Beach Ready from Head to Toe
The weather is hot and only getting hotter. Get ready for the sunny beach weekend ahead with these sand toys and summer gear for your little ones.
Beach Toys
If, on average, you lose two buckets, three sifters, and one shovel at the beach between May and September, and if it takes 450 years for a plastic bucket to decompose, how long will it take you to read this word problem, click a link, and swap your current beach toys for a biodegradable set from Zoë B Organic? The five-piece beach kit includes a bucket, sifter (which doubles as the lid), shovel, and cups made from a bioplastic that breaks down when exposed to microbial activity in the soil or sea.
Available onlineecomom.com, $20
Eyewear for the Swing Set
No matter how many pairs of wraparound sunglasses your mini-me tries, you can't kick that lovin' feeling for aviator specs. Let your youngster rock the too-cool-for-flight-school look in a pair of Babiators. The small-scale eyewear is made of pliable rubber; kids can do their worst, and the glasses still look their best. With 100 percent UVA and UVB protection for little peepers, they're also nontoxic (no BPA, phthalates, or lead), so chewing on a pair is as safe as it is inevitable.
Available online at babiators.com, $20.
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Feel Good, Do Good Shoes
Embrace Chooze shoes, a new collection of kicks with left and right that coordinate but are never exactly the same. The all-cotton, vegan slip-ons come sized for toddlers, big kids, and moms. Choose from a variety of patterns in the same color scheme, a variety of colors in the same pattern, and patterns and colors that don't match at all but still somehow work.
Another thing that's different about these shoes: At year's end, the company invests 100 percent of profits in programs that support impoverished women with education, skills training, and microloans. Now that's a step in the right direction.
Available online at choozeshoes.com, $48-$59.
Charitable Swimwear
The debut collection from Nono by Noelle of bathing suits for minis is more than meets the eye. Designer Noelle Vazzano uses proceeds from the collection to support children receiving cancer treatment by giving them canvases, brushes, and paint to fuel their creative spirits. In turn, Nono by Noelle uses the kids' inspired artwork on the fabric for the suits. Each bathing beauty is currently made to order. Just send in your suit choice, color/painting selection, and child's size. In three weeks, custom swimwear arrives at your door.
Available online at nonobynoelle.com, $60.
Your epidermis is showing
Hampton Sun's new sunscreen for kids is hypoallergenic, oil-free, and absorbs quickly before your little one can rub it all off. The SPF 70 also contains vitamins that soothe skin. Though the grown-up line has a fragrance reminiscent of Southampton's privet hedges, the light scent for kiddos won't wrinkle your little mermaid's nose. No need to towel her off between rounds of Marco Polo; it works just as well on wet skin as dry.
Available at bluemercury.com, $32.
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