Summer Essentials for FUN in the Sun!

Lately, our family has been talking about our plans for the summer. Many of our discussions have been about the summer essentials required for a fun summer day. The summer essentials from a kid’s point of view are different than those from an adult’s standpoint. While FUN is a priority, summer parenting is often jaded with sibling rivalry and creative ways to keep active with the kids’ educational skills.

Due to the theme of this post, I asked my kids to share their opinions with you!

Summer Essentials

My 12 year old daughter shares her thoughts on Summer Essentials for FUN in the sun…

When I think about the essentials to a summer day, there are a few things that stand out in my mind. Firstly, going out in the nice weather would be awesome! The most important item to consider before heading outdoors, of course, is sunscreen. Sunscreen protects your skin and prevents sunburns. There are so many different sunscreen options out there, so you can pick your favourite brand or even scent. Also, don’t forget to use deodorant! Summer means HOT, which often means sweat.

NOW for the FUN essentials! Something so awesome to always have on hand is chalk! It is a mess free, on the go art experience. You and your kids can create summer masterpieces together. Another super fun activity is water play! You can use a fancy water gun OR simply poke holes in a plastic bottle.

By being prepared with summer essentials, you can have fun and be free of complaints from the kids. The only issue is getting through two months of this! Good luck and have a great summer.

My son, on the other hand, lives a very simple life.

For him, summer is about activities and fun. He said that with a super soaker in hand, he can have fun in any summer situation! Fun is where it is at for the summer time for my 8 year old boy!

Summer Essentials from a Mom’s Perspective…

Now, from a Mom’s view point, there are definitely a few summer essentials that are key to consider having at the ready:

  • Sunscreen There are many different kinds of sunscreen out there; therefore, be sure to do your research to learn which one will best suit your needs.
  • Razor If you are like me and get lazy during the winter, you want to be sure to have some new razors or razor blades on hand. There is nothing worse than getting stuck in the shower, legs all lathered up, only to learn that you have no razor!
  • Lotion While our skin is notorious for being dry during the winter months, it is just as important to keep our skin well moisturized during the summer months as well! The sun dries out our skin and a good lotion can help your skin re-hydrate.
  • Deodorant If you’re like me and you sweat a lot, you want to be sure you are stocked up with a good deodorant!
  • Snacks I literally NEVER leave the house in the summer without water for the kids and a full snack bag! When the kids are as active as they are, they need fuel to keep them going!
  • Fun for the kids I have taught my kiddos that there is no such thing as the word BORED! However, I also make sure that I am always armed with great ideas for fun in the summer. Sidewalk chalk and super soakers are great for a hot summer day to keep the kids busy and happy for hours!

Summer Essentials

Items included in the image above, found at Shoppers Drug Mart:
Crayola Washable Sidewalk Chalk
Schick Intuition
Chips Ahoy Thins
Life Brand Fabric Bandages
SUNTHERA Sun Protection Lotion
St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Lotion
Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Lotion
Kids Folding Camp Chair
Nerf Scatter Blast

This busy Mom loves one stop shopping for summer essentials!


As a result, Shoppers Drug Mart has become one of my favourite stores because they have you covered with summer essentials for an active family who is on the go!

It’s Time to WIN!

A giant Shoppers Drug Mart summer bucket will pop up at various locations in and around the GTA this month, with chances to win prizes. You’ll get to create your very own Summer Bucket list moment and take an interactive selfie to share. Look out for the giant bucket at Toronto Harbourfront – Harbourfront Kids Circus (May 20 -22), Square One Celebration Square Movie Nights in Mississauga on Thursday nights (May 25, June 1, June 8, June 15), Barrie Waterfront Festival (May 26 – 28), Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest (June 3-4), and will be featured at other fun-filled events, too!

There are also chances to win prizes in store starting on Saturday AND find out how you can win 1 of 5 prizes of 1 million Optimum points by visiting Shoppers Drug Mart.

It’s Giveaway Time!
Prize: $100 Shoppers Drug Mart Gift Card
Giveaway Ends: June 30, 2016, 11:59pm ET


This post has been generously sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

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119 Responses to Summer Essentials for FUN in the Sun!

  1. Amy Heffernan says:

    I enjoy camping in the summer with the kids!

  2. Elaine says:

    Favorite summer activity is going camping with the family.

  3. Tara B says:

    In summer, we love camping in our trailer as a family. We love seeing the local area and getting out and seeing what this great country has to offer.

  4. Amie says:

    Camping for sure ! Also beach days !

  5. Francine F. says:

    day trips – head in a different direction and explore!

  6. Gillian Morgan says:

    I love going for long walks and bike riding.

  7. Kristy R. says:

    We love to go boating. Very happy to have moved our boat to Lake Simcoe this year. Adventure awaits! 🙂

  8. Jennifer P. says:

    Hm, hard to pick, but I think overall my favourite summer activity with the family is going to the beach.

    • The beach is always a family fav! Any specific beach, Jennifer?

      • Jennifer P. says:

        Haha, well my favourite would be somewhere “away” like Hawaii or California, but luckily there are still lots of nice beaches to explore close to home. We especially like a small beach that is in Stanley Park – it is quite quiet compared to the main beaches there, and is right beside the spray park, so we often combine the activities. When the tide is out it’s great for exploring – we did a “Beach Walk” that was included with our Vancouver Aquarium membership last year and it was really interesting.

  9. Jonnie says:

    I love going on road trips to explore new places

  10. Glogirl3 says:

    My favourite summer activity with the family is taking local day trips.

  11. Monica P. says:

    My favourite activity is enjoying the outdoors.

  12. Vivian Dionne says:

    We love to go to the beach in the summer time.

  13. Mel says:

    Camping is a great summer activity with the family.

  14. Alicia says:

    Camp fires and smores

  15. Erika Letson says:

    My favourite summer activity with my family is going to the beach and splashpads!

  16. Stephanie La Plante says:

    My favorite summer activities with my family are hosting BBQs, going to the beach, going to festivals and seeing outdoor bands!

  17. Jenn E says:

    My favourite summer activity with my family is spending the day at the beach.

  18. Jenny B says:

    We don’t go often enough but I love going to the lake.

  19. annet says:

    We love to go to the beach to make sandcastles, or hunt for sea glass or skip rocks!

  20. Maritess says:

    We love to go to the beach and play volleyball.

  21. Karry Knisley says:

    I love to go swimming with the family

  22. ivy pluchinsky says:

    We love beach days, and picnics and bonfires.

  23. Judy Cowan says:

    My favourite summer activity is camping, love spending time with the family doing it!

  24. sambows says:

    My favorite summer activity is to go hiking in the woods with my family.

  25. Lushka Smith says:

    Golf and camping

  26. Lynda Noack- Cook says:

    My favourite activity is playing badminton, lots of fun, Lucky we just do it for fun because me having a bad back I need a partner that can do all the running..lol

  27. BobbiJo Pentney says:

    We love to spend the day at the beach getting on and off of our floating devices.

  28. Robyn B. says:

    Our favorite activity is swimming at the pool or the beach.

  29. Gord says:

    Beach trips to go swimming or just relax is our favourite summer activity.

  30. Lisa L says:

    I love spending time outdoors! I think my favourite activity is camping.

  31. joanne darrell says:

    Walking on the beach is our favourite summertime activity.

  32. pmilner says:

    We love doing family scavenger hunts. I bring prizes for everyone. It is a great way to get exercise and have fun together!

  33. Ashley Yelhsa says:

    We love to head out camping in the summer!

  34. LILLIANM says:

    We love to go to the beach and look for beach glass, we have found many unique pieces.

  35. fossie55 says:

    I love going on a camping trip with my family.
    Florence C

  36. Stephanie says:

    I love going on bike rides with my family!

  37. piroska says:

    I love going on picnics in the summer. My favourite thing to do!

  38. Casey Miller says:

    Swimming and BBQ!

  39. CC says:

    I love it when the entire family, all ages, and pets too get a chance to swim in the ocean together. Due to weather and opportunity we’re lucky if this happens once every other year.

  40. Joni says:

    I love ‘picnics’ in the backyard, or a simple sidewalk chalk party.

  41. Jolie says:

    We love hiking 🙂

  42. Juliee Fitze says:

    I like to take the kids to different beaches in our area. We bring a picnic and spend the day there.

  43. Courtney says:

    We love trying out new beaches and exploring new towns!

  44. Missycat11 says:

    We like to spend time at the lake having a picnic and swimming.

  45. Melinda Jana says:

    we love to geocache

  46. Maria Katie says:

    We love going to a local beach

  47. Kim says:

    We love going to the waterfront for a leisurely bike ride, followed by a swim and a picnic.

  48. Andrea says:

    We love going on bike rides!

  49. Nancy J Montgomery says:

    Swimming is everyone’s favourite.

  50. Erin says:

    We love going to all the local beaches!

  51. Jenny Major says:

    We love to go swimming

  52. k m says:

    First year as a family but so far looks like we’ll be doing lots of cottaging/camping!

  53. Elizabeth R says:

    We love to have a picnic at our favourite provincial park.

  54. Jocelyn Paprocki says:

    We love going to the park and splash pad with our toddler 🙂

  55. Alison Braidwood says:

    We’re all rabid wild blueberry pickers in my family.

  56. Lee-Ann Sleegers says:

    Our favourite summer activity is to go camping.

  57. Julia says:

    Picking Saskatoon Berries! It’s kind of a race with us, to see who can get the most first…but in a fun and playful way. Love to bake pies with the berries we pick.

  58. Jennpup says:

    We love outdoor swimming opportunities – lake, pool, beach! Bring it!

  59. lynnclayton says:

    we love the beach and the park

  60. KRBCAN says:

    Hiking is our favorite!

  61. Going to different street festivals

  62. Caryn Coates says:

    Our family loves swimming

  63. KRBCAN says:

    Love picking berries together

  64. Pam Wood Humphrey says:

    I love road tripping.

  65. Wendy Hutton says:

    we love to go hiking down the river trails

  66. My favourite is going on hikes together.

  67. Monique Shuell says:

    We enjoy walks around the neighbourhood and going to the park.

  68. Rebecca Roberts says:

    My family loves picnics in the park!

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