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Remember the days when you looked forward to summer so you and your friends/significant other could escape to the beach for a long weekend? You’d pack a single bag containing your bikini, some suntan lotion and a cooler of tasty beverages…The days were long and booze-filled, and the tans were deep. Yep, those were the days, and yep, they’re looong gone.

If you have kids ages 5 and under, your current beach situation looks more like 20 bags (for toys, diapers, swim diapers, 3 change of clothes per child, buckets of sunscreen, etc.), at least 2 coolers (one for drinks, one for food), beach chairs for everyone, etc, etc. Oy! If you’re like me, you’re anxiety is building just thinking about it! Don’t get me wrong, beaching with the littles is great fun, but it can be a lot of work.

Here are 5 tips to help you survive the beach with your little ones:

Hire a nanny to deal with scenario #2 so you can participate in scenario #1. JUST KIDDING!!! (mostly) 🙂

1. Invest in a Beach Cart to carry your 20 bags, 2 coolers, 5 beach chairs, etc, etc. Here’s a great option from Bed, Bath & Beyond (I love their 20% off coupons!). You can also find them at rental shops on most beaches if you don’t want to buy your own.

beach cart

2. Bring an inflatable baby pool for crawlers or babies not on the move yet. This allows them to play in the water while remaining confined. Filling it halfway or so gives your baby a nice splash pool. Don’t forget a large sand pail to fill it up! I especially like this one with partial shade.

baby pool 1

3. Pack plenty of snacks. This one is a given, but one of my favorite things to do is to freeze fruit, yogurt tubes, and fruit pouches. By the time you get it out of the cooler it’s nice and icy. Nothing is more refreshing on a hot day! Bento type containers work well to stack in a cooler. Also, consider packing individual snack containers so everyone’s sandy hands don’t end up in a community chip bag.

frozen-seedless-grapes

4. Bring a large container of baby powder.  I just learned this trick and it works like a charm. Baby powder removes sticky sand from skin and is also great in case anyone gets chaffed from being in wet swimsuits all day.

baby powder

5. Bring or rent a large umbrella or canopy. Shade is a must with little ones, especially if you plan on being out for a few hours. I would also highly suggest bringing a waterproof outdoor blanket to put under your canopy. This provides a great picnic or rest area. Dry sand rolls right off of it and wet sand is easy to wipe off using wet wipes.

beach canopy

Are you planning a beach trip with the family this summer? What are some of your tips for survival?

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