What to Pack: Beach Trip with Kids
Alright you brave soul, so you’re planning a beach trip with kids in tow. Yay, very exciting! Beach vacations used to be considered relaxing and simple, maybe even sexy and exotic. But there are kids involved now which, let’s face it, can be downright exhausting. The good news is that with proper planning, and a shift in perspective and expectation, you can pull off something pretty darn special.
We live a mile from the beach, and just about 20 miles from Cape Cod, so we spend a good amount of time seaside (sometimes even on blustery winter days, because anything goes when you’re trying to wear out a toddler, am I right?). Whether you’re going for a few hours, or a few days, it’s hard to bring a child to the beach without lugging a ton of stuff along with you. Here are my go-to, sanity-saving, don’t-leave-home-without them beach things (oh and a few things that you most certainly can leave home without):
A beach wagon: Some swear by the beach cart, I’m partial to this wagon myself. Here’s why: You can put almost anything in the wagon. Your kid, a boogie board, a cooler, chairs, perhaps even yourself if you can convince somebody to drag you back to the car at the end of the day. It’s a catch-all, and it’s far easier to maneuver through sand with than a stroller. This is the one I have and I love it because it has rubber, air-filled, tires so you can inflate or deflate depending on the terrain, and it packs up pretty small.
Solbello: Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by a beach umbrella. Now say hello to a solution that doesn’t involve you just sucking it up and forgoing shade. My sister turned me onto Solbello, and I’m never looking back. This thing packs up small, it’s so light, and it creates a huge rectangle of shade for the entire family to enjoy.
Sunscreen: Now this isn’t rocket science, but if you’re still spreading sunscreen on your kiddos faces, as they squirm and scream and do that limp body thing where they just collapse to the ground (what is that?!), then you’re doing it wrong. A face stick, like this one, is where it’s at. Easy to apply, and doesn’t get all over your hands!
Baby powder: You heard that right, and many of you may already know this trick. Sometimes even a hose doesn’t get all of the sand off those tiny little feet. But let them dry, sprinkle on some baby powder, towel it off, and voila sand free feet!
Snacks and plenty of water: Anything your child will eat, and lots of it. The beach has a way of making us all very hungry and also very thirsty. I try to get a mix of protein (think peanut butter sandwich or greek yogurt), fruit (think apple sauce pouch or apple slices that won’t get smooshed), and something salty to satisfy that snacking urge (I’m almost never without pretzels or Goldfish). And don’t forget plenty of water for everybody because hydration is so important!
Things I’d leave at home:
Toys. Seriously. If you must, pack a bucket or two and a shovel, but most kids are more resourceful than we give them credit for, and the toys are rarely missed. Also my absolute favorite thing to do is to watch what my toddler is interested in when we go. He never flocks to the toys, instead he is into rocks and sticks, he’s always the first to find any critters or pieces of trash (lol).
Inflatables and noodles. You have to be a crazy person to bring inflatables to the beach. I don’t even know why I am bothering to say this, but they are for pools, exclusively. If your kiddo likes hanging in the water, get yourself a boogie board instead.
Pets. You don’t know this about me yet but I am a BIG advocate for leaving your pets at home where they’re safe. The beach is rarely a safe place for a pet. It’s too hot, never enough shade, most beaches don’t even allow pets so you’re likely breaking a rule. Trust me, they don’t want to just sit there and lounge around in the sun all day. Leave them at home. Please. That being said, I think it’s wonderful when beaches have off-leash hours for dogs (usually mornings or evenings), but bringing young kids to a dog park situation is never safe.
Alright y’all, that about sums it up. Keep things as simple as possible because we know that nothing is ever truly simple with kids. Here’s to a happy and sandy adventure!
