Go outside! Baby Sunscreens, Bug Sprays & a Tinkergarten Discount
While we don’t need research to prove it, more research is coming out about the benefits of being outdoors for kids’ immunity, mood, cognitive development, sensory processing…the list goes on. The idea of outdoor pre-school, forrest school and other outdoor therapy and play groups has become “trendy” for a reason!
My kid is in the best mood after she plays outside. She also plays independently and is more calm indoors after a good outdoor session.
It’s important to start early, but there are some fears about letting kids play outdoors. I have them too! here are some of mine:
Will she get sick if we play in the rain?
What if she puts things in her mouth?
Don’t those sunblocks have tons of chemicals?
What about but bug bites and ticks?
The important benefits of being outdoors do outweigh the fears, but as a first time parent, I needed a little help! I decided to face my fear of getting an infant outside by taking her to an infant TINKERGARTEN class. I figured this would give me a way to help explore the outdoors with my infant AND a certified outdoor education teacher who is well versed in development and highly trained.
(THERE’S A TINKERGARTEN DISCOUNT CODE AT THE END OF THIS POST IF YOU WANT TO SKIP TO THAT!)
That was step one.
The next step was feeling prepared! It’s important for kids to get outdoors in all weather (as long as it’s safe to do so and you’re prepared)! Therefore, the right tools and equipment must be gathered. I think you can research the usual all-weather clothing items on your own. Or chances are, you already know about hats and jackets and things. You also probably know about rain boots for splashing in puddles and the usual sun screens and bug sprays for summer.
But, you guys, small babies and infants can’t splash in puddles in rain boots yet. And most infant raincoats are not waterproof. I have found that the ones that are are way too big for my child. And those sunblocks & bug sprays we’re used to using are full of chemicals! So here are some of my favorite tips for fighting fears of playing outdoors in all temperatures, weather and seasons. With a few safety tips thrown in!
As always, please do your own research, talk to your doctor/whomever you trust as your medical professional in charge!
Outdoor Play Tips& Safety
Rain - We go out to play in the rain unless it’s POURING COLD rain. I love warm downpours! For infants, I recommend a waterproof suspender suit, waterproof shoes and jacket. This will help you make less work for yourself because you can strip everything off and hang/wipe dry it when you get home, while the under layer stays dry!
Sun Block - Before 6 months old, you’re supposed to keep baby out of direct sun and covered up/in the shade while outdoors (in appropriate clothing for the weather). 6 months and on, sunscreen is recommended. There are benefits to being in the sun without sunscreen, though, as long as baby’s skin doesn’t burn. We did our research and decided we are comfortable with our child being outdoors without sunblock for 20-30 minutes at a time. We make sure she has the appropriate clothing & accessories (i.e. brimmed hat) and watch her skin. After that we use the sunscreens listed below as needed (they are all rated 1 and 2 by the Environmental Working Group where the lower the score from 1-10, the safer the item). If you click that link, it will take you to the EWG’s latest summer sunscreen guide for kids.PRO TIP: Always PATCH TEST a small bit of a new type of lotion on a small area of skin before covering your child’s whole face and body, in case of a reaction to something in it. I use the inner wrist. Just because a product is cleaner, doesn’t mean your child may not be sensitive to something in it!
Sun Exposure - Don’t depend on sunscreen alone! Make sure to prepare by planning around the sun, bringing or finding shade, bringing lightweight/long sleeved clothing or rash guards for baby for prolonged sun exposure. Whatever you do, don’t let skin burn! We love this shade structure tent (but make sure you watch a video on how to fold it back up, or you will break your tent or be confused about how to fold it back down…at least we were)! Even if you don’t apply at home, I recommend bringing sunscreen with you in your bag. You never know when you’ll need it.
Bug Spray - Babies and kids shouldn’t have chemical filled bug sprays on their skin, from my research, if you care about the toxic nature of these products. Spraying on clothing is a better option. Always test using a little before you use a lot (just like sunscreen). I prefer to use more natural products first, and higher chemical loaded products if I know we are going somewhere with disease carrying mosquitos, ticks or other creatures.
Bug Bites - The bugs I’m the most weary of are mosquitos and ticks. And mosquitos don’t scare me as much as ticks. Always check for ticks after your children play outside, especially during tick season. Send ticks to get tested when you find them on your child. Remove them safely with tweezers and double ziplock bag them with a wet cotton ball or leaf. PRO TIP: I highly, highly, highly recommend reading this article by Dr. Song of Healthy Kids Happy Kids which describes what to do with tick bites in more details to help you feel more calm and confident about your kids playing outside in all seasons! In fact, read all of her blog articles. They are phenomenally helpful!
Hygiene - Wash your hands as soon as you get home, before eating, using the bathroom or touching household items/toys. We use wipes before we get back in the car if there’s no easy access to running water where we are.
Mouthing/Hazards - Babies put everything in their mouths. It’s part of how they learn and it isn’t a bad thing! I like to allow exploration, but stay very close by, ready to do the “swipe” where I prevent dangerously small or sharp sticks, rocks, etc. from entering my baby’s mouth by having my hand ready to bat the item away. I feel that a little dirt, sand or grass is fine, but I’m extra careful with sharp sticks, small stones, pieces of woodchip/bark that can splinter etc. You must rely on your judgement, make good decisions for your child and trust your comfort level. You’re not giving your kid less outdoor play benefit by not allowing any mouthing of nature objects. Just because the mom next to you is cool with it, doesn’t mean you have to be! I found TINKERGARTEN to be really helpful with getting me more comfortable with and knowing my boundaries with this.
Hydration - Many professionals recommend that you don’t give babies under 1 much water. But then suddenly it’s hot, or they are constipated and they need some water. Okay, try giving a baby who is 7…8…9 months old water when they’ve never had it before….insert EYE ROLL HERE. I love how advice from some professionals is so by the book and tied to research when life doesn’t always work that way! I started practicing taking sips of (filtered!) water with my daughter around 5 months. Not massive amounts, but just little sips. Then, when you hit a hot day, you know if your child needs a little extra water, they are comfortable sipping from an open cup, and you are comfortable too. If breastfeeding, breastmilk is made of mostly water and this counts as hydration, too!
Work your way up - Start with small amount so sun/heat/snow/rain etc. exposure and increase as you feel comfortable. The first time I had my daughter shirtless in the sun, we stayed out for 10 minutes or less. The first time we went out in some light rain to play, we stayed out for 5 minutes. Play outside like nobody’s watching/judging/guilting/shaming you into not trusting your gut!
My Favorite:
Bug Sprays: Badger, California Baby or for more intense disease carrying bug areas Ranger Ready (Scent Zero). I personally avoid DEET based products on my baby/infant even though I am terrified of ticks. You have to weight the risk/benefit, as overall chemical load can really have an effect on little ones’ bodies/brains/skin/gut. Also consider a bug net for your child’s stroller if they are very small and shouldn’t have any chemicals near or on them.
Sun Block: Above 6 months we use Beautycounter, (I like this one because all of us can use it now that our daughter is past 6 months), Badger Baby and Attitude.
Infant/toddler hat: We love this Jan & Jul hat that’s adjustable under the chin and around the head circumference so it can be used longer. It is the only sun hat our daughter has enjoyed keeping on.
Wet weather waterproof clothing: Polarn O. Pyret. Why is the only good brand for infant water proof clothing all the way in Sweden? (If you know of a better one, send me a message) Available on their site or on Amazon, though the sizes do run a bit big. We LOVE their waterproof booties, rain hat and suspender rain pants and rain jacket. They all come in various colors! Everything is totally dry under these items when we strip them off, even in a lot of rain. They are super high quality and designed to be hung/wiped dry too, so you don’t need to throw them in the laundry that often.
Tick Tweezers/Tick Testing: TickEase for tick tweezers; For Testing: TickReport to make sure the tick you (hopefully never) find can be tested for Lyme and other tick borne illnesses.
Wipes: Water wipes! Without the soapberry is my preference. We use these to wipe hands down after playing outside before we can get home or to a bathroom to wash our hands. They are the same ones we use for diaper changes, so they are always in our diaper bag! They come in travel size packs, too, in case you prefer not to carry bricks of wipes in your bag.
Our journey to playing outside more and safely with our infant began with TINKERGARTEN! I highly recommend trying a class!! Depending on where you live, you can start at 6 months old and above. It gave me so much confidence to take my daughter to play outside and how to handle my fears around taking an infant into the great outdoors. Also great for all areas of development (fine motor, gross motor, social skills, sensory processing, etc….!)
The team at TINKERGARTEN has been amazing and gave me a code for my clients, friends, family and readers. Use this code (case sensitive, not an affiliate code, I just love them and they are kind people for sharing a discount with us) at checkout for 15% off:
tinkerwellness_bhasin
Get prepared and get outside! And check out these pictures of us playing in all kinds of weather!
P.S. I only link to products I love/use! I may earn a commission from some of the links above, which helps to run this website! Beaututycounter links are directed to one of my favorite consultants and she can help you with any questions you have!
