Baby Sun Protection For Visiting The Pool or Waterpark

We live in super sunny Las Vegas, Nevada. More days than not, it is super hot here. Being hot is just a part of life, and you try to run from one air-conditioned place to another.

While pools have always been a fun perk in apartment complexes, and hotels in my past, once we moved here, I saw them as more of a wonderful necessity if you want to spend any time outside at all. Especially in the summer.

Now that we are parents to a little one, we have had to think about how best to protect our daughter from the sun while still enjoying the pool.

Here are our top tips and tricks that we use to ensure we all have a great time at the pool or waterpark.

The following tips are not intended as medical or safety advise. These are just tips and tricks that I use to reduce sun exposure for my family. Please follow all applicable advisories and I encourage you to do your own research as well. Happy summer! <3

1. Find a Sunscreen You’re Comfortable With

If you’re like me, you might worry about the chemicals that you’re exposing your baby to. However, I also feel that sunscreen is a very very very important. Especially living somewhere that is sunny for the majority of the year.

Nowadays, there are a ton of different baby-friendly sunscreens on the market. I urge you to do your research and find one that you’re comfortable with. In our family, we like to have as much sun protection as possible, so we look for something with at least SPF 50.

This is a very personal choice for you and your family, but I encourage all mommas to look into sun protection.

2. Consider Purchasing A Swimsuit With UPF

A few months ago, we were strolling through Costco and came across Carter’s baby swimsuits and I was so excited. Carter’s has been my go-to baby clothing brand for Graci since she was born. It is safe to say that I am brand-loyal at this point.

But what got me even more excited was that the swimsuits protected from the sun and were ADORABLE.

We have received several swimsuits from family as gifts for Graci in the past, but they were little one pieces (or even two piece suits) that exposed A LOT of skin.

When we saw a swimsuit that offered a little more coverage at our local Costco, we were all over it! Ours included a short sleeve rash guard and traditional swim suit bottoms.

(Please keep in mind that you can find swimsuits that provide even more coverage than the one that we purchased, if you want more sun protection. We decided not to do a full rash guard top/suit because we always use sunscreen and limit Graci’s overall exposure to the sun when we go to the pool or waterpark.)

Here are some rash guard suits that are available on Amazon (affiliate links):

3. Try To Get Your Baby To Wear Sunglasses

When Graci was only a few months old, we purchased sunglasses for her and she was actually pretty good at keeping them on. Then, we fell out of the habit of making her wear them in the car and she got bigger and better at removing objects from her head – headbands, hats and sunglasses.

So, these days, we have purchased several pairs of kid sunglasses from the $1 section at Target, and we try to put them on her often to get her used to them and leave them on. We haven’t really gotten her to leave them on while at the pool, but we are going to keep trying!

My advice for sunglasses when it comes to little ones is to buy inexpensive ones and try try try to get them to wear them. The more sun protection, the better. Buying cheap sunglasses will keep you from sweating it if you break some along the learning curve.

If you’re looking for something online, here are some from Amazon (affiliate links):

4. Use A Brimmed Hat

If your baby won’t leave sunglasses on, you can always try a brimmed hat. Any hat with a brim will help keep the sun off of your baby’s face and neck.

While we have done better getting Graci to keep a hat on than wear sunglasses, we are still constantly putting her hat back on! The hat that we currently use has no strap, so I’ve begun searching for some other options that will allow us to tie or secure a hat under her chin.

There are a ton of great UPF options on Amazon (affiliate links below):

5. Consider Using Floatation Devices With Shade

Another great way to avoid too much sun is to find floatation devices that also provide shade. There are some great floats out there for babies that allow them to float alongside you under a little shade.

***If you are going to a water park, make sure that these are allowed! Some water parks won’t allow you to use them. Make sure to follow all applicable safety precautions when using these products.

Here are some adorable ones from Amazon (affiliate links):

6. Limit The Amount Of Time In The Sun

My husband and I try to take our daughter to the pool or waterpark once or twice a week. However, we usually stay for only a short time. By staying for only a short time, we can make sure that Graci doesn’t get too much sun, and that we don’t either.

If we aren’t in the pool, I like to put Graci somewhere in the shade. We always bring her stroller so that we can give her a place to be that is shaded. When we bought our stroller, we made sure to buy one that provided shade and UPF sun protection.

Sun protection is great, but the best way to prevent getting burnt or getting too much sun is to simply avoid too much exposure.

If you’re a momma and you have other tips or tricks for protecting your baby from sun at the pool or water park, I’d love to hear about them below!