Since Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to summer, we’ve pulled together a guide on the summer swimwear you need to keep your tots safe from the sun, in addition to sunblock of course. We’re pretty serious when it comes to sun protection for the kids in the Bee household!

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1) sun hat – A wide brimmed hat is essential for keeping your little one’s head and faces protected from the sun.

2) swimming suit – For little girls, nothing is sweeter than a polka dot swimming suit.

3) water sandals – All kids love playing in the water, so comfortable, waterproof sandals that stay on little feet are an essential part of a summer wardrobe. Unisex Saltwater Sandals are a classic that look great on boys (I just bought a pair for Charlie), girls, and moms! Other great brands we tried last summer include Keen, Pediped, and Stride Rite (great for wide feet). Crocs didn’t work for us because Charlie kept kicking them off, but they’re great as our backyard shoes. We ended up buying so many sandals last summer when Charlie was 1 1/2 because his feet grew a size every month!

4) sunglasses – Charlie loves wearing glasses and sunglasses because he sees me wearing glasses every day. Check out Babybanz — sunglasses made for ages 0-2 that have an elastic band — to keep sunglasses on little faces.

5) swim diaper – If your little one isn’t potty trained, you’re going to want to get a swim diaper. You can purchase a pack of disposable swim diapers, but one that you can reuse is about the same price. Note – swim diapers only contain the poop and not the pee.

6) rash guard – Rash guards have SPF (in this case SPF 50) built into them, so they’re an excellent way to protect little bodies from the sun without having to slather on a ton of sunblock everywhere.

7) swim trunks – When we’re playing in our backyard, we put Charlie in swim trunks without a swim diaper since they have built-in mesh underwear that will catch any poop. Luckily he’s never pooped! Even though he could wear just a swim diaper instead of swim trunks, we like the extra sun protection trunks provide. You can even find swim trunks with spf in them.

What are your summer swimwear essentials for your little one?