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Who doesn’t love a beach vacation?! Get ready to soak up the sun, make fun family memories, and *hopefully* have some time to relax!

Traveling with babies or toddlers can feel overwhelming, but you can do it! Being prepared and planning (which you are already doing by reading this post) are so helpful.

We have been on dozens of beach vacations and outings with our babies and toddlers over the years. We recently took our first beach trip as a family of five (3.5-year-old, 2-year-old, and 1-month-old).

I am sharing all of the beach tips and tricks we have learned, as well as the top beach essentials that make our lives easier.

My hope is that sharing what has worked well for us will lead to a fun and stress-free beach vacation with your toddler(s) and/or babies!

This post will cover:

• tips for sun protection & staying cool
• tips for bringing snacks/drinks to the beach
• beach products that make life easier
• best beach hacks

Tips for a Successful Beach Vacation with Toddlers or Babies

Sun Protection

Sunscreen

We use mineral sunscreen for our family. We have tried various brands, but typically use Hello Bello Mineral Sunscreen or Sun Bum Mineral. I go back and forth between spray and lotion – spray is more convenient, but lotion seems to cover better.

You can choose whatever sunscreen you like, but make sure to reapply every 2-3 hours, especially if you’re out during peak sunshine (10 am-2 pm).

*Note – it is recommended to only use sunscreen for babies 6 months or older, so you will need an alternative sun protection method for babies under 6 months (shade, sun-blocking clothing, etc.)

SPF Chapstick

Having chapped, burnt lips is the worst! There are tons of SPF chapsticks to choose from.

My favorite is Sun Bum SPF 30 Chapstick. I use it every day, not just for the beach!

Swimwear/Clothing

• Swimsuit or swim trunks with a rash guard for extra sun protection.

I love these one-piece rash guard suits for babies and toddlers because they are easy to put on and provide a lot of coverage.

• Water shoes help keep little feet protected from the sun, rough sand, rocks, and shells on the beach.

• A sun hat and sunglasses will protect your baby/toddler’s eyes and face from the sun.

Unless we are talking about these adorable custom sunglasses from Etsy, I buy toddler sunglasses from Dollar Tree. You wouldn’t guess they are $1.25, and you won’t feel overly upset if they get lost or broken.

Can’t get your baby or toddler to leave their hat or glasses on? Keep practicing! They will hopefully get used to it over time.

For younger babies/toddlers, try distracting them after you put the hat on and hope they will forget how fun it is to take off.

Staying Cool

Try to avoid extremely high temperatures for babies under 6 months as they can’t regulate their body temp very well. You may need to avoid being out during the hottest part of the day (depending on how hot it is).

Here are some tips for keeping baby (and the rest of the family) cool when you are out in the heat:

• Bring a pop-up tent or beach umbrella for shade. We love our pop-up tent and use it all the time at the beach, ball games the park, and at home. It’s spacious, but still compact for transport.

• Use a portable stroller fan to keep your baby cool on really hot days. We have two stroller fans we use at the beach, on walks, in the car seat and anytime we have our babies out in the heat. Our toddlers love these misting fans.
• Bring a pop-up mini pool. These little pools provide a safe, cool, and calm place for babies and toddlers to splash around and play. They get to have fun in the water without worrying about waves, deep water, or currents.
• Consider bringing one of these shaded, portable activity centers – this one is good for younger babies, and this one would be more fun for older babies to play in.

Snacks & Drinks

Make sure to bring plenty of snacks and drinks for the whole family! Snacks can be lifesavers, and it’s super important to keep everyone hydrated during a hot day spent in the sun.

Tips for Bringing Snacks and Drinks to the Beach

• Choose individually packaged snacks or divide snacks into ziplock bags or containers. This helps prevent big bags of snacks from getting dumped and limits the amount of wet and sandy hands reaching into the same container.

• Bring a portable cooler to keep food and drinks cold.
• Pack frozen water bottles in your cooler – they will act as ice packs and will stay colder longer! You might want to pack water bottle coozies if you want to avoid condensation and sand sticking to the water bottles.
• I recently found these no-spill water bottle toppers for kids and they have been AMAZING to use with my toddlers.
• If popsicles on the beach sound refreshing, pack freeze pops into a Yeti cup with ice – they will stay frozen much longer!
• We love this portable baby/toddler chair for eating on the go
• Bring wet wipes for clean-up

Be Prepared – What to Bring to the Beach

Everything on this list is useful and most of it is compact and easy to carry.

Beach Towels – these are compact and fast-drying if you prefer that over big, fluffy beach towels – make sure to bring extras because it seems like they so easily get wet and trashed within minutes when you’re at the beach with young kids!

Beach Tarp – we use this one because it folds up so small for transport, but an old sheet works too!

Water Floats – these are nice for adults – they pack up small for transport, but offer good support in the water. Life jackets are a good idea for young kids, especially if you are on a boat or around deep water. Puddle jumpers are great for toddlers who are ready to be a little bit more independent. One of these above-water floaties could be a good option for younger babies who may not like being directly in the water.

Swim Diapers – we have used reusable swim diapers and disposable ones – both work well

Beach Chair – over-the-back chairs or portable travel chairs are easy to carry around and transport

Beach Toys – we love this cute & durable silicone beach bucket/toy set. If you don’t have any beach toys, cars/trucks, cups/bowls/spoons, and bubbles are great options as well.

Waterproof Baby Carrier – this baby carrier is made of mesh that keeps you and baby cool, and it can be used in the water

Mini First Aid Kit – it’s always good to be prepared

Wet Bag – I always try to bring a wet bag to contain wet clothes and swimwear on the way home

Portable Diaper Changing Pad – great for changing diapers on the beach or anywhere on the go

Beach Bag – there are sooo many cute beach bag options to choose from

Beach Wagon – we have a Keenz Vyoo stroller wagon – we use this wagon for everything, including hauling all of our stuff (and children) to the beach. Here is a more affordable wagon option if you don’t plan to use your wagon as a stroller as well.

Beach Hacks/Tips

• Use baby powder to get stuck on sand off of everyone’s skin before leaving the beach
• Bring these goggles with a headband-like strap to avoid tangled and pulled hair
• Bring extra towels – you will go through them quickly
• Use a mesh laundry bag for beach towels and toys – load them up and shake out all of the sand before putting it in the car!
• Keep smaller items like detangler, sunscreen, hairbrush, goggles, etc. in one of these clear packing cubes so you aren’t digging through your bag to find everything.
• Keep important items like phones, keys, and money in a ziplock bag to keep them dry. Or put them in an empty Pringles can if you want to be more discreet (no one thinks to look there).
• Bring a waterproof floating phone case if you want to take pictures in the water
• Take advantage of naptime – either try to sneak in their nap at the beach (waves make a natural sound machine right?!) or try to stay somewhere with a pool or balcony right outside so you can enjoy some relaxing time in the sun while your little one sleeps inside. Or take turns with other adults in your group, having one person stay with the kids during nap time while the others get some relaxing time to themselves.
• Last, but not least, have realistic expectations be flexible, and have a positive attitude!

Things might not go as planned the whole time. Your vacation will likely not be as relaxing as it would have been without young kids.

BUT I’m sure your kids will have a blast, lasting memories will be made, and you will have lots of quality family time.

Appreciate the good and try to focus on the positives! After all, life is better at the beach!

I hope this list of tips & tricks for a successful beach vacation with toddlers or babies was helpful for you!

Now go soak up the sun, make happy memories, & enjoy your family beach vacation!

The post Must-Know Tips for a Beach Vacation with Toddlers & Babies appeared first on On The Go Fam.