What to Take to the Beach with a Toddler
My family and I just returned from the beach after a week of fun, sun and relaxation. I was very much unplugged on only got on my computer to post my Work it Wednesday post and that was it! Sure, I was on Facebook and Instagram, but didn’t work much at all. It was glorious and gave me the rest that I needed to come back refreshed and ready to tackle the next thing on the project list.
We ate lots of good food. And spent tons of time playing on the beach. This was the first time we’d been to the beach since Miss A was born and she loved it. She would have stayed in the water all day if we’d let her. She wasn’t a huge fan of the sand and cried at first when it stuck to her feet, but she got over it about halfway through the week. 🙂
So, since this was our first trip to the beach since kids, I thought I’d give a list of a few things I’d take to the beach with a toddler. It may be a short and silly list, but it’s what I found to be helpful. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See my full disclosure policy here.
1. A canopy or tent for shade. My parents have an awesome portable canopy that we took down to the beach every day. {Very similar to THIS ONE.} It’s great for being able to get out of the scorching sun, especially when you have kids. I’ll never go to the beach without one!
2. Beach toys. This is pretty self-explanatory. But my daughter and nephew spent significant time shoveling sand, knocking down the sand castles we built and generally just having a great time with the toys. They were definitely worth the $$ for a week’s worth of fun!
3. Puddle jumper. If your toddler can’t swim, or even if they can, I found great peace of mind knowing that my daughter was wearing her puddle jumper. Even though we were with her the whole time, and pretty much held her while in the water, I felt much better knowing that if a wave knocked her down, then she wouldn’t have any trouble floating on her own.
4. Lots of snacks and liquids. I always seemed to pack plenty of juice or water, but never enough snacks. It’s no fun to have to trek back to the house or condo because someone is hungry. So, bring plenty of goodies to keep everyone full and hydrated! Don’t forget your rolling cooler for easy portability!
5. Outdoor blanket. This was a great thing to have for kids to sit down on the ground without getting our towels full of sand. We got this as a wedding gift and it’s come in handy for picnics, outdoor concerts and so many other occasions, too!
6. Grandparents. I know this one might not be possible for everyone, but I highly recommend taking grandparents to the beach for extra hands and for babysitting. 🙂 We celebrated our anniversary while at the beach and got to go shopping and to dinner while Miss A was back at the house with Grandmama and Granddaddy. Fabulous!
What’s your best tip for going to the beach with little ones??
You have some great suggestions. Another few things I would bring include sunscreen & sunglasses, a camera (which you obliviously had along), and water shoes or sandals to avoid burnt feet on the approach.
Yes! All great things … especially the water shoe suggestion!
Your family picture is wonderful and your little girl is absolutely beautiful!!!! Thanks so much for sharing at Project Inspire{d} ~ pinning *hugs, mb*
Thank you, Mary Beth!
I LOVE the Puddle Jumpers!!!!!!! One of THE BEST things that was invented for kids in the years between my 16 year old and my 2 year old!!!!
I just got back from the beach with my 23 month old son and we took his inflatable pool and filled it up with buckets every day. It was a BIG hit with the kids and nice for us bc we sat all around it so we could watch them play
Great idea!!