Thursday, April 18, 2013

Attention City Babies: Six Things You Need In Your Stroller for Summer Survival




We live in the city, but we're outdoors and in water a lot during the summer!  I grew up in Atlanta, so I thought they only opened up the fire hydrants in the movies, but people really do that here.  It's really common...and legal.*

Greyson (11 months) enjoying his first encounter with an open fire hydrant with his Grandma in 2012

It's 56 degrees today (14 degrees Celsius), so we're definitely not searching for the ice cream truck, but we've had a few surprise warm days this month that reminded us that it won't stay cold forever.



Greyson started walking last July when he was 12 months old, so we'd take him through the sprinklers at the playground and that kind of thing, but he wasn't that mobile last summer.  Now that Greyson is 21 months old, I'm preparing for him to be running through sprinklers all summer long.



In New York City, you never know when you're going to stumble upon an open fire hydrant or playground sprinklers or find yourself in baby pool or under a hose.

So, I just put my summer stroller kit together today into a large Ziploc bag (and I mean large...there are no sandwiches this big).  I figure if I keep this stuff in my stroller, I'll be ready for any water adventure NYC can throw at me.

Check out the list and tell me what you think.  Am I missing anything I need to have in my stroller all summer?  I thought about adding a rash guard, but this kit is really for the impromptu water session.  If I know we're going to play in the water, I'll take the rash guard for sun protection, but I'm sure whatever shirt Greyson is wearing will be just fine if we happen to be out.  Are these six things all I need?



In my summer kit is:
1.  Muslin blanket (to use as a towel or for shade)
2.  Sunscreen
3.  Baseball cap (but, I think I'll switch it up for Greyson's iPlay sunhat, which covers the neck)
4.  Bathing suit
5.  T-shirt
6.  Leggings (it can serve as a dry change of clothes, but also if it gets really hot, Greyson can wear these leggings to protect his booty on the hot playground equipment)

I think keeping all this stuff in a large ziploc bag is essential, so I don't have to think about it if it rains.

What do you have in your stroller for summer?  


*NYC Trivia:  Did you know that you can legally open the fire hydrants in New York City?  You have to have a city-approved spray cap that reduces the amount of water that comes out of the hydrants.  And the spray caps are available at local firehouses.  I've never seen one, but I think I'll ask for one the next time I go by a fire station.

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