Growing up only an hour from the beach in California meant both hubby and I spent TONS of time there over the years. We are both HUGE beach lovers and plan to share our love of the ocean with our kids. (The beach is one BIG reason we are hesitant to ever move our family out of state!) Now that we have our own baby and have taken her to the beach a few times I wanted to share some helpful information for a fun and easier day at the beach with a little one!
In this blog post I will share items we have (or similar items) and use with Kelia and they will be clickable for a link to each item. (Most can be found on Amazon too!)
So the first things I think of in terms of taking a baby/child to the beach is how the heck I will drag all their stuff done with us and of course keeping them safe!
Before I talk about the stuff to lug to the beach, you MUST get some type of beach wagon! I say this because as we learned the hard way, dragging your stroller thru the sand just doesn't work and screws up the wheels of the stroller. We were gifted this one for Christmas and we used it for the first time yesterday and it was great! It actually holds a lot too!
Then, of course you need a good source of some shade to hangout in and keep direct sun off everyone not just baby. We got this little beach tent below! It is so easy to put up and take down, stays nice and cool inside it, you can cover the window areas or leave them open for a breeze, and its a great size for all of us to enjoy at the same time with a cooler and toys for baby!
In the bottom of the tent is a nice fabric layer so you can put towels or anything on it. For right beyond where this ends and for mom or dad to sunbathe we got one of these "BeachSheetz" and let me tell you, they are GOLD! It has weights in the corners, it folds into itself to store and transport, its lightweight, it cleans sand off itself easily, and its water repelling. So worth the money! And if you get lucky like we did you can find it on sale for a great price!
Next, I gather up all sun protection for Kelia. Musts for us include Baby Sunscreen (safest is Zinc Oxide based per our pediatrician's advice), a sun hat and baby sunglasses, a UV protective baby swimsuit and of course a beach tent that blocks UV rays!
We love the Sunbum brand and use this collection of BabyBum products so far. Do your own research for the one you prefer, but I always look for natural, zinc oxide based, high SPF, and for sensitive skin. You can view BabyBum Sunscreen HERE.
Now for sun hats and sunglasses. I look for age appropriate (size and design), UV protection, easy to keep on, and of course cute. We have similar to these. (I will post a pic later in the post of Kelia in hers.
We also want her as protected as possible with her delicate and sensitive skin so we bought a couple suits like this one (she is wearing this exact one in the picture below!)
This suit is also great because it keeps those very important and handy swim diapers contained and secure! Swim diapers are great because they hold in any poop baby may go at the beach, yet don't balloon and swell full of water from the ocean (or a pool as well) like a regular diaper does. Just like diapers they make disposable and reusable ones, but I am a total disposable diaper person (I give big props to anyone who uses cloth or reusable diapers, you are braver than me!) so I like Huggies Little Swimmers! Pampers makes a version too and I am sure other brands as well.
Once baby is old enough to play on their own and sit up etc (toddler age more or less), I will get some sand toys and teach her and let her build sand castles, and just enjoy the sand and water! We also have a life vest for her extra safety when she is mobile on her own!
The infant life jackets are great because of the several areas to fasten it and keep it on and the handle on top for parents to hold and control baby in times of need.
I of course also keep a full stocked and packed diaper bag with us with essentials and of course a cooler for drinks and snacks for mom and dad too!
If grab your gear, get packed up, and put your first layer of sunscreen on, and get ready for some fun in the sun with your little loves! I know I can't wait for summer to spend time with our daughter at the beach! We are going to Hawaii in April and hoping to get a jump start there!
Here are a handful of pictures from our time in Malibu yesterday. It was warm and beautiful and so relaxing!
What are your favorite things for the beach with littles? Any secrets a new mama should know about? (I heard baby powder is great for removing sand from kiddos bodies before getting in the car, is this true?)
- With Love,
Alana