In this house, we love the beach. If I could, I would spend the entire summer on a beach somewhere; soaking up the sun, burying little toes in the sand- surrounded by the sound of giggles, splashing and waves crashing. This year we’ve been so lucky with weather, and from so early on in the season too! If its a warm sunny day like today, that’s where you’ll always find us.
From the time Lakelyn was only a few months old, we would head to the beach for 10 am sharp and and stay until the sun set on us in the evenings. In those early days she slept anywhere, and spent most of her time nursing, so the only real “prep-work” I had for the beach were things that met my immediate needs (being that Lakelyn’s only immediate need was me!) As she grew- her needs grew and since that time I have made enough trips where I have forgot to pack this, or that- and regretted it enough, that I have over time, learned my lessons and thought it might be nice to save some new moms the hassle by sharing my list of Top 10 Beach Essentials that I bring with me every single Beach Trip. Now our friends all get a good laugh at my pulling up-looking like I’m about to move in for a month but they also know I’m the mom they can always rely on to have packed everything we need (or hadn’t even thought they needed!)
You might not need to go quite as “all-out” as I do, but i hope this list helps, even just a little- to find or think of a few things you may not have already thought of! Of course even for the smallest beach trip you’ll need to pack all of the essentials: swimsuits, towels, change of clothes, bag for the wet clothes, food etc. but full disclosure, I’m a little over zealous when it comes to beach days-I would rather have more than I need and not need it, than need something I forgot to pack and have to head home early (especially with all the work involved in preparing for a day at the beach with littles, I want to make sure we get a full day, and are able to get the most out of all of our efforts!)
Mommy Connections Top 10: Beach Essentials:
*in no particular order, committed to no particular brand names.
**Some of these items were purchased in the past, but I will try my hardest to find a current link to a similar product in case you decide you need to add it to your stash too!
Instant Pop Up Beach Shelter:
I highly recommend getting yourself any beach shelter/ shade/ tent, especially for the early years when they are just a little too little for sunscreen still. Even when they are ready for sunscreen, the whole family will appreciate the shade, particularly on those real scorcher days! It contains all of our beach haul into one centralized, (semi) organized spot, helps keep the cooler stuff colder for longer by keeping it out of the sun, usually comes with a zippered door for you to change in the privacy of the tent when needed and can comfortably fit 2 beach chairs inside with enough crawling room around inside to spare! Currently I have a beach tent with old fashioned poles and shoots, it definitely does the trick but you better believe I’m kicking myself in the pants for not getting an instant-pop up version every time I have to set it up solo on windy days! My mom got a great little instant pop-up beach shelter at Costco a while back for around $50, though I have heard mention from local Cape Breton moms who had spotted them for the same prices at Winners from time to time as well. Here is a link to an example of one available on amazon.
Instant, Compact Baby Tent:
Two tents? Okay..just hear me out! A couple of years back I found one for Lakelyn for $20 on amazon, it’s about one quarter/half the size of our beach tent,it folds into itself completely flat and came with its own carry bag. When it pops open the floor of the tent has an optional POOL if you dig a basin in the sand below. Oh my gosh, I can’t stress how much we use and absolutely love this little tent! Especially in the early summer, when we would get those few days that were was soooo hot- but the water hadn’t quite had a chance to warm up yet. The pool is small enough that the water inside would be warm enough for the baby in no time so she would at least still be able to cool down as needed. And I’m not sure about you, but my daughter is an absolute water bug, she would stay in the water the whole excursion if we let her- so when Mom wants a break in the shaded tent, and she still want to play with water it’s been a really great compromise! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to track down the original product I had purchased but here is a link to one that is very similar!
Collapsible All Terrain Wagon:
Lakelyn’s dad didn’t believe me either, but YES that is a real thing. If you ever stumble across our beach set up in its full glory, (or even just based off of this list!) you are probably going to be thinking to yourself “you brought this all in one trip?!” to which my answer would have to be “you bet your beach-bum I did! Even the baby!” There are so many models out there right now, but i definitely recommend that if you’re going to spend the money get one that is versatile enough to fit your future needs as well. I suggest investing in one with all terrain wheels as I find the manufacturer wheels are usually only any good on very well paved roads! Some models come with straps, or 5 point harness options in either 2 or 4 seater depending on your needs. I’ve seen some floating around for sale recently that come with removable canopies and even have a pull AND a push bar- which if you’ve ever had a ‘pull-only’ wagon I’m sure you can appreciate with me the option to push those chunky little babes over pulling them, beach haul included or not! Lastly, I think the ‘collapsible’ aspect sells itself, whether you have a 2 door compact or a 15 passenger van, you’re going to appreciate having this feature and the space it saves. I could live without my stroller, but i would not be able to live without my collapsible all terrain wagon. The one pictured above is available here from Bed Bath and Beyond.
Low To The Ground Beach Chair:
These are so great, for so many reasons! Toddlers love when you’re right down in the action playing with them and chairs like these are low enough to the ground to satisfy your littles playtime needs that it is a great compromise and saves you from the struggle that is getting old and sitting awkwardly on the sand, or worse-having to get up from or down to such. They’re so comfortable to sit in, often with adjustment/recline settings and most come backpack straps when they’re folded flat, which works great with my “one-trip-or-bust” life style! Even when I get a quick little kid-free-Mommy-only break, I love bringing these chairs down to the shore line with my feet in the water, a glass of Nine Locks Watermelon Blonde Ale and a good book! I got mine from Costco at a great price, but I’ve also seen them being offered locally at Walmart and Canadian Tire!
Multi Position Non-Inflatable Baby Float:
Living so close to so many beautiful oceans, lakes, and beaches I always knew I wanted Lakelyn to feel really comfortable with and enjoy being around and in the water. Continuing an old family tradition, we took Lakelyn camping back home when she was 4 months old- I knew it would be hot while we were there and that we would both really benefit from being able to actually get into the water, but a lot of the floats I was seeing for my little locally were for 6 months or up, and she wasn’t anywhere near their weight suggestions. Thankfully I was able to find exactly what I was looking for on amazon and whenever we’re out with her in the water, people are always asking us about where we got it! One of the things I like most about the one we have is the fact that she can lay on either her belly or her back, rather than sitting up right. She was able to support her neck at that time, but these positions allowed her to relax so much more in the water- I can’t tell you how many times she actually fell asleep floating in the water! It is a solid float rather than an inflatable , as after reading reviews this seemed to be the safer option in my opinion. It also has this great removable canopy that twists to fold flat (and bonus : it fits right into my baby beach tent bag!) I’m also a big fan of getting the best bang for your buck- I paid the same price for mine that will fit her from 4 months – 2 years, as major retailers were asking for floats that only lasted 6 months – 18 months. Here is a link to one similar to the one I have, this is a newer model but they go on sale all the time so keep your eyes open!
Waterproof Ring Sling:
Again, like wow.. this exists?! but yes! yes it does!! This is a great option because a lot of the time babies don’t end up even liking any of the float options currently available- if you’re wanting them to get used to water, generally small (and actually, all!) babies feel most comfortable snuggled right close into you. I brought both this and the baby float on that camping trip with us, but this was the first thing I used to ease her into the water for her first time! I was lucky and she ended up loving both- I still use both often (in swimming classes too- this is often allowed in public pools where baby floats are not!) When Lakelyn was little it felt a lot more safe and secure having her so safely close to me, but even now that she is older, any baby-wearer will know the bonding experience can’t be beat! I found mine online from a great small Canadian company, the link to their site is here but there are many options out there available to you!
Reusable Swim Diaper:
I’ve dabbled in an on-and-off relationship with reusable diapers from the time Lakelyn was born, but through it all I have never regretted the reusable swim diapers. I think Lakelyn’s swim diapers were around $5 each and last from newborn – potty trained stage, where as the disposable brands retail for around $10 for 20. Swim diapers are pretty much unavoidable up to a certain age, besides the environmental differences between disposable or reusable- if you love the beach and the water as much as we do that $ amount adds up fast when you have to throw them out after every use. And the reusable option really isn’t any extra work, it just gets tossed in with the rest of the wash and only very rarely has Lakelyn had a ..mishap.. that required pre-rinsing/treating. Most public pools require the use of swim diapers in order to use the facilities, if you try to use regular diapers in pools it could really damage the pool and filtration systems, in lakes river and oceans they can leave a lasting environmental impact if they take on too much liquid and ‘explode’ releasing the gel/beads. Plus oh my gosh, you just can not beat those super cute patterns. Most retailers such as Walmart, Winners and Joe Fresh sell different options, but in Cape Breton there are several “cloth diaper” Facebook groups such as this one where you can buy, trade, sell or bid on new/ lightly used reusable diapers with reusable swim diapers popping up all the time!
Over-sized Insulated Tote Bag:
A cooler is definitely more of an “essential” rather than just a favorite, especially if you’re planning a full day at the beach- but nonetheless this puppy has still absolutely earned its place on this list. I consider myself a bit of a “Tetris” expert- I take great pride in my ability to pack a LARGE QUANTITY of “things” into a little itty bitty spaces, but no matter what way you shake it traditional coolers are big and clunky and take up a LOT of space! These cooler bags are compact, but can fit a LOT into them- equally as much as a traditional cooler, and they are soooo much easier to haul around! Bonus: they also double as reusable grocery bags and work great to keep the cold stuff cold or the warm stuff warm on the trip home from the store! They are constantly coming available at Costco (where I got mine) for a great price in super neutral patterns, but they are also being offered locally right now at Winners, Walmart, and online on Amazon.
Mesh Bags:
Mesh Bags are so invaluable for beach trips big or small. They’re the best way to pack in and pack out anything and everything you’ll need without bringing the beach home with you. I use a few mesh bags that once delivered ball pit balls but there are some versions available here and here, or even an old mesh laundry bag will do! We use ours to pack dry food (crackers, chips, etc.) another for Lakelyn’s beach toys and one to throw “wet stuff” into after the day is done so it won’t get forgotten and musty (one of those lessons we were talking about!)
Beach Toys:
Kids get bored with toys so quickly, we try not to spoil Lakelyn by buying her more than she needs- and when we do we aim for toys that will last, will improve skills, or help with development (we love everything wooden, simple, and Montessori!) and again we try to make sure we can get as any years and uses out of our investments as possible. So as far as beach toys go we keep it very simple; most of Lakelyn’s beach toys are her bath toys! Boon Bath toys are great for such a large age range, Lakelyn loves watching the wheels and gears spin when you run water through them, and loves having the water sift out in so many different ways from the tubes. We picked up a multi pack of colorful floating numbered boats, a little dump truck, some collapsible buckets and a set of shovels from the dollar store. I also usually bring along a few cookie cutters from the kitchen for “sand castles” or stamps in the sand! Hands down Lakelyn’s favorite beach toy, that she brings along with her to play with all of her other beach toys, is her water friendly baby doll. I’ve been eyeing this one from toys r us recently, and if Lakelyn didn’t already have a doll she loved that had been passed down from myself, and my mother before me- it would definitely the one I would buy for the beach, the bath, and beyond!
Bonus: Frozen Yogurt Tubes!
Last on our list, but certainly not last in our hearts- are frozen yogurt tubes. Any brand will do, or better yet your own homemade (or home-prepared if you’re only half Betty-Crocker like me) with reusable tubes like these ones. Freeze them the night before and stuff them in between the awkward spots in the cooler bag before you leave, they work in tandem with your ice packs to help keep everything cool, and you will appreciate the cool-down treat so, so much on those hot days. Plus they have so much more substance to them than traditional ice pops. Even if you are unable to get to them until the end of the beach day, you still end up with an icy cold, almost soft serve frozen yogurt- there is no losing with this one!
I hope you really enjoyed the read, and in the very least feel a bit more prepared for some of the unexpected that may arise on a full day beach trip with littles! Keep an eye out for our next blog that will touch on some of our favorite baby friendly beaches around the island that you’ll totally want to turn into full day beach trips when you see! Don’t forget to stay protected from the sun, drink lots of water, bring lots of snacks, but most importantly to stay water safe!
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