I'm A Mom Of Toddlers And Here’s Everything I'm Buying On Prime Day

Sunscreen consumption is at an all-time high in my household right now, so I'll be stocking up on Prime Day. This SPF 50 formula from Sun Bum is a classic, and it’s Hawaii Act 104 reef compliant — a designation meaning that it’s free from oxybenzone and octinoxate. I’ve been using this brand on my kids for a few summers now and we go through so much of it.

Promising review: “I live in eastern Pennsylvania, even though we do not get a lot of sun when we do it can burn. I was having a hard time, finding a solid sunscreen for my child. After reaching out to some friends that live in the south, they brought this product to my attention.. so far so good we apply it before we get into the pool or water and it can seem to protect her all day. She is nine years old and we have not burnt since we have use this product. She has sensitive skin and it does not irritate her.” — Sarah S.

My three-year-old got a small set of Magna-Tiles for her birthday earlier this year, and the screaming matches that break over them are astounding. I’m definitely stocking up on enough of these to ensure that there’s enough for her and her sister to enjoy. (But are there really ever enough?)

Promising review: "Well worth the investment and easy to clean up since comprised of magnets. We played with these with our child while supervising her from 1.5 years old and still fun to play with on occasion at age 10. These are fun for adults too and as stated quick to clean up and keep organized because of the magnets." — Danny P

My older daughter actually spotted this magnetic anatomy set at our local teacher store a few weeks ago and seemed really intrigued, and she’s also expressed interest in the anatomical diagrams of sharks in her DK Eyewitness “Shark” book. (Something like this would have scared me as a child, but she’s not like me in that respect, thank God.)

Promising review: "This got my 6 year old really interested in human anatomy and science in general. The tasteful and age appropriate genitalia representation is another aspect of this scientific toy that I appreciate. My daughter has been able to see the layers of the body and understand how some bodies have certain parts and all bodies have certain parts. 10/10 recommend for any family that wants to discuss human anatomy. If you’d prefer not to see/show/ discuss a penis or vagina, or breasts, this may not be for your family. (That’s ok too! Just know it’s there.)" — Courtney

While we actually use a Zojirushi thermos (not on sale, sadly) to pack our kids’ lunch, I had to include this TikTok-famous lunch box that came at the recommendation of parenting editor and fellow toddler mom Ashley Rockman. “The compartments are a nice size for kids and they make packing lunches feel like less of a chore,” she said. “I have a system for which types of food goes where, and my kids especially love that little circle in the center for dip or a fun treat. They can also open it themselves, which is a win! Plus, it comes in a bunch of colors.”

Rockman also had her eye on the Bentgo Chill lunchbox, which comes with a handy freezable insert for keeping food cold without the need for a separate ice pack. It’s 25% off today.

Promising review: “My son’s Bentgo boxes are starting to look a bit rough. The latch on one of his two boxes doesn’t click into place anymore. So why am I rating these 5 star? Because I liked them enough to buy the exact same one again. When looking at my orders, I saw it’s been 3 1/2 years since I bought them. I also throw the shell in the dishwasher which I don’t think you’re supposed to do (the rubber edges don’t love it). So that’s 3 1/2 years of abuse from my young son, and me washing them incorrectly. 100% worth it.
The compartments are a great size and until yesterday, never had a leak. The leak is my fault from improperly washing the shell, which I intend to continue on with and new ones i just bought lol” – AC

I actually very recently ordered one of these so I probably won’t be buying another on Prime Day, but I can tell you that you should definitely invest in at least one of these nifty tools this summer if you have sweet-blooded kids. (Which, of course you do.) There’s nothing worse than watching your child go to town scratching at their bug bites when all you have on hand is stupid calamine lotion, which gets everywhere and (in my experience) doesn’t really work. This gadget works by actually sucking the insect venom out of the bite and relieving the itching sensation. Once your child gets used to the sensation of the Bug Bite Thing (there’s a slight suction that can be intensified the more pressure you apply to the handles) they’ll quickly become amenable to it, especially when they learn it spells sweet relief.

Promising review: “These things are so simple its sort of ridiculous. They work amazing. This is my second order of these. I now have them everywhere from one in each bathroom, one in the RV, one in my beach bag, and one in my car. I have a special needs child who also has his own and finds it very effective and easy to use. Be aware, you can easily give yourself a "hickey" with it on more gently skin like the inside of your arm or ankle so if you let small kids use it, just watch them the first couple times so they don't over do it. If you count the 20 seconds they recommend, the "hickey" is avoidable even on more gently skin.” — momofmany

I've managed to reduce my getting-out-of-the-house time down to something like 7 minutes — and this involves a lightning-fast shower. Suffice it to say that I don't wash my hair very often and rely heavily on dry shampoo to keep my thick and frizz-prone tresses in check. I'm finishing up a can of R+Co's Death Valley spray, which I like just fine, but I'm curious to try other brands and have my eye on this K-beauty favorite for a while. In lieu of a spray, it dispenses via a handy puff, and it contains black ginseng and biotin, which promise to refresh hair quickly. It's also extremely affordable with this Prime Day deal.

Promising review: “Honestly I have tried a lot of dry shampoos because I have a very oily scalp and I tend to touch my hair a lot throughout the day. I was previously using the igk charcoal dry shampoo but didn’t like spending the money for it so I wanted to switch to something better. I was skeptical at first but omg I love it! It’s very strong, so a little goes a long way. My hair does feel thicker and it gives me more volume! I absolutely love this product and will continue to use it! I honestly rave about it to all of my family and friends haha. There is like no scent to it, there is a white cast to it but you just have to rub it in good and not put too much. I love how tiny and travel friendly it is!” — MRM

All hail these mystifyingly-designed, ubiquitous sippy cups. If you clicked into this story, I bet you already have about 17 of these, but if you’re anything like me, you’re also probably losing them all the time and may want to take advantage of this Prime Day deal to stock up. These plastic tumblers can be sipped from any edge (hence the “360” designation) and have a nifty seal that makes them spill-proof when they’re not in use. Each one holds seven ounces.

These are the bamboo toothbrushes that I buy for my kids, and Amazon was kind enough to alert that they are on sale for over 30% off. These pint-sized implements seem to get the job done (to the extent that you get ever really get a 2- and 3.5-year-old to brush their teeth). They also come individually wrapped, which makes them fun for the kids to unwrap. The color selection is always a BIG reveal.

Promising review: “My kids love these , they enjoy getting to choose a color which makes brushing more fun.” — Katlyn James

My family has been hemming and hawing about getting a rice cooker for ages. Professional chefs swear by them, and our kids eat a ton of rice, so it feels like a worthwhile splurge. This highly-rated Zojirushi model was previously recommended to HuffPost by Taka Sakaeda, chef-partner of Nami Nori in New York City, and it has a near-perfect 4.8-star rating on Amazon. It has presets for white rice, sushi rice, brown rice, long grain white rice, and even steel cut oatmeal; and the bottom, side and lid are all heated for super even cooking.

Promising review: “Have you ever had an appliance that makes you smile? This one will! Not only does it make amazing rice, but it plays a happy little tune when it starts and stops cooking. I traded in my cheap, former cooker for this slick compact model. It makes perfect rice every time and takes up very little space. No detail was too small for the designers of this product. They even thought to make the power cord retractable. It's like this company truly understands me.” — Michelle Lynne Leahy

At one time, my older daughter would enter the bathtub only on the condition that it was filled to the brim with suds, and this is the bubble bath we’d use to make sure that the bath was up to her standards. I loved the lavender scent and hypoallergenic formulation, but it's also available in an unscented, sensitive skin-friendly version (which is unfortunately not on sale).

I’m always trying to make art projects happen with my kids and finding that either they’re too young to execute or I just lack the patience for the resulting mess (and I strongly suspect it’s the latter). Inevitably paint ends up all over their bodies and I’m left yell-cleaning and letting them watch TV while I scrub the table. However, that won’t stop me from continuing to try new mediums, like this supposedly spill-proof washable paint set from Crayola. It doesn’t have any reviews yet, but I’m willing to try anything.

I will never shut up about these damn activity books. They keep my kids almost suspiciously entertained for what seems like an eternity, they’re screen-free, and there is literally no mess at all. Each of these spiral-bound books features a series of black-and-white images that change colors with the application of water through the included “painting” brush. (My two-year-old likes to suck on the end of the brush and “drink” the water out of the plastic reservoir — sounds gross, but who cares?!) I cannot recommend these enough for restaurants, car rides, or those everyday moments when you need five minutes (or if you’re lucky, more) to yourself.

Promising review: "my 2 year old loves these! We pack them for car rides and to keep her occupied during her siblings sports games! Love that there is a little compartment to hold the pen as well! — Dana D.

I never leave the house without my kids’ water bottles — which I usually end up drinking out of because I always forget to bring water for myself. I've had my eye on one of these collapsible Stojo cups forever. I like the idea of keeping one in the diaper bag so we there's always an extra drinking cup on hand when we're out and about.

Promising review: “I bought this to keep in my diaper bag so I always have a cup my toddler can drink out of handy. It’s been two weeks and we have used it several times. It easily collapses to fit into our backpack, is sturdy when expanded, works well for cold and hot (coffee/hot cocoa runs!), doesn’t make drinks taste weird, and is not a kid’s product so our family won’t grow out of it. My kiddo actually prefers it to all other cups now! This is a great product for anyone always on the go!” — MichiganHeather

Come for the adorable packaging but stay for the actually-effective stain-fighting power of this magical spray. The water-based formula promises to eradicate some of the greatest offenders — including grease and coffee — and is free of phosphates, sulfates, perfumes and dyes. I noticed this on Amazon’s list of bestsellers recently, and based on the reviews, I’ll definitely be stocking up.

Promising review: “I wish I would have taken a before picture but this onesie was the victim of a major blow-out today- I was almost going to just throw it out but I figured I’d see how this worked- I sprayed it on, agitated it a bit and then rinsed it in hot water- this is what it looks like! This picture is before I even put it through the washing machine. Very impressed and I love having a non-toxic stain remover in such a convenient spray bottle. This is a must-have not only for new parents but for anyone who needs a good stain remover!” — Amanda Sumerix

Freaking Play-Doh! My kids love this stuff so much, and I love it as a “creative” activity, but it is now perma-baked into my living room rug. (Has anyone come up with a cleaning hack for this? I can be reached via email if so.) I should be enough of a supermom to make Play-Doh at home, but for now I’ll keep buying these small jars in a rainbow of colors that make my children incredibly happy when it comes in the mail.

Promising review: "Play Doh is a classic staple. This pack was a great deal and has all of the colors shown. I honestly thought they'd be repeated colors but I was pleasantly surprised that they are not duplicates. This pack would make an excellent gift or purchase for arts & crafts. I will purchase again." — B

I don't think I need to explain to any parent of young kids why this will be such a sanity-saving implement, but: I am so excited to hit “Buy It Now” on this Dustbuster today. One of my strongest childhood memories is of my mom following me and my siblings around with the off-white ’80s version of this classic appliance, and I looking forward to continuing this tradition with my own children. This updated version has a rotating slim nozzle that can fit into tight spaces and a flip-up brush that targets upholstery.

Promising review: “I have an older, maybe 25 years older model which I still use. But this one is 80% better than the older model. The suction power makes the job as so much faster and the charge last so much longer. I highly recommend the newer model, but don't throw the older one out. Now you have two.” — LPS

This baby pool is pretty tiny, but it really doesn’t take much to keep toddlers entertained when there’s a hose around — really, any vessel will do. This inflatable dipper is 34 inches in diameter and will provide some diversion in the backyard this summer.

Promising review: “This pool is great for your little ones. It was super quick to set up. It does not come with a device to inflate (fyi) so we used our own pump to inflate it. Took only a couple minutes to inflate. My toddler is having so much fun using her pool. Perfect for summer. It is also colorful so it will catch your toddlers attention!” — Hawraa

I am constantly “hiding” tech-y things like phones, chargers, and flash drives that my kids try to play with — and I am therefore often permanently losing them. This highly-rated pack of three iPhone chargers means I will not have to engage in the “Where’s my charger?” scramble when my phone is dying and I have a meeting in two minutes.

Promising review: “Having been through a LOT of iPhone chargers over the years, this type has always performed the best. These offered a GREAT price for 3-packs, each with a 3M charging cable. Don't let the simple, not-so-fancy packaging put you off, the products are very well made. With the new cables, even some of the photo transfer functions from iPhone to PC that had stopped working are working again. 100% great!!!” — Tom

Speaking of keeping phones charged: Mine is never ever charged, and I'm embarrassingly always having to borrow chargers from my coworkers. Through this, I've discovered that so many people in the HuffPost offices have this portable phone charger, and it really is one of the nicest and slimmest ones I’ve seen. It’s compatible with a number of popular iPhone models (in addition to AirPods) and comes with a 4500mAh capacity battery.

I actually already own this cooler and my family uses it almost every weekend. While we’re not big campers or tailgaters, we are an 'out all day' family — we'll often leave the house on a Saturday morning to go grocery shopping or run errands and end up bopping around until the afternoon. We keep this cooler in our backseat (loaded with an ice pack) and use it to stash snacks for the day or our haul from the farmer’s market, and we never have to worry about the contents spoiling, even in our sweltering backseat. Our food is always chilly when we arrive home, no matter what time. It's also nice-looking enough that you can leave it out at a party, and my husband likes that it perfectly accommodates 6 bottles of wine. If you're in the market for a new family-friendly cooler, I think this is a great one to buy at such a big discount.

Through extended trial and error (and a lot of screaming), I’ve discovered that one of the better ways to detangle my kids’ hair is by dousing it with conditioner and brushing it out wet, usually at bathtime. I have my eye on this highly-reviewed detangling brush — it comes in several fun colors that might make this less-than-fun activity a little more appealing to my kids.

Promising review: “This brush looks like a normal brush. I have no idea what makes it special but holy cow it definitely is! My hair is long and always tangled. I'm not tender headed but brushing it was a chore, pulled my hair out and even hurt sometimes. I got it brushed in 1/4 of the time with complete ease and zero pain. I am truly amazed at this product!” — Staudt

So it might be silly to try to two detangling brushes, but this one also has thousands of great reviews and is on sale today, and I'll take all the help I can get. The ergonomically-shaped brush has soft plastic bristles that promise to glide painlessly through hair.

Promising review: “This is a lot more gentle on my hair and it feels great. I always grew up with brushes that hurt really bad, felt like I was physically ripping out chunks of hair. This brush is extremely smooth and gentle. I would recommend it to a tender-headed toddler, that's how gentle it is. It doesn't snag on anything. No pain, never. I have very long hair and I've used it after going tubing, swimming, right out of the shower (ik that's bad), riding in a convertible, etc. and it's perfect. Plus it's small/medium in size so I put it in my backpack with me.” – Jocelyn N.

Summertime is high Crocs season for many toddlers — a tour of our local playground reveals a pint-sized parade of every conceivable colorway of this foam shoe. While it‘s just barely July, I’m already in back-to-school shopping mode and eyeing these fleece-lined Crocs that are on sale for Prime Day. My older daughter will be required to bring “inside shoes” to wear around her classroom come September, and these seem like a cozy option that will be easy for her to get on and off herself.

Promising review: “These are perfect for when my daughter needs something quick to throw on. They are fuzzy and warm on the inside and super comfy for her. They fit true to size! We are both obsessed!” — Jacquelyn Castillo

In my house, the climbing of things that shouldn’t be climbed is getting deeply out of hand. (Like, my younger daughter literally just climbed the chair I'm sitting in as I type this.) Tables, swivel chairs, windowsills: If it’s not designed for a child to safely clamber up, you can bet my kids are trying to scale it. I definitely don’t mind the exploration, I just need something that’s designed to hold their weight (and isn’t an Ikea bookshelf just waiting to tip over). I’d love to install one of these Montessori-style climbing toys in our playroom. It comes with a Pikler triangle, an arch and a two-sided rock climbing wall that can be configured in a variety of different ways and will hopefully keep my kids from standing on the coffee table.

Promising review: “This was pretty easy to assemble, and is extremely sturdy. This is my daughter’s favorite toy right now! Money well spent!” — Jezmine

My husband got our older daughter a bike with training wheels for her first Christmas, but then we found out that everyone uses balance bikes now — or at least that’s what all my friends seem to be doing — so I’m now in search of something with good reviews that can prepare her for a big-girl bike. This one looks appropriate for her age and size, and I love the gender-neutral color scheme.

Promising review: “My toddler wanted a bike that she could sit on and use her feet to zoom off on. This bike is lightweight enough to allow her to do any moves and also sturdy enough that there is little fear of falling over. It is extremely well built compared to many other models of balance bikes, and assembly was very easy and foolproof. Overall, a great bike for a growing toddler looking to balance. Very giftable.” — Michael

Speaking of bikes: Getting one of these trailers for kids to ride in has long been a pipe dream of mine, and I can feel myself inching closer to pulling the trigger on this top-rated model from Thule that’s one sale for Prime Day.

Promising review: “This is our second product from Thule. We have twins and we are constantly outdoors. We got a double stroller that we used from when they were 3 months until now they are 2 1/2. My husband wanted to go biking with them so we decided to get the Thule Coaster XT Bicycle Trailer, we love it! He bikes long distances, and on many hills, and our kids are super happy and excited to ride all the time. It has a lot of space for them and for storage. I think we will be THULE customers for life, their products are safe, beautiful and super practical and easy to use. As parents that have to constantly have all eyes on the kids, knowing that you don't have to spend time figuring out how to use something in a hurry is such a relief.” — Sammio7

Someone turned one of these on at the playground once and it was like my kids had just seen the Second Coming — they were too amazed to even attempt to interact with it; they just stared. I see no reason not to own this, especially on sale.

Promising review: "This bubble machine just kept chugging along. We used it with batteries for a birthday party. It was very easy to use and the batteries last a long time. We had it going for 2 hours straight and the batteries were still fine. Good value." — Rosalind Franklin