Leane When it comes to hitting the beach, we can’t get enough of it! But let’s face it, when you have a baby or toddler in tow, you’ve got to be prepared and pack a ton of stuff. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of absolute essentials for a fantastic beach day with your little one. So, without further ado, here are our must-haves for a toddler-friendly beach adventure!
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Waterproof bag – I don’t know about your toddler, but as soon as Babybel gets anywhere near water, the water gets everywhere. A waterproof bag keeps towels, electronics, and food out of harms way, and is also a lot easier to clean sand off of. We love these ones from Amazon as they’re huge and come in loads of different styles.
Beach toys – buckets, spades, rakes, sand mods; all absolutely essential for keeping toddlers with their limited attention span amused for more than three minutes. We have this 8-piece set from Amazon that contains all that we need.
Sunglasses – when Babybel was younger, we had these sunglasses from Amazon that have a strap to keep them on. Now that she’s older and wants to copy exactly what Mummy is doing and wearing, we have the older toddler version, which she loves.
Water shoes – we are on our fourth pair of these water shoes as we love them so much. They’re soft and flexible, easy to put on and take off, and great value for money. We also take a spare pair of these with us, just in case something happens to the first pair!
Beach towels – we’ve found that multiple towels are required. They get wet where she’s in and out of the water, they get covered in sand, lunch gets spilt on them, seaweed gets piled on them! We’ve found we need at least one towel for drying and two for sitting on. We’ve built up a good selection of thin, lightweight beach towels over the years so we just use these. I have got my eye on one of these hooded ponchos though as they seem ideal for the end of the day when she’s tired and irritable!
UPF50+ swimsuit – I love these swimsuits. Getting sun screen on a wriggly toddler is enough of a mission as it is, without having to reapply at every 10 minutes because it’s washed off in the sea or rubbed of in the sand. We originally had a full coverage one with a hat from Asda, but now that Babybel is happy to have sun screen applied to her legs and face every time Mummy does, we have this one. It blocks 97% of the sun’s UV rays, and works as a rash guard. They also have plenty of bright colours which are essential when in the water or on a busy beach.
Tangle teezer – I’ve been using a tangle teezer for years as I’ve found it the best for my fine hair. Unfortunately, Babybel has inherited this too, so we need to get the knots out as soon as possible when we’re at the beach. This toddler tangle teezer is perfect for this task!
UV tent -despite the sun screen, hat, all in one swimsuit, and any other sun protection I’ve forgotten to mention, the sun can still get a bit too much if you’re out in it all day. A UV tent is definitely one of my top must haves for visiting the beach with a toddler. This one from Amazon easily folds up small and has enough room for an adult and toddler to take a little nap if needed.
Talcum powder – essential for removing sand. Just rub it on over the sand, brush it off, and voila, sand is gone!
We also take a water bottle, sun screen, a spare hat, at least one change of clothing, and plenty of snacks. Babybel’s potty trained now so we don’t need to take any swim nappies, but we used to take both reusable and disposable ones with us.
I’d love to hear your must haves for surviving a trip to the beach with a toddler. Let me know in the comments!
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