36 Must
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36 Must

May 24, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Just a handful of things you might want to help you and your kids have the best summer ever ☀️.

BuzzFeed Staff

Mollybee Kids is a small, family-owned small business based in Pennsylvania.

Promising review: "A must-have. My 2-year-old son is obsessed. Always asks to play the 'find you' game LOL. Then we play it and every option on the game he actually thinks really hard then says 'come on mommy' and runs me through the house to find the object. Highly recommended from a mom of four." —Britney bansley

Get it from Amazon for $12.99.

Promising review: "I’m thrilled to have purchased these! Amazing soap sheets. The scents are not overwhelming. I have sensitive skin and, does not irritate my skin. Hands feel soft, clean, and smells great. My 6-year-old son loves these. With pretty much everything still closed down, due to COVID-19, we have been doing a lot more outdoor activities. It’s nice to have soap handy when in middle of hiking or biking and, need to wash hands before eating lunch. I would strongly recommend these soap sheets." —Ann

Get three packs of 100 sheets each from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in lemon, orange, lavender, a variety pack of the three scents, or unscented).

You can also use it on carpets, bedding, cloth diapers, etc.

Promising review: "I just purchased this. It took stains out of baby clothes and I used it on the fabric on a toddler chair and it looks brand-new. I wish I would have taken before and after photos! Love it already! I had read some reviews about it leaking during shipping but I received it with a tight lid in a bag with a spray too lid separate so no leaking!" —Brianne

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

Promising review: "These are a must-have for a small toddler and their snacks. The top is soft and flexible so I don’t have to worry about my little guy scratching his little hands when he’s digging around in the cup. Very easy to clean and they’re priced well. Buy them now!" —Wooty

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $6 (available in two color combos).

Reviewers say this spray will leave wavy or curly hair (from 2a–4c hair) shiny, soft, and bouncy.

Promising review: "You need this! My 2-year-old daughter has curly frizzy hair. And I have tried sooo many leave in conditioners to tame her hair. Nothing thus far has worked. But this stuff is amazing! Truly defines her curls without any hold or crunch. Soft bouncy curls. The smell is quite strong- but it does smell good. If you are sensitive to smells you might want to prepare yourself ahead of time for this. I will buy this again and again. So glad I found something that works for my toddler's curls." —mike

Get it from Amazon for $9.29.

It's recommended for children between 8 and 45 pounds and can be used in four different holding positions — feeding/breastfeeding, side carrying, front facing, and face-to-face.

Tushbaby is a small business run by three California moms — they specialize in products that bringing a little more ease to everyday parenting life.

See it in action on TikTok.

Promising review: "This has been one of MANY items I have purchased thanks to TikTok, and I'm glad I did. Super easy to use, easy to adjust, and most importantly it helps with support tremendously. It comes with pockets and a place to hold bottles/sippy cups, which can be very handy. My 8-month-old weighs around 30–35lbs, and he's basically attached to me 24/7, carrying all day was killing my back and arms! Thank God for this invention, my arms and back can rest." —Jennifer Calle

Get it from Amazon for $84.99+ (available in three styles).

Promising review: "We use it at night, during the day at home, and even on the go. With our first baby we had white noise on our phones, this just makes our lives so much easier. We just leave it next to the baby with timer, and she sleeps for a few hours." —Tatiana Figueiredo

Get it from Amazon for $17.88.

Promising review: "I purchased this for my son and our long car trips. How many times can we pull over to potty on a three-and-a-half hour car trip? Ask my 4-year-old. When I saw this, I couldn't resist. We brought it along, and when he had to pee, no problem. It's only a little gross when you dump it later. Well designed, definitely recommend." —Evan

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in eight styles).

Promising review: "Must-have! If you have a toddler these are a MUST! We travel and it gives us peace of mind knowing that no matter where we are, as long as we have these covers we can safely take her to the bathroom and everything is OK. Before we found these, I used to be super stressed when she would ask to use the bathroom and we were out and about but not anymore. They have cute colors and are big enough." —Dayanna Pita

Get a pack of 24 covers from Amazon for $9.99.

The set also comes with instructions on how to make the BIGGEST bubbles possible! It's great for kids of all ages.

Promising review: "The wand is awesome, but even MORE awesome is that I just used regular bubble solution (way cheaper, found anywhere) and it worked just as well. Maybe better. Some people in reviews have said that you must use the packets that come with the wand, but I gave it a shot anyway with regular bubbles and it worked just fine, with no noticeable difference." —Lauri

Get it from Amazon for $15.95.

See this bubble machine in action on TikTok here.

This bubble maker includes: bubble gun, two bottles of bubble solution, a rechargeable battery, a charger, and a plate to place the bubble solution.

Promising review: "I ordered this for my daughter's birthday and she has always loved bubbles!. So when I found this bubble gun on TikTok, it was a no-brainer. The amount of bubbles that you get out of that is so fun and it lights up. It's easy to use and pretty inexpensive for what we wanted. Even the adults enjoyed it." —Tina

Get it from Amazon for $35.99+ (available in six colors).

I "splurged" on these for my little one and have zero regrets! He, shockingly, doesn't mind wearing them at all and he looks so freakin' cute in them I can't help but take a million photos anytime he has them on. I love that you can register them and if something happens to them within your first year of owning them you'll be able to get a replacement. I even bought them as a gift for my friend's baby's first Christmas — I love them that much.

Promising review: "We love these! I can’t even believe my 3-month-old doesn’t try to pull them off, but apparently he finds them comfortable enough to just leave them. We get so many compliments when he has them on and people love the play on the classic Ray-Bans Wayfarers and the 'WeeFarer' name. Best of all, I can rest assured that his little eyes are protected. The little strap is great to keep them in place. We will definitely be buying the next size up when he grows out of these." —Sara

Get it from Amazon for $34.99 (available in 4 sizes and 10 styles).

Check out a TikTok of the cap in action.

Promising reviews: "Hands down one of my best Amazon purchases for my girl! I love finding hidden gems like this to make parenting a little easier lol. We go camping a lot and these are life savers and save me so much time washing and re-washing sippy cups! Plus my daughter can now be trusted with her beloved Danimal yogurt! A win for mom and a win for my very satisfied and not yogurt covered 1.5-year-old! Great idea!!" —Ab223

Get a three pack from Amazon for $14.99 (available in two color options).

Promising review: "The adults in this house love water balloons but not the mess…plus with toddlers around, it didn’t quite make sense to have water balloons but we saw a random video on TikTok and HAD to find reusable water balloons to try out. These were the first ones we bought to try out, and WHOA we were blown away! Super easy too for the 2- and 3-year-old to use, which means more fun for all of us!! Do not think twice or continue with regular water balloons, you’ll waste precious time cleaning up and filling that could be used to make memories." —Taurus

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $16.99+ (also available in packs of 6, 12, and 16).

Check out a TikTok of the soft serve maker in action.

Promising review: "I absolutely love this. I got this for my girls after they showed it to me on TikTok. I thought it was a great way of making a sweet treat. I didn’t realize how much I would love it. You don’t even need to use a lot of fruit to get a decent size bowl. I buy frozen fruit, freeze bananas, and add some coconut flakes, and it is so delicious. This machine works perfectly. You aren’t suppose to put completely hard frozen fruit in it. You are suppose to let the frozen fruit thaw a tad." —Debbie

Get it from Amazon for $39.98+ (available in six colors).

My son has a few different styles of Posh Peanut pajamas (this Hot Wheels two-piece set and this Star Spangled one-piece, for example) and he really seems to enjoy them! Even I own a pair of their Barbie pajamas (which have already sold out) and can attest to how nice the fabric feels against my skin. They've all washed beautifully (no shrinking!) and I just love how many fun prints they're offered in.

Promising review: "I absolutely love this romper, I swear my baby sleeps better when she wears it. It fits well and feels very soft and luxurious, like a second skin. I’ve already ordered more. Just remember to size up! at 2 months of age and in both the 75th percentile for height and weight, the 3 to 6 months size is getting small." —Heather

Get them from Posh Peanut for $48 (available in sizes newborn–2T).

In addition to being dishwasher, freezer and boil-safe, these tops are BPA-, PVC-, lead-, and phthalate-free.

Promising review: "My now 2-year-old has never, ever eaten more than a few sips out of these pouches, of any kind. I got this spill proof lid to put on it.... she's on her second one in a matter of minute. I think the problem was she didn't like getting messy or having me constantly pull it away. This gave her so much more control and It prevents them from being squeezed all over. Wish I discovered it a year and a half ago!" —Amazonian

Get a set of two from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in five color options).

Watch a mom quartering grapes in a flash with this tool on TikTok.

Promising review: "Yes. TikTok made me buy it. It’s awesome In my opinion. I use it for my fruit salads and my son's snacks. It’s helpful, and I think it saves a bit of time." —Amanda

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

I took the plunge and ordered this lil' kit and it was SO easy to use. My first attempt (pictured above) took literally two seconds to do. My bread was on the smaller side, but it still produced a perfect crust-less PB&J!

Promising review: "These have been a GAME CHANGER in this house!! My son has always begged me for Uncrustables but my wallet didn’t agree with them. I LOVE being able to make them at home and customize them to exactly what they would like them filled with! I make two weeks' worth of sandwiches at a time and store them in sandwich bags in the freezer so in the morning during the school year we can just grab and go! Love them!" —Katherine Smaczniak

Get it from Amazon for $15.96

Promising review: "Must-have for toddlers and small children! LOVE this! My 1- and 3-year-old love washing their hands now, and my back gets a nice break. Adding the faucet extenders and a stepstool to our bedtime/morning routine has been a godsend. Great bargain for the price." —TeaBea21

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $11.49.

When I added this to my registry my sister (who then promptly bought me this stroller) made fun of me asking "when will you ever go for a jog with your kid?" However, that's not why I wanted this stroller! We live in a very hill-filled area and also often go to grassy, muddy, sandy parks, so I knew we'd need a stroller that could handle all of that kind of terrain. The wheels are LARGE and in charge — you won't have an issue getting over any bumps in this bad boy. It's so easy to maneuver. It has the ability to recline the seat for your little one, so they can sit in it pretty early on in life. It also has a cute peek-a-boo window at the top (when you pull the shade all the way down) that my son loves.

Promising review: "10/10 jogging stroller. Rolls more smoothly than I ever would have imagined and turns on a dime. This has been worth every penny and I would buy it again in a heartbeat." —Mike B.

Get it from Amazon for $549 (available in two styles).

My son received this as a gift around the holidays and it's, surprisingly, fantastic! It's really a simple toy but he enjoys playing with it *all* the time. He loves the sounds and the lights while I personally like that it's not HUGE (so many musical toys are very bulky). It's also been a great toy option for the car thanks to its size.

Promising review: "The best baby distractor EVER! Every person with a child must have this toy! I had about five tucked in various places in case one got lost. My son loved them from basically birth and sometimes it would distract him for hours of not crying! (Heaven for a new mother.) Of course, in the beginning you have to keep pushing the button for them, but compared to swinging him in his car seat that was easy! Then we he got older he would spend entire car rides just playing with this one toy. I give it to everyone I know who has a baby." —NH-Mommy

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

My son actually didn't try to rip these off of his head — which is a huge parenting win, if you ask me.

Promising review: "My baby and I traveled all over the country with these. They helped her stay asleep in the plane, and all the other parents were amazed by these. At first I think everyone laughed a bit, but when everyone after a 5-hour flight, couldn't believe how great she did!! They really are awesome!" — S.Morris

Get them from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in seven colors).

Promising review: "This is the best stain remover I have ever used! I wish I would have found it years ago! My daughter is 6, and I can't think of how many stains this product hasn't gotten out for us, even old set-in stains that I thought were hopeless. A friend turned me on to this stuff, and now I will never go without it! A must-have for anyone with kids." —Lauren Ruffin

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

Promising review: "I’ll buy these in every size for my kid. These shoes are the best solution for when weather calls for sandals, and the kiddo needs the support of a tennis shoe. My son can run and climb all over in these, just as he would in tennis shoes, with the breathability and ease of cleaning that you would expect from sandals. He can get them covered in mud, and we can just wash them off with a hose or in the sink, no need to throw in the washing machine. These are an absolute necessity for summers with an energetic kiddo who loves to play in the dirt." —Shauna

Get them from Amazon for $24+ (available in 39 colors and in sizes 4 toddler–6 big kid).

Promising review: "So glad we bought these for our beach trip this year. My 5- and 2-year-olds had so much fun making multiple sandcastles using these. With the right amount of water and sand mixed, they were easy to use. Also great to use them as baskets!" —HS

Get a set of four from Amazon for $11.99.

Promising review: "BEST BUCKETS EVER! I’ll be buying more! I love that they collapse! I bought them for the beach and I loved that they didn’t take up room during travel. And now they don’t take up room in our outdoor toy bin!" —KB

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $12.79.

Promising review: "Purchased for my grandson who loves to play in the water. Perfect height for a 2-year-old. Easy to put together, sturdy and lots of different things to do. The top part is like a waterfall, it has lots of little holes for the water to come through." —dd

Get it from Amazon for $79.99.

Ready. Set .Food! (who you may have seen on Shark Tank), creates delicious baby food and snack options that can help introduce them (safely) to allergens. I've given their oatmeal and these fruits bars to my son (who can be finicky about his food) on multiple occasions and they've been a hit! I'll totally be adding these to my diaper bag as an easy (and not too messy) on-the-go snack option.

Get two boxes from Ready Set Food. for $15.99.

Promising review: "I bought these for my kids to use on vacation where we'd be camping and doing lots of outdoor activities. They used them to collect rocks and other interesting finds. They held up well and several months later with use at home there are no rips or tears. The mesh was convenient when collecting rocks on the beach, and we wanted to hose everything down before bringing them inside. They have an adjustable strap and very easily fit all of my kids ranging from ages two to 10 (could fit older kids, too). I highly recommend!" —a_bennet

Get a set of three from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in two sizes and four color combinations).

Promising review: "This looked like it might be pretty cheap, but so far we've used it five or six times this summer and it's great! The fountain can get pretty high and there's enough room for three or four kids to splash at the same time. It can get really slippery though, so water shoes are recommended." —Ms Helpful

Get it from Amazon for $24.96.

Promising review: "We love our Doona Liki Trike and since purchased we’ve not taken the large stroller out a single time. It’s easy to unfold, a bit trickier to fold. I needs better storage. I wish it could recline for a nap. But my 10.5-month-old son has gone from hating strolling to giggling and squealing when he gets into his trike. He’s now completely a part of the action and that definitely outweighs the few downsides of the trike. Also, we get stopped every single day to talk about it…if you live in NYC and you find that sort of thing annoying, don’t purchase lol. We don’t mind the interaction and engagement at all, especially for building social skills." —DRMo

Get it from Amazon for $250 (available in three colors).

Promising review: "I bought two of these as gifts. If your child likes the outdoors or looking for bugs anything like that, then these are a must-buy. The children I gifted these to loved them and used them right away. They're a nice color, durable, and easy for little hands to hold." —melissa

Get them from Amazon for $11.99.

Promising review: "The holy grail of sippy cups!! This cup is THE BOMB! No leaking, easy to clean, my 18-month-old, who wants to do and have everything like his 6-year-old brother, loves this cup! Both boys use them. Not too babyish for my older one and easy enough that my little guy can use them, we now have four of them! I’m sure a couple more are in our future! And the price is great." —shoelover

Get it from Amazon for $9.83 (available in 11 prints).

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Promising review:A must-have. My 2-year-old son is obsessed. Always asks to play the 'find you' game LOL. Promising review:It’s nice to have soap handy when in middle of hiking or biking and, need to wash hands before eating lunch. Promising review: It took stains out of baby clothes and I used it on the fabric on a toddler chair and it looks brand-new.Promising review:These are a must-have for a small toddler and their snacks.Promising review: You need this! My 2-year-old daughter has curly frizzy hair. And I have tried sooo many leave in conditioners to tame her hair.Promising review: My 8-month-old weighs around 30–35lbs, and he's basically attached to me 24/7, carrying all day was killing my back and arms! Thank God for this invention, my arms and back can rest.Promising review:With our first baby we had white noise on our phones, this just makes our lives so much easier.Promising review:I purchased this for my son and our long car trips.Promising review:Must-have! If you have a toddler these are a MUST! We travel and it gives us peace of mind knowing that no matter where we are, as long as we have these covers we can safely take her to the bathroomPromising review:Promising review:Promising review:We get so many compliments when he has them on and people love the play on the classic Ray-Bans Wayfarers and the 'WeeFarer' name.Promising reviews:Hands down one of my best Amazon purchases for my girl! I love finding hidden gems like this to make parenting a little easier lol. Promising review:Do not think twice or continue with regular water balloons, you’ll waste precious time cleaning up and filling that could be used to make memories.Promising review:I buy frozen fruit, freeze bananas, and add some coconut flakes, and it is so delicious.Promising reviewI swear my baby sleeps better when she wears itPromising review:This gave her so much more control and It prevents them from being squeezed all over.Promising review:Promising review:These have been a GAME CHANGER in this house!! My son has always begged me for Uncrustables but my wallet didn’t agree with them.Promising review:Must-have for toddlers and small children! LOVE this! My 1- and 3-year-old love washing their hands now, and my back gets a nice break.Promising review:Promising review:The best baby distractor EVER! Every person with a child must have this toy! I had about five tucked in various places in case one got lost.Promising review:Promising review:My daughter is 6, and I can't think of how many stains this product hasn't gotten out for us,A must-have for anyone with kids.Promising review:I’ll buy these in every size for my kid. These shoes are the best solution for when weather calls for sandals, and the kiddo needs the support of a tennis shoe. Promising review: Promising review:Promising review:Promising review: They held up well and several months later with use at home there are no rips or tears. They have an adjustable strap and very easily fit all of my kids ranging from ages two to 10 (could fit older kids, too)Promising review:Promising review:We love our Doona Liki Trike and since purchased we’ve not taken the large stroller out a single timeBut my 10.5-month-old son has gone from hating strolling to giggling and squealing when he gets into his trike. Promising review:Promising review: "The holy grail of sippy cups!! This cup is THE BOMB! No leaking, easy to clean