Hopefully by now, you have planned your trip to the beach. If you haven’t, you can check out an article to help you with the planning process here. Everyone knows that you should bring sunscreen to the beach. What else that isn’t common sense should you bring to the beach when packing for children?
When planning for your trip, you may need to consider sun/shade, activities, and how to transport all your things.
Sun and shade
We go to the beach to play in the sun, but the harsh sun can quickly turn disastrous for little people. It goes without saying, sunscreen is a must. You know that, and I know that. I’m not going to go into the details of sunscreen except to say make sure you use it and research the best kind for children. Ok, now that sunscreen is out of the way. A great companion to sunscreen is creating shade. A beach sunshade is a great option. We purchased this one from Amazon when we brought our twin three-year-olds and our 3-month-old to the beach with us. I liked it because it blocked the sun, it was easy to set up, and similar to a tent, I could open or close the windows for airflow. It also came with its own carrying bag; it folds up easily, provides more privacy than a beach umbrella, is lightweight, and is easy to brush sand off. We have had ours for about six years and will use it again this summer.
Other alternatives could be the traditional beach umbrella. If you are going for the super saver alternative and feel a bit like MacGyver, I have seen people make a lean-to with poles and blankets/towels.
Things to do
Regardless of age, playing in the sand is usually a favorite activity while at the beach. Having a good sand shovel is a must. Preferably, you will have a shovel and bucket for each of your children. It is a bonus if they are all similar because they will most likely be stackable. If they are stackable, it will make transporting and packing them in the car easier. In the past, I have found some of our favorite sand beach toys at the Dollar Tree. Plastic can tend to get broken easily. Whether I spend $5 on a toy or bucket or $1, they are played with the same way. If we are lucky, they will last more than one season.
Play ideas for younger children
For small ones, you can think about purchasing a small blow-up pool. It is easy to transport. You can fill it up so the young children can still play in the water, but you don’t have to worry about waves. A bonus is they are contained.
An alternative is a shower curtain liner. Dig out a small area of sand. You determine how deep the site will be. Lay down the shower liner. Add some buckets of water; voila, you have a very shallow water area for them to play in. You can choose to add sand. Remember that a small child can drown in as little as an inch of water; always be sure to watch them while playing with water.
Be sure to give small children small toys to play with, scoop, and pour water. Small plastic watering cans, buckets, or stacking cups are great ideas.
Activity ideas for older children
A good kite is always fun while it is breezy at the beach. It is a great toy they can play with when the water is too cold, too rough, or while you are waiting for bathing suits to dry off and parents are preparing to leave. We like these. All 3 of my kids, even my 5-year-old, were able to fly them without help. They pack up small and are super light.
A beach ball, football, volleyball, or bocce ball are always good choices depending on your child’s interest and age. We have had this scoop ball set for about ten years, and it is still going strong.
Swim goggles, snorkel, and flippers are always fun to be able to find shells or see fish. Be sure to give kids a tutorial on using the snorkel, so they don’t inhale a tube full of water. Bodyboards can be incredible amounts of fun for an adventurous child.
Carrying all the things
Beach Bags
Transporting all these sandy toys is much easier if you have a way to carry them that allows you to get the sand off easily. Any mesh or netted bag will allow you to pack up all the toys, and as they dry, you can shake the bag, and the sand will fall through the holes. Hopefully, allowing the sand to stay at the beach and not in your car or hotel room. The Dollar Tree sells a mesh laundry bag that is a bag with a drawstring end. It will hold a lot of toys or other items. It doesn’t have a carry handle.
If you want something over the shoulder, I have friends who have variations of these. This one is mesh, zippered and simple. It’s great for toys and other lightweight items. This one also has rave reviews as it holds heavier items but does not have a zipper.
Trendy right now are the BOGG style EVA bags. They are great as they are very easy to clean, keep their shape (unless overheated), and hold a lot of stuff depending on the size purchased. The price tag is defiantly much higher. I say go for it if you can afford a BOGG, Simply Southern, or another name-brand bag. Also, keep your eyes peeled in the stores for a generic brand. They are so popular now; I’m sure more generic brands will pop up this summer.
Wagons/Carts
If you foresee your family making lots of trips to the beach over the years and you have the space, a beach wagon may be a good investment for you to make. Beach wagons or carts may be another option when transporting everything from your car to your chosen place in the sand. Be sure to pick one with wide wheels and a rust-resistant aluminum frame. There are lots of options. Think about what items you may bring, and be sure to get one that will carry the heaviest items, such as beach chairs, cooler, sunshade, toys, Etc.
Beach carts tend to be pushed more like a stroller on the pavement and then pulled behind you on two wheels when in the sand. They usually have a metal frame and a netted carry bag. Wagons are pulled behind you and typically canvas material on a metal frame. The wagons are generally a little more expensive and fold up when not used.
We hope this helps
In conclusion, deciding what to bring to the beach with kids can be overwhelming. Some of these ideas may be useful; some may not. We hope you find at least one gold nugget of information that makes planning your next trip a little easier. Download our free PDF Beach Packing List below. There is space for you to include your own items. Check out our other articles about trips to the beach here, and more family adventures. If you found this helpful, please feel free to comment below.