A trip to the beach can go from dreamy to nightmarish in a flash, and one of the best ways to avoid unforeseen meltdowns is to have a well-packed beach bag.
This is a list of beach bag essentials that will ensure you’ve got all of your bases covered, and a day at the beach really will be a day at the beach!
Sunscreen
Nothing will ruin a perfectly good sunny afternoon in the sand and surf than a painful sunburn, so be sure to bring ample sunscreen to apply not once but repeatedly. Sunscreen can wear down with sand and water play, so you’ll need to slather it on a number of times to ensure that an even coat is always protecting your little one.
Mini first-aid kit
You never know when a little one will take a tumble, step on something sharp or irritating, and you’ll need to do a quick patch job. Make sure you have a small first-aid kit included in your beach bag essentials – it should have Band-Aids (preferably waterproof), disinfectant spray or wipes, insect repellant, and aloe.
Fruit
Snacks that are also packed with vitamin C and stave off dehydration are perfect for the beach – stock up on apples, pears, oranges, grapes, and cut up melon or pineapple. Pack them in a cooler to prevent them from getting too soggy.
Wet wipes
We all know the greatness that is the wet wipe – useful in so many ways, at the beach is no exception. They can be used to clean sand off of hands before eating or wiping kiddies down after lunch, or they can clean off cups or utensils if they get dirty. The wet wipe is the ideal beach bag essential.
Garbage bag
Why is it that every time you go to the beach, you somehow bring half of the sand back home with you? It’s the toys – pails, shovels, and other plastic moulds are sand magnets, and grains find their way into every nook and cranny. The solution? Stash a garbage bag in your beach bag to get sandy toys home. That way, you can hose them down in your yard.
A bed sheet
One mommy we know opts to bring a large bed sheet to lay out on the sand instead of towels – less sand will stick to it, and it provides a larger, cleaner area for kids, particularly babies, to crawl around on comfortably. Then it’s easy to just shake out and pack up to go home.
Baby powder
Florida moms, who know their beach bag essentials, gave us a great tip: baby powder helps to get sticky sand off of hands, feet, and other skin surfaces. A little shake and the sand just slides off, which makes for a quick and easy clean-up before a snack.
Photo credit: Beach bag via Shutterstock
