We just got home from the beach this past weekend! It was our first time taking our son. He was 10 months and actually turned 11 months while we were there. We had a great time but it is certainly different traveling with a little one. I’m sharing a few essentials that made our time at the beach much easier! *This post does contain affiliate links that a make a very small percentage of commission on if you purchase from them. This helps me pay for my domain name, WordPress subscription, etc which are all costs I have to maintain this website! :)*
Beach Tent
This is an absolute must have for me. Not an umbrella but an actual beach tent. Make sure it is one that has a bottom attached so your baby will not be directly on the sand. This is the exact one we have. I found a more affordable option here! Our tent kept him shaded which protected him from the sun and kept him cool.
Kiddie Pool
We just grabbed one once we got there but you could totally bring one with you! We placed the pool underneath the tent and killed it with fresh water. We were afraid the saltwater might irritate his skin. We only put about an inch or two of water in the pool but he was more than happy with that. It kept him cool especially one on day it was super hot with no breeze.
Stroller Fan
We used this inside the tent to circulate air. The one we have charges using a USB port. It also has 3 different settings. I take this thing everywhere and it comes in handy!
Hat + Rash guard
Keeping him protected from the UV rays at the beach was very important to me. I know he was still exposed to them despite spending 99% of the time in the shade while we were there. I love these hats since they shade the entire head and stay on well. I have him wear a rash guard to cover more skin as well!
Baby powder + make up brush
I had heard about this trick forever but was pretty skeptical it would actually work. I purchased some baby powder and a cheap makeup brush to apply it to his body to remove sand. It works really well! If you use it on skin with wet sand you do have to work a little harder but it truly is a lifesaver. I will never go to the beach again without it!
Sunscreen
You want to have plenty of sunscreen! We applied it before we even headed to the beach. I have been using Babo Botanicals both the stick and spray all summer. It has not irritated his skin ever. He will even rub it into his eyes sometimes and there has not been any issues! I love that the ingredients are pretty clean so we aren’t putting a bunch of chemical junk on his skin.
Squirt bottle
I literally had a 99 cent squirt bottle in my bag for tanning and ended up filling it up with freshwater for him to play with. He loved for us to squirt him and he would also play with the bottle himself. Cheap and easy entertainment!
Water book
A friend had one of these at the pool recently. It floats and this exact one changes color as it gets wet. He has been loving it lately!
Wagon
We did not need this because we stayed on the beach this time. If you aren’t staying directly on the beach then I would highly recommend having a wagon for transporting everything and baby. I have heard amazing things about the Veer Wagons but they are super pricey! A less expensive option I have looked at is the foldable Radio Flyer one. It has great reviews!
Pool float
We did not take Turner in the ocean and also did not have a pool where we stayed so we didn’t take a float. We do have floats at the pool we use at home and lake. He liked this one when he was much younger and now he enjoys this one. The one he likes now is pricier but it will last a long time. You can put them in it so many different ways and it has a pretty high weight limit so we will get a ton of use out of it!
Bonus things to bring are lots of patience and another set of adult hands to help if you are able! We had my parents and sister which was so helpful for getting him up to the room for nap time. We also had more people to help set up at the beach. I highly recommend help if you can swing it! What’s your biggest baby hack for the beach? We head back in March so I’d love to have some more tips for the next trip! Leave them in the comments.
Love,
Megan
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