Beach fun

We can’t let a few clouds in the sky prevent us from hitting the beach with our little beach bums. Even though we’ll walk away with diapers full of sand, beach time is all about having fun in the sun. We’ve got the vibe on some great beach toys and accessories that will achieve just that.

Eco-friendly beach toys

Hit the sand and enjoy some creative fun with the eco-friendly and sand-friendly toys from Sprig. Sprig Hollow toys have been designed for maximum play in water, sand and garden environments. Each set comes equipped with playful characters that look like they just jumped out of a cartoon. We particularly love this line of toys as they really ignite your child’s imagination while playing at the beach. Our favourite is the Dragonfly’s HeliScoopter that doubles as a helicopter and launch pad, and shovel and sand sifter. We got our HeliScoopter from Lavish & Lime.

The perfect sand castle

The key to making the perfect sand castle is having the proper tools. Try the Sand Play Set by Green Toys. We’ve mentioned this set before and we’re doing it again as it’s a not-so-bad plastic set made from environmentally friendly materials and is free of BPA and phthalates. For a list of retailers (and there are many), visit Green Toys.

Super cute towels

Perfect for babies and tots when drying off and keeping warm after a swim at the beach, we like the organic Elfie the Elephant Hooded Towel. Simply adorable, the towel (available in red or blue) features an organic cotton knit exterior, natural cotton terry towel interior and is printed with low-impact dyes. Available online at Saplings.

Sunglasses

Many of you have children that are already sporting the Baby Banz sunglasses. We love their new line up of Retro Banz. The retro style features all the great aspects of the classic Baby Banz sunglasses like UVA/UVB protection, high sun glare reduction, and adjustable headstrap, but they are ultra cool.

Sunhat

Speaking of Baby Banz, check out their UV-protected sunhats in funky patterns for babies. They fit well, look cute and do the all-too-important task of keeping the harmful rays off delicate skin. We’re also keen on the organic cotton handspun kids’ sunhat available at canadian e-tailer Tammachat Natural Textiles. Decorated with an appliquéd organic silk animal like a crab, elephant, ladybug or fish, the hats are made by the Kokkabok Women’s Cotton Group in Thailand.

Special summer offer

Simply Colors, the hip online store that offers high-quality custom tees, is currently offering a free beach bag, which is big enough to carry all your beach necessities and toys, when you order $60 or more. Why not get a beach tee or dress that says ‘beach bum’ or ‘surf’s up dude’ for your little one? Visit www.simplycolors.ca.

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