Beach Essentials with a Baby/Toddler

Our baby girl just turned one and we’ve taken her to the beach several times: beaches in the Philippines at 6 months and recently we have taken her to beaches here at home.  So, this post is a combination of essential items you should bring to the beach, some items being more practical if it’s a local beach, while others are still important even if you’re going to the beach while on vacation abroad.  These items will all be useful for kids anywhere from 6 months to 3 years old.

The Obvious

Sunscreen for babies(we use Aveeno Baby with an SPF of 50), swimsuit, a sun hat and swimming diapers are all pretty obvious.  You can use a regular diaper, but swimming diapers (Huggies Little Swimmers) are much better so consider buying some and make sure they fit a bit tighter than usual diapers.  Don’t forget an appropriate towel for the baby and a change of clothes in case the clothes get wet or dirty.

Wagon

The wagon is crucial, even without a child, you likely have several things to carry from the car to the beach, but now with a baby/toddler you’re going to have even more stuff.  Forget the stroller and bring the wagon.  You can load all your things and if there is still room (unlikely though) you can put the baby in the wagon too. You won’t have a stroller so if there’s two of you, one will pull the wagon and the other will carry the baby.  Consider picking one up from Costco for a good priced functional wagon.

Pop Up Shelter (one that’s easy to set up)

Forget the fancy shelters/tents made for the beach that require multiple steps to erect.  The kid will be running around and needing attention, you also want to make sure he/she doesn’t eat any sand or rocks; so you can’t focus on figuring out and taking time to set up a fancy tent.  Luckily, we brought two, after about 10 minutes we gave up on the one and pulled out the pop-up shelter (the Old Bahama Bay is big and easy to set up) which sets up in minutes.  The shelter will provide shade for you and the baby, and if you’re lucky enough to get your baby to nap, it’ll be a good place to sleep.

Beach Toys

If your baby is like ours, who is always on the go, you’ll want to keep him/her busy.  Beach toys, pales, shovels, etc. will help keep the baby occupied and have fun.  A mini soccer ball is another good option.

Mini-Fan

Depending on where you are, there’s a good chance it will be scorching hot.  Aside from the shelter for shade, bring a mini battery powered fan, it’ll help keep the baby cool.

Snacks and a packed lunch

Forget a barbeque and tons of food for a picnic, it’s too much work to carry, set up and cook if you’re going for a beach day with your baby/toddler.  If there’s a big group of you sure, but if it’s just your family you don’t need a feast.  Bring snacks (Baby Mum-Mums are an excellent choice), fruits and a packed lunch such as sandwiches.  Or better yet, buy food on the beach, it’s not worth the headache of setting up a barbecue, cooking and cleaning  while trying to watch your child.

Floaties

Depending on the age and your child’s swimming interest, a floaty or floatable device is definitely a good option.  We packed one in our suitcase when we went to the Philippines for some added safety and comfort for our baby.  After getting some used to, our girl loved floating in our SwimWays Baby Spring Float.  You can always hold her while in the water, but certain floaties are good options and fun for the baby.

Baby Rock Shoes

Depending which beach you're at, there may be a rocky shore line or rocks in the water.  At Winnipeg Beach and Steep Rock, bringing rock shoes for our baby was a great choice.  She was able to run around freely while I was tip toing around trying not to hurt my feet.

Music and a speaker

Music and a speaker for a baby?  Our baby girl loves music, and if you’re with a toddler I’m sure they will too.  Our girl dances up a storm all the time.  We like a good dance/electronic, pop and reggaeton playlist at the beach, it gets our baby moving to the rhythm and is a lot of fun.  You can also switch the playlist to something calmer if you want him/her to nap in the shelter.  And for a portable Bluetooth Speaker with good sound and is resilient in the sand and other things, consider the UE Boom Bluetooth Speaker.