Summer is a wonderful time for our family. We always enjoy our summer outings, splashing around in the water with our favorite pool toys and floats. These outings typically include my immediate family as well as aunts, uncles and cousins. We love going to the beach or on out of town trips where we would rent a private house with a pool. If ever we would go to the beach, the adults would make it a point to rent inflatable pool floats for those of us who don't know how to swim. The floats would also be our pool toys, and when I was a child the floats as well as toys were one and the same. They are just perfect for children of all ages, as well as adults who are young at heart!

I am now an adult myself and I have a son. My son inherited my love for the water. He would normally gurgle and laugh when I gave him his baths and come this summer, my husband decide that we would buy him a pool with an inflatable water slide attached. I am in charge of buying pool toys, so I went ahead and made an online search for pool accessories. I wanted to just buy a normal inflatable pool float but when I made my search I was surprised by the selection available!

I am listing my top five favorites from the entire selection of pool toys that I found online:

Animal Pool Floats – The colors are fun and the material is sturdy and durable. My little one loves animals and he would definitely enjoy playing with one in his kiddie pool. He would be able to ride the float around the kiddie pool and have so much fun without having to know how to swim! I am thinking of getting him a turtle since he is very partial to his turtle rattler.

Inflatable Animal Water Toys – Colorful animals in different selections, including fish, turtles, blue and black whales, clown fish, ladybugs, and ducks. These types of pool toys can be educational too, as I can discuss each of the animals with my little one! They are safe as well since they're made up of soft material, and we can throw them around without any worries about injuries.

Water Squirtles – Since I prefer for my little boy to not play with toy guns (even water guns), this would be the better choice, and they are cute and round and colorful. The Water Squirtles pool toy comes in fish, pirate and octopus varieties.

Beach Ball – Always a classic choice. My little one will love playing with a colorful beach ball - and since it's inflatable and soft, I would not have a lot to worry about injury while he's playing.

Fun Kids Dive Mask – My baby may be too small to use this right now, but I can't help but put it in the list. It is so cute! It comes in rhino and frog designs. In truth, I think I will enjoy this toy more than my son will, at least for now. But there's no rule saying that adults can't have fun with pool floats and toys as well!

I am so excited with the shopping, and even more excited to see my little boy in his inflatable pool, splashing about. I'm even thinking of asking my husband if we can afford to purchase one of those new fiberglass swimming pools for the whole family to enjoy. But for now, our son will have enough experience playing with the toys in his kiddie pool to get him ready for our family outings next summer. Fun, colorful pool toys, here we come!