Pack the Night Before
Getting out of the house on a normal day with kids is hard enough. Going to the beach, lake or pool? That is a whole other level of difficult. There is so much to pack and plan for, and the last thing you want to do is forget the sunscreen! Whatever you can do the night before, do it. Pack the towels, the spare change of clothing, put the sand toys and beach chairs in the car, etc. etc. I’d even go as far as say put the sandals in the car!
Pre-Make the Food
Getting together snacks and lunches when the kids are eager and hanging off your legs in the morning is super hard. Pre-make the snacks, cut the fruit, put the sandwiches together. Whatever you can do. In the morning all you have to do is throw it all in the cooler! Water bottles, sippy cups – do it all!
Use Sand Proof Gear
My favorite sand proof gear is all about making your life easier and less sandy! Check out ReZip bags for food (as plastic baggies stick to your hands, blow away and are generally gross trash in the end), this sandproof beach blanket, and this mesh bag for easy sand cleaning.
To see all my favorite beach gear, see the shop link here!
Use a Wagon With the Right Wheels
Getting to the beach without a way to haul all the gear seems, honestly, impossible to me unless you have an army of people going and helping. If you plan to do the beach or the lake for many years, and many times a summer – invest in something good. Check my link herefor beach gear – like a wagon with awesome wheels !
Pre-Sunscreen & Re-Apply
Put the sunscreen on the kiddos before you leave the house and then again later. At least when you arrive shore side, the kids will already be lathered up and ready to play. They won’t have to wait those 15 minutes before hopping into the water!
Follow Some Pro Tips
- Use baby powered to get sand off skin before getting into the car. Magic!
- Use toothpicks for things like cut up watermelon to avoid sand in the food.
- Use a squirt water bottle to clean off hands and other gear at the end of the beach day.
- Try a bucket of ocean water to wash hands blanket side before lunching at the beach.
- Have a ‘wet bag’ handy you can throw everything sandy and wet into and deal with later.
- Use a water bottle with a flip-top cover to keep sand from getting on the spout (and into your mouth). See gear suggestions here!
- Wear your baby in your baby carrier to get to and from the parking lot
- Let your kid’s ride home in a wearable towel and diaper – deal with clothing later!
I have a lot of favorite beach gear! Check out recommendations here.
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