10 Tips For A Relaxing Trip To The Beach WITH The Kiddos!

Summertime! A time for warmer days, longer nights, family cookouts, fun-filled outings and days spent at the beach.

If you are like me all year long you dream of feeling warm sun on your face, sand between your toes and hearing the sound of the ocean’s waves hitting the shore… but then your thought quickly turn to the hassle of having to lug the heavy cooler, sand toys, blankets oh and can’t forget the kiddos because they are complaining that the sand is too hot on their toes!

Do you get discouraged, say the HE(double hockey stick) with it and instead turn on the sprinkler in the yard or do you brave going to the beach?

If you chose the first option and stayed home just to avoid the aggravation, I can relate. I was like you until my sister, the Beach Pro, gave me a few tips!

10 Tips for an easy and relaxing Beach Trip:

• The night before put water bottles in the freezer. This will serve 2 purposes! You can use it instead of ice in the cooler and it will be melted enough to drink when you want it. I always add a few non-frozen bottles in case the little ones want water right when they get there.

• Invest in a beach cart. For under $30 you can get a decent sized cart to load with all your beach essentials and will only have to make one trip from car-to-sand.

• If you are going to be a beach pro, you have to think like one. You don’t just plop down anywhere, you have to put on your inspector gadget goggles and scope out the place. You want to first and foremost find the restrooms. Then claim your spot nearby. It makes “Mommy, I have to go to the potty” moments a lot easier!

• There are phone apps to check tide times so you can chose a seat that is just right so you know if the tide is coming up or going down and won't have to move when the tide comes up or goes out.  If you don't have a tide app, it's always on the morning news and the lifeguards know if you ask them.

• Do you get tired of having to walk back and forth to the ocean to fill buckets or is your little one still not sure about the ocean? Bring a little blow-up pool. Place it next to your blanket then walk down to the ocean with a few buckets, fill them once and add them to the pool. Your kiddos will stay nearby and you won’t have to wonder where they are. You may even be able to read a magazine!

• Keep an extra bucket of ocean water near your seat that the kids don't play in to quickly rinse hands or sippy cups.  A little salt water never hurt anyone!

• Plastic sandwich bags- At lunchtime, put baggies on your little one’s hands. He will get a kick out of having mittens on. You will be happy that he is not ingesting a lot of sand and can actually eat a clean sandwich!

• BABY POWDER.... baby wipes tend to just spread the sand around, baby powder gets the sand right off!  I use it before I put my little one in the car.

• Put all of the toys in a mesh sporting ball bag (can find them in the sporting section of most department stores)... you can quickly rinse all toys and keep track of smaller items.  Just dip the whole bag in the ocean to rinse.  Shake out and excess water can drip out and not get yucky.

• Untraditional beach toys you find around the house make for a different, fun and exciting trip....think old happy meal toys, measuring cups, funnels, spatulas, etc. You can even store these in your bag and only pull them out if a melt-down occurs.

Hope you find these tips helpful. I sure did and now enjoy going to the beach! It should be a relaxing time…a time to form fond family memories!