Family beach trips are so much fun, but I will tell you that they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from the days of couples going alone. Making memories with your family can be precious, but your trip will go much smoother if you are properly prepared. After much consideration, here are my top items to have in your beach bag when you go to the beach with your child:
A big hat to cover up their sweet faces – Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE a hat on a baby! However, finding the right one for your child can be a little challenging, ESPECIALLY if they have a very large head. I find the ones that tie are the best, because they don’t fall off whenever there is a big gust of wind. You want to also find one that covers up their neck, so they won’t get sunburnt.
Inexpensive beach toys – These can be pretty easy to find, especially if you go ahead and pick them up at the beginning summer. Target typically carries a nice selection in their Dollar Spot section, and you can also find them at the Dollar Store. Please keep in mind that these do not have to be expensive at all. Your children will not care how fancy they are, especially small ones. They just want something that they can scoop up sand with. 🙂
A cover up to protect their skin from the sun – We actually kept Madeline in her coverup the majority of the time, because she has a very fair complexion (just like Mommy). I managed to find us matching ones, which made our trip even more fun (particularly in the picture department). 🙂
Both regular AND swim diapers – Please don’t think that you will only need swim diapers on at the beach. This is quite the contrary, because as a lot of parents know, swim diapers DO NOT always do a great job of holding stuff in (LOL). Remember to only put the swim diaper on if your child is in the water. If they are going to be mainly playing in the sand, then I would keep a regular diaper on them to prevent unnecessary leaks.
Sunscreen for all – This one is obvious, but it is easy to forget if you aren’t careful. Don’t forget to reapply periodically, so nobody’s trip is ruined from a bad sunburn.
A drink spike and a sippy cup – We put a drink spike in for Madeline’s sippy cup, and it worked great! You just need to first make sure that whatever sippy cup you use will physically fit into the spike. This helped keep the sand off of her cup, which made her really happy.
What tips do you have? Please feel free to leave a comment below, because I always love hearing from you guys. Thanks for stopping by, and have fun at the beach! 🙂
P.S. Please follow our Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram pages for more fun ideas from One Cheerful Mom!
