Beach season is so close I can smell the sunscreen and feel the sand in my suit. However, once you hop on the parenting express beach trips are anything but relaxing. Well, relaxing in the way they used to be, you know when you would only take a towel and lay peacefully in the sand for hours.
These days beach trips require a lot of gear, enough for an added U-Haul trailer and depending on how old your little ones are you may need even more. If you are a soon to be parent or new parent that statement probably terrified you. Well, don’t be, a little pre-planning and you will be fine.
Beach Toys
Numero uno on the list of beach necessities is beach toys. We drag down two wagons full of various skim boards, buckets, balls, bats, trucks, cars, rakes, shovels you name it my kids probably have it. We also like to shove our chairs and an umbrella in the wagons, so we don’t have to carry them.
Protection from the Elements
Now that the toys are handled let’s get the rest of the gear packed. Sunscreen and lots of it. After being in the water, you will want to reapply after every hour or so in the sun. I like to have one towel for each person, and baby wipes help with sandy hands after castle construction.
Sunnies
I have to have sunglasses at the beach, and the kids will want theirs, even if they will be buried in sand within minutes. For babies that are sitting age, a beach hat is also good for protecting their head, eyes, and face.
And mom secret, if we are with the family and I know I have help watching the kiddos. I definitely try to sneak in some summer reading.
Snack, Snack, Snack
I don’t know about your kids but all mine do is snack these days. That’s why it’s super important for a successful beach trip to have snacks. I always include bottles of water or a water enhancer-flavored drink to satisfy everyone’s thirst. I also take a baggie of grapes or other fresh fruit, individually bagged things like chips or other snacks are good too. Just remember to include a trash bag.
Get Rid of the Sand Covered Beach Stuff
- Keep the sand off your blanket. You think you are taking a blanket to keep the sand off of you, but you end up spending more time shaking the sand out of it than you do enjoying the beach. A fun trick to keep your beach blanket sans sand, bring along a fitted sheet. Flip it upside down so that the ridge is facing up and set a beach bag or cooler in each corner to spread it out. Voila! The lip of the sheet prevents sand from getting on your blanket.
- Protect your cell phone. Want an easy way to keep your cell phone safe at the beach and prevent it from getting sandy or wet? Put the phone in a zippered sandwich bag and seal it shut. Worried about sending a text? Not a problem: You can still type through the bag!
- Get the sand off your feet. So we have all been in the super annoying situation where we rinse our feet off only to be covered in sand again by the time you get to the car. The powder sucks up all the moisture that causes the sand stick to your body. Instead of rinsing with water apply the baby powder where the sand is and then dust it and the sand off. No more sandy floor mats in your ride.
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