Must Buys for Summer Holiday Abroad with Toddler?

[summersun29]

Does anyone have any tips for things I should pack to help my toddler in the heat this summer? This is our first (hot) holiday abroad so I'm sure there will be things I haven't thought of bringing!

Obviously appropriate clothes are a given but I'm hoping for suggestions of things like a parasol for the buggy, things for the beach etc. What else? Is a beach tent/shade thingy useful? What about rash guard or wet suit? What about plane entertainment?!

For background, it's Spain at end of May so although won't be too hot where we're going (I think about early 20s temperature wise) there will definitely be things I'll need to buy that we don't already own as this is our first time doing this sort of holiday :) We have rented an apartment with pool. My son is 2.

Thanks Mumsnetters.

We used a UV suit for DD for playing on the beach, she absolutely hated that thing in the water, pool or sea. So for that we had her in tons of waterproof suncream and when out of the water straight into dry clothes or the UV suit.

We didn't bother with a tent, DD wanted to play in the wet sand and build castles. Our villa came with a large umbrella though.

We took swim nappies with us, I found them quite expensive in Spain.
The best item was the hodded towel plus a beach towel.

Some basic medication, calpol, antibacterial cream, plaster, thermometer.

Plane entertainment - magazine (was a huge treat), new book, pen and paper, ipad with downloaded clips, short movie or favourite episodes, headphone.
Snacks

Do have some stuff in your suitcase for the flight back.

DS has a sun suit from M&S, it's long legs and long arms and comes with a "keppi" hat which covers his ears and back of the neck. He wears this on the beach because he won't stay under a tent or umbrella. He also wears Aqua shoes.

For the pool he has a long sleeve rash vest and knee length shorts and again wears a Keppi hat. He also wears the Aqua shoes because the poolside can be skippy. He has two sets of swimwear, wears one set the second has been given a quick wash in travel wash the evening before and left out to dry.

It's much cheaper to take swimming nappies with you, I take two per day plus an extra handful in case there's a poo. I buy disposable ones and put a reusable one (bambino mio) over the top just in case there's a big poo! It's also cheaper to take your own nappies if you can and use the empty space in your suitcase for souvenirs on the way back.

DP likes the air con on full overnight so I take winter pyjamas because the room turns into a fridge.

I got a "snooze shade" for the pushchair, it provides better cover than a parasol which you will have to adjust every time you change direction and will be useless in the wind.

You can buy stuff to play with in the pool locally for next to nothing - buckets and spades, water guns, inflatables etc we buy when we get there.

Definitely take a medical kit with you - Calpol, Nurofen, Piriton (allergy syrup in case of heat rash, insect bites), Calamine lotion etc. It will save you a lot of hassle if your child gets sick on holiday. DS got hand, foot and mouth one holiday and we didn't need to go hunting for a Pharmacy that's open to get stuff for him. In Spain you can't go and buy things like paracetamol in the super like we can here.

Water shoes
Over the head towel poncho
Insulated water bottles for ice
Snacks
Any kind of portable shade
Antihistamine medication and creams
Insect repellent

We love the p20 range for sunscreen

Bring your own swimming nappies as we found Spain very expensive for baby supplies.
Head to toe swimsuits
Pool shoes
A soft foundation make up brush for applying suncream to face and ears and other areas that can be tricky to reach
A first aid kit with plasters, calpol, thermometer, calamine lotion etc

Something I found out recently - swim nappies are reusable!
Not after a poo, obviously, but just hang them out to dry.

I bought a load of plastic tat toys from fb - think moon and me characters, that sort of thing. We played with them in the paddling pool for hours.

Everything I would say has been said.