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Remember when all you had to take to the beach was just a towel and a book? Sadly, once you have kids, those days are gone for awhile. With two sets of grandparents who have homes at the Jersey Shore, my family has lots of experience with family beach days. I’ve compiled a list of my great-to-have items as well as some of my favorite bonus tips and hacks. If you’re a new parent and are slightly freaked out by this list, remember:
- Pretty much everything on this list, like everything you’re told that you “need” for your baby, is optional.
- Trips to the beach will get easier every year as the kids can walk by themselves, carry some of their own things, and get themselves to the bathroom. Hang in there.
Table of Contents
What to Wear on a Beach Trip with Kids
Protection from the sun is vital. Choosing the right swimsuit, sunscreen, and footwear for yourself and your kids will ensure that everyone stays comfortable and protected from the sun.
Choose your sunscreen wisely
Sunscreen should be “broad spectrum”, providing protection from both UVA and UVB rays. My family prefers using physical sunscreens which contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These are the white, chalky kinds of sunscreens that are a bit hard to rub in, but if you don’t want any extra chemicals, these are your choice. They get better every year.
Most experts recommend you choose an SPF between 30 and 50. Below 30, sunscreens don’t provide enough protection, above 50, the extra protection is negligible, and the sunscreens often get a lot more expensive.
Avoid sunscreens that are combined with insect repellent. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied at least every two hours (a lot more often than insect repellent does), and it needs to be liberally applied to the face, where you don’t want bug repellent. Finally, mixing the two together can make the sunscreen less effective and the bug repellent more toxic.
My favorite sunscreens: Blue Lizard tops many “best of” lists for physical sunscreens. I also like to keep the Babyganics sunscreen stick in my purse at all times.
Whatever sunscreen (or insect repellent) you choose, purchase it in a small quantity at first, and be sure you test it before you leave home, especially on sensitive skin. Choosing sunscreen for babies in particular can sometimes require a bit of trial and error as even “natural” versions can cause rashes and eczema flare-ups. You don’t want to deal with an allergic reaction at the beach.
Choose a hat with a brim
When my kids were babies and toddlers, we loved these hats by i play. They range in size from 0-4T, are SPF 50, and have an adjustable chin strap.
Now that my boys are big enough to have an opinion, they prefer to wear baseball caps, which means that I always choose swimsuits with high-necked rashguards.
Choose the right swimsuit
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The boys and I have all had good luck with swim suits from Land’s End. They carry a wide range of rash guards and suits for kids. (I love that their trunks for boys come in slim sizes for my slender kids.) They also have short and long-sleeved swim tees and suits for men and women. These provide SPF 50 sun protection, even if you miss a sunscreen reapplication.
Their return policy is also excellent. When one of their swimsuits faded drastically after a few trips to my son’s swimming lessons, they refunded my purchase price, no questions asked.
Bonus Tip: Consider cutting the underwear-style netting out of your boys’ swim trunks. The netting lets in and holds tons of sand, and sand + private parts is no bueno. If your son feels he has a little too much “freedom” down there once the netting is gone, just add a pair of undies underneath.
Bonus Tip: If you’re a breastfeeding mama, don’t forget to select a suit that can be easily pulled aside for discreet breastfeeding on the beach.
Consider water shoes, especially for new walkers
Hot sand and hidden rocks can hurt little feet. A water shoe like this one will protect little toes in or out of the water.
Don’t forget to grab sweatshirts or light jackets
The weather is often very different on the beach than even a few miles inland, and the “refreshing sea breeze” can quickly turn cold–especially for tired and water-logged kiddos.
Plan to wear your baby
It’s no fun pushing a stroller over sand, especially when you have all the other beach stuff to tote along. I loved this baby wrap, which could be worn in the pool or ocean, when my babies were small.
Bonus Tip: If you are bringing a baby who uses a pacifier, you might want to consider bringing pacifier wipes.
Essentials to Pack for a Beach Trip with Kids
Invest in a beach cart
Towels, toys, cooler, umbrella, and chairs can get heavy quickly. A cart like this one can manage all of that stuff, making it easy to get to your spot on the sand.
Pick a cover from the sun
An umbrella or canopy is essential for sun protection. These can often be rented at the beach, but the daily charge can be high. If you’re bringing your own umbrella, make sure that the beach doesn’t place a restriction on types of coverings as some, like Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, ban tents and canopies. We love this Sportbrella for its low profile, and the fact that it isn’t likely to blow over on a windy day.
Bonus Tip:If, despite your sunscreen, hats, rash guards, and umbrella, you still end up with a sun burn, aloe vera gel can be frozen in ice cube trays for extra-refreshing sunburn relief.
Choose a comfy chair
We love these chairs, which have a place to hang your towel, a cooler bag, and pockets to stash your stuff. I also love that I can carry it on my back in case the cart is a little overloaded.
If you’d like a comparable backpack-style chair for your toddler or preschooler, these have excellent reviews.
Look for a sand-free beach blanket
This one is giant-but-lightweight, has sand pockets to help anchor it, and has another zippered pocket for your valuables.
Bring some great beach towels
These Turkish towels dry quickly and resist sand. A hooded version like this is great for kids who might trip on a full-sized one or drag it through the sand.
Invest in a mesh bag if you’re bringing sand toys
This bag is awesome. Not much sand collects in the mesh, there are pockets for everything, and it can be hosed off when you get home.
Bonus Tip: While we’re talking bags, bring along ziplock bags for treasures. My boys always find rocks and shells that they want to bring home.
As a side note, you don’t need tons of toys while at the beach. My kids always enjoyed some kind of digging toy and some kind of bucket, but with no toys, kids will always just improvise.
Other Things to Consider for a Beach Trip with Kids
Consider bringing an inflatable baby pool
If you have very small kids, they’re not likely to spend much time in the ocean. Keep kids cool and entertained with an inflatable baby pool like this one.
If you’d like a lower tech version of this, you could also dig a trough in the sand, line it with a plastic shower curtain, and fill it with water
Consider where you’ll have nap time
If you’re spending the whole day on the beach, your little ones might be lulled to sleep by the wind and the waves. We borrowed this sun tent when my boys were babies, and they slept for much of the afternoon, protected from sun, wind, biting insects, etc.
If you’re looking for a low budget alternative to having them sleep in a tent (or on your lap!), you can dig a hole as mentioned in the baby pool trick above, but instead of lining it with a waterproof shower curtain liner, line it with a beach towel or blanket.
Plan for lots of snacks
You’ll definitely want lots of finger foods for the beach. We always bring tons of salty snacks like chips and pretzels along with a cooler filled with sandwiches or wraps cut in small, easy-to-eat sections. Cookies and fresh fruit are always a hit, as well. Frozen grapes are particularly refreshing.
If you include some frozen bottles of water or juice in your cooler, they can do double duty as an ice-pack early in the day and a super-cold beverage later.
Bonus tip: Watch out for seagulls while you’re eating, and keep your food closed and put away when you aren’t eating it. In many areas, they are very aggressive. On the Jersey Shore, we frequently see them stealing sandwiches right out of unsuspecting diners’ hands.
Prepare to potty on the beach
If you are planning to stay at the beach for several hours, you will want to park and set up close to the beach facilities. Most beaches have public restrooms and showers. Locate these before you get settled so that you don’t have to do any searching once there’s a potty emergency.
If you have a newly potty-trained child, consider bringing a portable travel potty and wipes. We loved this travel potty when my boys were small. It could be set up free-standing or could sit on top of a standard toilet seat. The liners it used meant that the mess was contained whether we were near a bathroom or not.
If you’re the parent of a child in diapers, remember that swim diapers only hold poop. You’ll want to wait to put them on until just before the water activity or put a regular diaper on top for the car ride/beach hang out time to catch the urine that will inevitably leak through. If your child is just digging in the sand and sticking his toes in the ocean, he can just wear a regular diaper for beach day. Although we loved reusable swim diapers for swim lessons and quick trips to the neighborhood pool, I didn’t find them practical for the beach.
Don’t forget to pack along some ziplock bags for stinky diapers, wipes, and travel potty liners.
Consider some fun extras for the grownups
Now that you’ve seen this list, you probably don’t want to bring anything for yourself, but here are my favorite fun accessories.
- a cheap wireless speaker
- a foldable beach table
- a vacuum insulated drink tumbler (with a lid to keep the sand out)
- a battery-operated fan can make things more comfortable on a hot, still day
How to Stay Safe on a Beach Trip with Kids
Consider choosing a spot near a lifeguard tower
Especially if your children don’t swim well, consider setting up near a lifeguard tower.
Hide your valuables wisely
If you are going to leave a phone, car key, or wallet unattended while you walk on the beach, consider wrapping your valuable things in a diaper that appears used, or follow this tutorial to make a safe out of a sunscreen container.
Make a meetup plan for kids old enough to wander away and lose sight of you
It goes without saying that young children should be with a parent or guardian at all times when on the beach, however, in real life, children can sprint away while a baby is being changed or an umbrella is being put up.
Talk about the color of your umbrella, point out landmarks like lifeguard towers that can be used as meeting places. Talk about which grownups your child should go to for help. Consider using these kids waterproof safety tattoos or simply writing your cell phone number on your child’s skin with a Sharpie.
Respect the water
Watch for red flags flying near the beach. These indicate that the water is unsafe due to rip currents, sharks, or other hazards. If signs indicate that you should not swim in the beach, obviously do not swim there. Often, dangers are not obvious when standing on the shore.
Final Bonus Tips
- Protect your phone/camera by putting it in a ziplock. The touch screen will still work!
- Bury your flip flops in the sand or keep them under the umbrella so they don’t get scalding hot in the sun
- Bring a diaper wet bag with a clean dry outfit(s) for babies or toddlers.
- Take a big sock, fill it with a bit of cornstarch or baby powder (half way or a little less), and tie it off with a ribbon or rubber band. Use it to wipe your kids off after they get covered in sand. The powder will absorb the moisture, and like magic all the wet sand will come right off!!!
There you have it–all the tips I can think of for a family trip to the beach. I’m sure I left out something. Tell me about it in the comments!
These are great tips! We just got back from our first beach trip of the year, and this list has things I didn’t even think of as a longtime beachgoer. I second the iplay hat recommendation. We used a cheap 2-person tent from Target as the baby nap spot. We had to cut the pockets out of my son’s trunks due to sand rash too. For older kids who might swim in the ocean, consider life vests and educating about rip currents. Hoping there will be many more beach trips in our future 🙂
Thanks for the ideas, Gina! I hope you get to take a lot more trips to the beach, too!