What Mom’s Need for a Day at the Beach

If your family is anything like mine, it can feel like a war trying to get everyone out the door. Now add all the stuff you might need to go spend a day at the beach?! It’s enough to drive any mom batty. Here is what mom’s need for a day at the beach. So you can get up and get out the door. Not a no war zone guarantee though.

Beach Bag

If you don’t have a nice beach bag already I highly recommend one. Walking in the sand with 3 million things in your hands gets aggravating. We have a cooler (on wheels), a beach bag, and a toy bag.

The toy bag we have is awesome because of its mesh, all the sand just falls through as you walk to your car. It’s also so cheap! Now that you have all your bags of holding. Let’s get down to what to put in them.

Sunscreen & Sunglasses

Probably the most important thing for kids is sunscreen. All the evidence is showing that the secret to wrinkle-free skin later in life is less exposure to the sun. Not to mention the risk of skin cancer etc. My youngest with sensitive skin use Aveeno Baby Sensitive. My oldest, as well as everyone else, use Walmart brand spray on sunscreen. Equally important is sunglasses to protect your eyes. My youngest daughter has the coolest baby sunglasses, that’s right baby sunglasses! They are called babiators, they are freaking adorable! My oldest has Paw Patrol ones from Walmart. I am terrible with sunglasses because I wear glasses and I can’t bring myself to wear sunglasses that go over them. Do what I say, not what I do 😂!

Beach Toys

What mom would you be if you didn’t bring toys?! You can check out my other post about more beach activities to do with your family. But you definitely need to bring something for your little ones to do. Like I said, we have a “beach toy bag” that has all the shovels, buckets, dump trucks, water squirters, sifters, etc.

Let’s face it, it’s your vacation and your relaxation time too. If you want to read a good book and sunbathe you can do it while your little’s play in the sand next to you. Just don’t go overboard with your electronics 😂.

Food

We generally go to the beach for the whole day. This is probably because we have usually only gone on vacation for a long weekend. Making us want to get the most out of our vacation in as little time as possible.

So we always pack a lunch to eat on the beach. Usually sandwiches, and individually bagged chips, pretzels, or crackers. We use reusable bags that are environmentally friendly. It’s also super important to stay hydrated so we usually have (reusable) water bottles for everybody. As well as a jug of water to refill them. Snacks are also a must when you have little ones running around all day.

Beach Umbrella, Mat, and Tent

These things are a much needed essential when you are spending the day at the beach. When the sun is high and beating down on you, you need to have an umbrella. If you don’t enjoy burning your feet with sand and getting it in ungodly places, you might want a mat. Also, a tent is a must!

Umbrella

Everyone knows that if you are going to spend any amount of time at the beach you will need an umbrella. The sun when directly on you is unbearable, not to mention unhealthy for your skin, and eyes.

We have a nice umbrella that has a carrying case. Fortunately, we just pile it all on top of our cooler so that we don’t have to carry it, but the case is very nice to have. We keep all of our beach stuff in our attic most of the year, so to have protection for it is nice.

Beach Mat

I never had a beach mat as a kid, nor did we have a tent. So to find this awesome mat that prevented you from burning your feet was awesome. The one we own, we got free from a yard sale so it was also super cheap. In the past I have always used a beach towel (also something you need) that got sand all over it, crumpled up underneath me, and then was gone when I needed to use it as a towel.

I also have to admit I don’t entirely enjoy the sensation of sand all over my body. I find it quite annoying actually so this helps. It doesn’t get rid of all the sand, you are at the beach (made of sand) but it does definitely help. You also know that when you are wrapping your child in a towel you are not wrapping them in the sand.

Beach Tent

If your littles are young enough that they take a nap in the afternoon, you will want a tent to lay them down in. One that is not a sauna. The first tent we had was called the Lil’ nursery and it was designed to put your baby in.

As our family is getting bigger and older we have realized that a tent is a pretty awesome thing to have for everyone. Not just for the baby to lay down in. But if you want to lay with them or just get out of the sun yourself there really isn’t that much room. So this summer we have a tent that is big enough for everyone to be in and has one side open so you can get a good breeze, and not have the greenhouse effect happen. Those are all the things we take to the beach with us, for the day. It may seem like a lot, especially when you consider we only go to the beach once a year. I don’t know why children seem to attract convenience items like a moth to the flame. Might as well zap me, I am in love with convenience and products that make my life as a mom easier.

It’s hard enough keeping children alive, thriving, and happy. If there is any product that can just ease the pressure off me a little I am going to buy it. Even if 50 other weeks out of the year it lives in an attic 😂.

What do you think? What things do you bring to the beach, did I miss anything? Are there any cool products you have found that make a day at the beach easier for you? Let me know in the comments!

If you love this comment don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE! Check out my other related posts…

https://mamaofthedrama.com/2018/07/22/10-beach-activities-to-do-with-your-family/