Let's Head to the Beach! Fun tips to help you relax when taking babies and kids to the beach.

Fun in the sun

We LOVE going to the beach. We have taken all of our kids at the age of 3 months and up. Our beach trips involve flying and driving. I used to not look forward to the flying beach trips because I felt like I couldn’t be prepared, making it harder to entertain and take care of the kids. Our first couple of trips we bought Styrofoam coolers to try and carry food and drinks (aka beers) to the beach. These coolers are a pain to carry and inevitably break before the end of the trip. We also used to buy sand toys and little rafts that sometimes made it home, if I had room in my bag, but usually got left at the resort. All of which added additional cost to the trip. Sometimes rental places will have sand toys in a little closet but they were usually well loved and or broken. One place we often visited was a rental condo in Ft. Myers. A risk you run with rentals like is that you may not be able to request baby stuff like high chairs. I have heard about companies you can rent things through and they’ll have baby and kid items waiting for you. We however have not tried these companies. Instead I decided I just needed to be a better packer and bring all these things with me!

So now on any flying beach trip I pack and check a bag of things just for the beach. I bring our beach blanket, sand toys, water wings, baby float, towels, my 31 beach bag that I love and our beach cooler that both fold flat and take up hardly any space.

Plenty of room for toys and adult beverages in these bags

This is the beach bag we use.  I put all this stuff in its own bag so I don’t have to worry about mixing sandy wet things in with our clothes. It’s also nice to call ahead to where you are heading to see what they provide. Some hotels provide beach and pool towels which is nice and one less thing to pack. I also always check on the beach umbrella status. Does the hotel provide one? Can we rent one from a vendor on the beach or hotel? If we are driving we usually bring our own. If we are flying I like to get the cost ahead of time so we can bring cash for the beach vendors.

 Other awesome travel friendly items I take to help optimize beach trips:

 1. Chicco portable high chair.

For plane rides I take apart and fit in my beach checked bag. For car trips I just toss it in the van. Perfect for eating more meals in the room, saving money and avoiding too many stressful, kids running everywhere meals at restaurants. This seat is also nice for the baby who can’t really sit alone, or wants to roll everywhere, help keep them contained with a safe place to play!  You can check it out here.

2. Summer infant play yard and sunshade.

The shade is a life saver

Plenty of space 

It folds up nice and compact 

This is awesome for the baby on the beach. Helps keep them in one spot and from rolling right into the sand. Having a slightly mobile child can make a beach vacation even more exhausting. This item seriously increases relaxation! When flying I fit this in my big blue south west bag with all 3 car seats and is still under the 50lb weight limit. Super easy to set up too!  Check out the play yard here and the sunshade here.

3. A shower curtain.

Simple way to keep them entertained

Yes you read right. This I get from any store really for a few bucks. Depending on how rough the ocean is or how young your kids are this is fun to bring. Just dig a big hole, line it with your curtain and fill with water. Now you have a shallow pool right by your spot perfect for little kids!

4. Mini battery operated fan that clips to stroller and or car seat.

Royal treatment 

I always bring this with me to warm places. My babies always seems to like to fall asleep in the car seat or stroller and get so hot! This is nice to have to provide a little breeze while they nap and let you enjoy the beach.  Check out the fan here.

What are your beach essentials?  Answer below in the comments and make sure to subscribe to ensure you don't miss out on our future posts.