7 Must Haves For A Beach Vacation With Toddlers
For those of you like us who do not live near a beach, the idea of attempting a beach vacation with toddlers may be a bit overwhelming. Well let me tell you, it doesn’t have to be scary. A trip to the beach happens probably once every three years! And this was our first official beach trip with our kiddos. What was once an easy trip of a swimsuit and sunscreen and hat has now become a whole production. For our first official beach vacation I sought to find the minimum items needed to make this trip a success. Here are my top 5 must haves for beach vacation success with toddlers.
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1. Sunscreen
This should be a no brainer right? Wrong! So many seem to forget sunscreen for themselves, not to mention their children. I have recently come to understand the importance of sunscreen and it is an absolute must have for our family. Protect that baby skin! Our current favorite for the kids is Babyganics Mineral Based Sunscreen. It’s non-allergenic, SPF 50, doesn’t contain all the yucky chemicals and is tear free so, while you should still be careful, if you get it in your little ones eyes it should not irritate them. How awesome does this sunscreen sound?
2. Rash Guard and Hat
This can kind of go hand in hand with sunscreen. Rash guards provide extra protection in addition to the sunscreen. And hats are not only provide protection for your skin but also provides a little extra shade on your eyes.
3. Cheap Bucket and Shovel
Our beach packing list contained no beach toys. We walked across the street from our hotel and picked up two bucket and shovel sets for under $8 each. This was all my kids needed in terms of toys. My son spent the whole time digging and putting the sand in his bucket, while my daughter created a moat and spent quite a bit of time getting water from the ocean to add to it. These buckets and shovels kept them busy for quit awhile.
4. Swim Diapers
Well we are at a beach with a pre-potty trained toddler boy. So swim diapers it is. Have you ever seen a kid with a wet regular diaper?? Just does not work! So do not forget to pack a few swim diapers. There are various brands of swim diapers to choose from. When it comes to disposable swim diapers our favorite has been the Pampers Splasher. If you like and prefer non-disposable diapers I suggest iPlay Reusable Swim Diaper.
5. Baby Powder
Who else hates sand…oh so much sand. When you have toddlers the sand trap that they seem to be holds so much sand. And it seems like to matter how much you wipe them down theres still more. Baby power is a powerful tool against sand. Throw some on hands, feet, legs. Anywhere really to easily remove sand from your little one. I usually keep a small baby powder in the diaper bag so if I need to, I can usually grab that one.
6. Water and Snacks
I am the mom who always has a bottle of water for each kid and small snacks even it its just some crackers. So of course I would be prepared for the beach. Wrong! I completely forgot snacks. We had some water but no snacks. This meant our beach adventure was over as soon as one of the kids got hungry. Having snacks on hand will not only curb a tantrum but also makes for a longer more enjoyable stay at the beach.
7. Extra Clothes
As a general rule with toddlers, it’s always a good idea to have extra clothes on hand. Having an outfit on hand for after rising off the sand is always a good idea. Getting them out of wet clothes and into something more comfortable increases your chances of having a happier toddler.
As a busy mom, I try to be a minimalist whenever possible. I think what is the least I need to get out of the house. These items I felt were must haves for a successful beach vacation. And I think we did pretty well for our first beach trip with toddlers. What are some of your must have items?
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