So it’s been ridiculously hot here in Maine the last week or so. So hot that I made the executive decision to venture out with my entire family, my parents and my 2 nephews and head to the beach. As soon as I suggested this idea, I instantly regretted it. How was I going to manage pulling this off with a baby in tow as well. Thankfully, my mom and dad were managing my two nephews and all the stuff they would need so I was left to worry about my family but most importantly the baby. Besides the obvious beach items such as towels, bathing suits, cooler full of snacks and water as well as the all important sunscreen what would I need to bring to survive this beach day with the older children and a 3 month old?
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Tips for Taking Baby to the Beach
Shade
Avery is too little to wear sunscreen so we needed to rely on a form of shade to keep her out of the sun for the entire day. It is
also important to have a place for the older kids to sit and get out of the direct sun for a little while as well. My mom has this amazing umbrella from Coolibar. My mom also has a tent from LL Bean which in theory is a great idea but can also get a little too hot if sitting in it for a while. The older kids loved it but I preferred sitting under the umbrella with Avery to enjoy the nice ocean breeze.
Chair
Chair for the baby. Honestly it was a massive hassle to cart our vibrating seat with us but so worth it. Avery sat it in the majority of the day at the beach. I have seen other devices that people have used such as the Fisher Price dome and even wanted one until I read that the ideal age for use is 0-5 months. Since Avery is over 3 months old, I decided not to invest in this piece of equipment. If you are just starting out with a newborn I would suggest it since it comes highly recommended with great reviews. It would also make a great baby shower gift for the mom that you know spends a lot of time outdoors. Click HERE to check it out on Amazon.
Change of clothes
The kids basically played in the water and sand the entire time we were there and only stopped to snack. By the time we were ready to leave, the boys were a sandy, wet mess. Aaron was not thrilled about the idea of having wet, sandy children in his brand new truck so I had Hayden rinse off and change into dry underwear and clothing to make the trip home. He ended up going back with nana, papa and the other boys but I’m sure my mom appreciated a clean kid in her back seat.
Diaper Backpack
I had never even heard that there was such a thing until I came across this gorgeous diaper backpack from Anchored East. It’s roomy enough to stow all of your baby needs inside, even a cold bottle of milk in the thermal insulated inside pocket, and easy to just throw on your back and go. It also has straps that can hook to a stroller to make life a little bit easier when you are out and about. Seriously if you haven’t considered a diaper backpack do so now because it really does make carrying all of babies needs so much easier. The one I have and love is from Anchored East and is sold on Amazon. Check it out HERE
Baby Carrier
Good luck trying to push a stroller through the sand to find the perfect spot on the beach, it just doesn’t work. I have seen pictures of people strapping old skateboards without the wheels to the stroller wheels to drag it across sand but since my stroller has 2 wheels in the back and 1 in the front and I don’t have old skateboards lying around, I needed to carry Avery onto the beach. Since carrying a baby and all her stuff is awkward I made sure to bring my Lille Baby carrier with me to put her in. It also makes it easier if you want to walk around on the beach to have the baby in something.
Beach toys
You may be thinking, yeah Danielle obviously you want to bring beach toys with you, but I will say that there have been numerous occasions where I have forgotten these items. So now it is at the top of my list of things to bring with us. These inexpensive items keep the older kids entertained for hours. When they weren’t playing in the water they were digging in the sand with the shovels or building sand forts with the pails. They love running down to the water and filling their buckets and coming back to dump the water in their forts. The kids get to use their creative minds and exercise so it’s a win-win.
Adult beverages
Yes these are essential to surviving a beach day with kids. There is nothing better then kicking back in your beach chair with your cold adult beverage while the kids have the best time playing in the sand and water. Moms need time to unwind too especially after spending the entire morning planning this day while the hubby and kids slept in, am I right? (I only had one and don’t condone getting hammered while watching your children so all you mom shamers out there can just move along.
What items do you depend on when taking a baby to the beach? I would love to know in the comments below!
I wish I had this list a week ago!! I had a hard time at the beach with my bub!
Oh no! Hopefully next time will be better and you can enjoy your time.
Great tips! I especially agree with the adult beverages! 😅
-Amanda | http://www.frugalmomguide.com
Oh yes, need those to get through the day with a bunch of kids!
Nice tips! All realistic and practical. We really need to anticipate and prepare stuff especially going for a vacation with kids or babies. Their need comes first. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, exactly!
I think you rocked this day trip with the kids! Looks like such a wonderful day! I wouldn’t have thought to bring the vibrating chair for the baby but it sounds like it was the best idea ever!
Seriously the best idea ever!
I love those spiked seltzers! They’re my guilt-free go-to!
Same here! Light and refreshing.
Shade is so important! Not just for babies, but for anyone in the group who wants to escape the sun for a bit. It’s a lot of exposure, even with sunscreen and I know I always feel too hot by the end of a beach day.
Yes exactly! That is why we love having the umbrella and it is always the first thing that we pack.
This is very helpful!! We are planning to drive to the beach this month and this is such a great read for me! 🙂
Awesome! Enjoy your time at the beach!
we made the mistake recently of not attempting to put together a tent before we went to the beach, so our trip was cut short when the had to leave because all the kids were getting to hot. Better planning next time for sure.
Yes shade it so important and makes for a day that isn’t filled with the kiddos getting too hot.
This could be a beach in Nova Scotia, and we have been having the same temps as Maine. It looks like your day at the beach was a success.
It was successful and we all had so much fun!
These are great tips for the things that must have if your are going to a beach with a baby, thanks for sharing this with us!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
So glad you included adult beverages – what’s life without a little grown up fun?!
Exactly!
Very useful tips. We took our 11 month old to the beach a couple months ago and she refused to touch the sand and would cry whenever we went close to the water. The adult umbrella would have been nice to keep her protected from the sun. As well as the adult beverages 😉
That’s too funny. She will get used to it someday! Avery is still little and the older boys can entertain themselves so it was nice to not have to chase after small children all day.
These are great and very useful tips. Everything are the essentials that you must have if your are going the beach with your kids and with your baby.
Thank you!
I love traveling. To be honest, I haven’t thought about how will I go with it if I would have a baby in the future. I mean, of course I will still travel but I didn’t realize that it is something I need to be ready for.
Yeas, as long as you are prepared you can still travel and enjoy yourself!
Yes to all of these! We brought Olivia to the beach at an early age and we go almost twice a month still. It is our favorite thing to do with Liv. Shade is key! As well as good sunscreen and the adult beverages!
Shade is the biggest thing! I try and protect those little kiddos from the harsh sun as much as I can. We love going to the beach as well.
My son was four months old when we first took him to the beach. We stayed indoors most of the time, though. Haha. 🙂
Nothing wrong with that!
Looks like a great day, and i couldn’t agree more adult beverages help make these days a little less painful.
Exactly!
This is a really helpful post indeed. I am sure so many parents will appreciate the tips you provided here. It can often be such a daunting experience to visit places like this with little ones!
She’s so cute! We just had baby number four 2 months ago, and these are great tips. It’s always overwhelming taking a new baby anywhere.
We just did a beach day yesterday with our baby. It’s definitely a different experience than with older children!
I never took my babies to the beach. No reason really; but these tips would totally work!
adorable tiny human !! thank you for sharing these helpful tips. it is important to plan before doing any tasks. looks like yous had a good day
I haven’t been to a beach for so long already. I gave birth three years ago then after two years gave birth again so I missed so many beach opportunities. Great you were able to enjoy with your little one.
These are some great tips to make sure that beach day is a success with a little one. I absolutely love bringing my children out to get some sun and sand.
Such great tips! Your little one is so cute!
Oh, I think it is such an extreme for me to spend a day with a baby on the beach :)) Very helpful tips, thank you!
I hope you all are having a great weekend. I added a new list. This one is smaller, but still useful. I think the next one will be bigger.
I just updated my site with a new list. I hope you all are having a great week.
Great article. What beach are you at? The pics look a lot like Popham Beach where I grew up.