to bring a stroller. Finally, my baby often wants to sleep while I wear her, rather than in her crib. I’ve often enjoyed babywearing and cuddling her during this sweet baby stage.

Snacktime Summer Essentials

Last but not least, my kids love having snacks on our hikes and family adventures. A little sugar can provide a needed boost of energy. Wiley Wallaby licorice is a great snack for hikes, camping, and traveling. This licorice comes in a lot of natural flavors including apple, watermelon, huckleberry, strawberry, and classic black. I agree with their marketing, it IS the best soft and chewy licorice that I’ve enjoyed.

This licorice is really yummy and flavorful, and yet not too sweet. The pieces are generously sized and the perfect amount of softness. Finally, Wiley Wallaby licorice is very reasonably priced at $5.99 per 10 oz. bag.

In addition to the soft & chewy licorice, my kids also like the Fruitrageous Drops. These original fruit candies are smaller sized pieces with a hard candy coating and soft licorice inside. Wiley Wallaby apple, watermelon, and strawberry drops are fun to eat as a hiking snack.

Wiley Wallaby soft & chewy licorice is a great snack for summer adventures!

Ultimately, these summer adventure items are helpful to bring hiking, camping, or traveling. Keep>Going first aid kits easily fit in a day pack and can help soothe minor injuries. A Moby Wrap keeps baby close and included on family adventures, while keeping mom comfortable too. Tasty Wiley Wallaby licorice is naturally flavored and fun to snack on in the car or on a trail. Your family may have a hard time choosing a favorite flavor, but I recommend them all. Happy adventuring!