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UV Swim Shirts I Found for My Daughter So I Stopped Stressing About Sunscreen
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items If you spend the entire pool day chasing your kid with a bottle of SPF 50 and she still comes home pink, you already know the drill. I got tired of the crying during reapplication and the guilt when I missed a spot on her shoulders. This list is for ...
Sections
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UPF 50+ Rash Guards for Toddlers and Little Girls
Full Coverage Swim Sets That Block the Sun Head to Toe
Swim Leggings and Bottoms for Extra Leg Protection
Sun Hats That Actually Stay on Kids' Heads
Reef-Safe Sunscreen for the Spots Clothes Can't Cover
Beach and Pool Gear That Makes Sun-Safe Days Easier
UPF 50+ Rash Guards for Toddlers and Little Girls
My youngest used to scream bloody murder every time I came near her with sunscreen. These rash guards gave me my sanity back because she just puts it on like a regular shirt and runs off to play.
Grab this one if your toddler fights you on sunscreen. Mine wore it three days straight at the beach and came home with zero pink spots. The zipper front makes wet post-swim changes way less dramatic.
Carters Toddler Boy Rashguard Swim Set
Pair this with any swim bottom you already own. I bought it because my 3-year-old kept pulling off her swimsuit top, and this stays put even during full cannonball mode at the community pool.
Simple Joys by Carter's Girls' Toddler 2-Piece Rashguard
Use this for the kid who refuses to wear anything that isn't pink or purple. My daughter picked the mermaid print herself and actually wanted to put it on. That never happens with sunscreen.
Wonder Nation Baby and Toddler Girls Long Sleeve Swim
Snag this before pool season starts because the good patterns sell out fast. Soft enough that my daughter wore it as a regular shirt on the drive home without complaining it was scratchy.
Girls Cat and Jack Rash Guard Swim Shirt Size 2t
Switch to this if your kid has sensitive skin that reacts to chemical sunscreens. My neighbor's daughter broke out in hives from SPF spray but has worn this all summer with zero issues.
Lullu Girls Half Zip Long Sleeve Rash Guard Swimsuit UPF
Keep this one in your beach bag rotation for when grandma takes the kids to the lake. The coverage goes up to the neck, which is the spot I always forgot to sunscreen. Problem solved.
Long Sleeve Zipper Rash Guard 2-Piece
Full Coverage Swim Sets That Block the Sun Head to Toe
After my daughter got a sunburn on her stomach through a regular swimsuit, I went full coverage. These sets protect everything from shoulders to knees without making her look like she's wearing a wetsuit.
Try this if you're done buying separate tops and bottoms that never match. The fabric is thick enough to actually block sun but thin enough that my kid didn't overheat at a July birthday party in Texas.
Hanna Andersson Long Sleeve Sunblock Rash Guard
Get this in a solid color so it matches everything. I bought navy and my daughter has worn it with three different swim bottoms. Dries fast too, which matters when you're doing back-to-back swim lessons.
CHICTRY Kids Girls 3Pcs Rash Guard Swimsuit Shirt
Toss this in the cart if you need a full outfit and don't want to think about it. Comes with the top, bottoms, and a skirt piece that my daughter thinks makes her look like a ballerina in the water.
Wonder Nation Girls Everyday Bikini Swim Set with UPF 50
Bring this for vacation if your kid burns easily. We did a full day snorkeling in Florida and she came back with exactly zero tan lines. Worth every penny compared to the aloe vera I used to buy in bulk.
CUZIBR Girls Swimsuit Solid Color Ruched Swim Bottoms
Use this for the fair-skinned kid who turns red in fifteen minutes. My redhead daughter is that kid. We went from constant reapplication anxiety to just throwing this on and actually enjoying the beach.
Girls Long Sleeve Rash Guard Ruffle Swimsuit Set (2 Piece)
Snag the full set if you want arms, legs, and torso covered without layering multiple pieces. My daughter calls it her superhero suit. I call it the reason I stopped packing six tubes of sunscreen per trip.
UV SKINZ UPF 50+ Girls 3-Piece Swim Set
Swim Leggings and Bottoms for Extra Leg Protection
Nobody talks about how badly the backs of kids' thighs burn when they sit on a pool ledge for an hour. I learned that lesson the hard way at a hotel pool in Orlando last spring.
Pair these with any rash guard top. My daughter's thighs used to burn every single time she sat on the pool deck eating popsicles. These fixed that problem completely and she still moves around fine in the water.
Deep Water | Women's Swim Tights | Black
Try these if your kid won't do full leggings in the heat. They hit mid-thigh which covers the burn zone but doesn't make her feel like she's wearing pants to the pool. Smart middle ground.
Girls Swimsuits 2 Piece Long Sleeve Zip Up Rashguard
Grab these for the kid who plays in shallow water and kneels on hot sand all day. Covers the knees, which is a spot I never thought about until my daughter came home with bright red kneecaps from the splash pad.
Uv Skinz
Keep a pair of these in your pool bag permanently. They dry surprisingly fast on the car ride home and my daughter wears them straight into the grocery store after swim practice without looking weird.
Customer reviews for Lands' End Girls Chlorine ...
Use these for the littlest ones still in swim diapers. Two birds, one garment. I stopped buying separate swim diapers and cover-ups, which saved me from the diaper bag explosion I was dealing with every pool day.
i play. by green sprouts baby-boys Trunks with Built-in
Switch to these if your daughter hates bikini bottoms that ride up during water slides. These stay put, cover more skin, and she doesn't spend the whole time adjusting her swimsuit instead of playing.
Girls Board Shorts
Sun Hats That Actually Stay on Kids' Heads
I have purchased roughly eleven sun hats that ended up floating in the pool within thirty seconds. These are the ones that survived my daughter's aggressive play style.
Get this for babies and young toddlers who can't be reasoned with yet. The chin strap actually works and the brim is wide enough to shade her neck. First hat that didn't end up in the deep end.
green sprouts Adventure Sun Protection Hat-White-0/6mo
Toss this in any bag because it crushes flat without losing shape. My daughter sat on hers in the car and it popped right back. Also dries in like twenty minutes, which matters when it gets dunked repeatedly.
Coolibar Baby's Bucket Hat - UPF 50+ Sun Protection
Try this if your kid rips off every hat you put on her. The chin strap adjusts and the brim is floppy enough that it doesn't bug her. She's worn it for full beach days without once trying to yank it off.
Sunday Afternoons Kids' Play Hat
Bring this for hiking or lake days where you need real coverage. The neck flap saved my daughter from a burn I didn't even think about. She looked like a tiny explorer and loved it.
Walmart
Use this in the water specifically because it's made to get wet. Most hats get heavy and saggy when soaked but this one stays light. My daughter wore it during swim lessons and the instructor actually asked where I got it.
Protective Baby Sun Hat With UPF 50
Snag this if you're tired of buying new hats every six months because your kid's head grew. The adjustable band means it lasted us from age 2 to almost 5. Finally a hat purchase that didn't feel like throwing money away.
JAN & JUL Gro-with-Me Large Brim Quick Dry Boys Sun
Reef-Safe Sunscreen for the Spots Clothes Can't Cover
Even with all the UPF clothing, there's still the face, the hands, and the tops of the feet. These are the sunscreens that don't make my daughter cry or leave her looking like a ghost.
Keep this as your face sunscreen. It's thick but not greasy, and my daughter doesn't scream when I put it near her eyes. The bottle cap changes color in UV light, which she thinks is magic and actually reminds me to apply it.
Blue Lizard Kids Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Stick
Grab this for everyday use. It rubs in without leaving her looking chalky and doesn't smell like a chemical factory. I put it on her face and hands before camp every morning and it takes maybe thirty seconds.
thinkbaby SPF 50 Sunscreen 6 oz HSA/FSA Eligible
Try this if you need a budget option that still works. I used this on her feet at the pool and they didn't burn for the first time all summer. At this price point I don't stress about using a ton of it.
Banana Boat Simply Protect Mineral-Based Sunscreen
Use this on sensitive baby skin without worrying about weird ingredients. Smells like coconut, which my daughter loves, and it doesn't pill up when she rubs her hands together five seconds after application.
Sun Bum Baby Bum Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick
Pair this with a rash guard and you only need it on the exposed spots. Goes on smooth, doesn't sting cuts or scrapes, which is critical when your kid has perpetually skinned knees from playground adventures.
Coppertone Pure & Simple Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
Switch to this if other mineral sunscreens leave a white cast on darker skin tones. It blends way better than most zinc formulas. My friend with biracial daughters turned me onto this one and I pass it along to everyone now.
Neutrogena Sheer Kids Mineral Sunscreen Stick
Beach and Pool Gear That Makes Sun-Safe Days Easier
Once I solved the clothing and sunscreen puzzle, I realized the setup around it mattered too. Shade, timing, and the right gear turned stressful pool days into ones where I actually sat down and read a book.
Get this before your next beach trip. I set it up alone in under two minutes with a toddler on my hip. My daughter naps inside it and I finally stopped being the mom holding a towel over the stroller for shade.
Pacific Breeze Easy Setup Beach Tent Deluxe XL
Toss this on the stroller or clip it to a beach chair. It angles in every direction so the shade follows your kid. I bought it after my daughter fell asleep in her stroller and I realized the sun had shifted right onto her face.
Sport-Brella Versa-Brella All Position Umbrella 40" x 42"
Bring this for when your kid overheats in all that UPF clothing. Soak it, snap it, and drape it around her neck. My daughter went from whiny and red-faced to running around again in about two minutes flat.
Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Sport Cooling Towel
Use this instead of arm floaties if your kid is between 30 and 50 pounds. It keeps her upright in the water and I can actually see her rash guard instead of it being bunched up under inflatable wings.
Stearns® Original Puddle Jumper® Kids Life Jacket Vest
Keep one of these in the pool bag for hot parking lot meltdowns and long waits at the snack bar. My daughter holds it herself and sprays her own face, which buys me time to pack up without a full tantrum.
Deluxe Misting Fan
Snag these so your kid actually drinks water at the pool instead of begging for juice boxes. My daughter drinks twice as much water when there's a fun straw involved. Dehydration plus sun is a combo I never want to deal with again.
Hiware 12-Pack Reusable Stainless Steel Metal Straws