It’s official, spring has sprung! And with the weather heating up, that can only mean one thing: BEACH TRIPS! If you’ve ever attempted a trip to the beach with a little one, you know it isn’t as easy as it once was. You want to be prepared but you don’t want to bring everything but the kitchen sink. Since we live pretty close to the beach, we keep our trips and our list of gear short and sweet. Below are the top 5 things I recommend for beachin’ with a babe.
1. B A B Y P O W D E R- I’m just going to go ahead and start with the most important baby beach hack that every mom should have in their beach bag. If you’re a veteran mama this might seem like old news but for the new mama’s, LISTEN UP! This product is a life saver!
It’s inevitable, you’re kiddo, regardless of age, is going to have sand covering them from head to toe, including in places where the sun don’t shine. And there’s nothing more uncomfortable than a sandy tush. That’s where baby powder becomes your best friend! The powder absorbs the moisture in the sand and allows you to easily brush the sand off your little one’s skin without scratching them. It’s like magic. The first time I tried this trick, I couldn’t believe how well it worked. We usually wait until we’ve made it to the car (to avoid any more contact with sand) and simply sprinkle the magic powder all over our kiddo and brush away all the sand. It leaves their skin smooth and dry. I also use it for snack time to remove unwanted sand from hands. I recommend the travel size. Seriously, if I had to recommend just one thing to bring to the beach, this would be it!
2. B A B Y B E A C H T E N T- As I mentioned before, we try to keep our gear minimal because it’s pretty likely you’ll be carrying your baby/toddler to and from the beach. And if you live in SoCal, it’s probably going to be a long walk. I purchased this next product before our trip to Kauai last summer. I wanted something that would protect our little guy from the sun, but it had to be small and light weight to fit in our luggage. This handy little tent folds up and becomes completely flat. It comes with a bag to carry it in and its weighs practically nothing.
3. B E A C H M A T- I love this product because it gives us plenty of room for lounging on the sand and its thick enough that it doesn’t move around too much when your kiddo is crawling around on it. It also folds up to a compact size and has handles for carrying. It’s light weight and perfect for the beach and picnics.
4. S N A C K S – This next one seems like a given but the real tip is what to carry your snacks in. These bento boxes are perfect for bringing a variety of snacks without bringing a million different baggies or containers. Some of our favorite easy snacks are Cuties (those little tangerines), Goldfish crackers, cheese, fruit snacks, and fruit pouches.
5. S P R A Y B O T T L E – This comes in handy when you want to rinse your kiddos hands or just give them a quick spray to cool them off. I recommend leaving it empty and filling it with ocean water when you arrive rather than lug around a heavy bottle of water. And it’s even better when it comes with a fan!
Some other obvious items you’ll want to pack are listed below.
-Sunscreen (I love this kind because it’s quick and easy to apply)-Hat-Rash guard-Sand Toys-Umbrella -Swim Diapers-Change of clothes-Baby wipes-Ziplocks/Plastic bags (I use these for disposing of dirty diapers and collecting trash for easy clean up.
