Thanks to Danimals for sponsoring this post, opinions are 100% my own.ย
There’s nothing like a day at the beach. The mix of the sand, sun and ocean waves makes it the perfect place to de-stress. Unless you have kids, that is. Then the beach turns into a hot sand, sunscreen wrestling match with a side of dangerous rip currents. And let’s not forget all the stuff you have to bring for your kids. Umbrellas, tents, a million toys, SPF 1-thousand sunscreen… I could go on and on.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m serious. You can enjoy a day at the beach with young kids. All you need is a few mom hacks and you are in luck, since I am about to tell you what they are.
How to Enjoy The Beach With Young Kids:
1. Shade is KEY: This is first since it is really the most important. The beach can be hell on earth if you don’t have a shady spot to hang. Especially in South Florida. I know many people are a fan of those big tents, but they are a pain in my opinion. We always bring three large umbrellas. They are light and easy to set up and take down. We put two next to each other to give us a big shady spot and use the third to put right near the water so the kids can sit there and build sandcastles or dig their trenches.ย
2. Keep Toys to a Minimum: Kids want to bring everything to the beach, but you have to set limits. I usually let my kids grab three beach items each to bring and we may grab an extra sand bucket or two. The truth is, two or three sand buckets is all they really play with anyways. The other stuff just sits around getting all sad and sandy. I am a fan of bringing boogie boards and at least one float ring or raft. Those are always a huge hit.
3. Leave Your Body Issues at Home: If you want to have fun with the kids, you are going to have to go in the water. And get sandy. And stop giving a crap about how you look in your bathing suit. Your kids won’t remember your cellulite or muffin top, but they will never forget the time you let them bury you in sand or jumped the waves with them all day long.
4. Snacks, snacks and more snacks: You do not want to be caught at the beach with no good snacks. When hot, sandy kids get hungry… just trust me when I tell you that you better be ready. We always pack a cooler packed with water and a few sports drinks. When it comes to beach snacks, some popular options are fruit, yogurt and pretzels. (the saltiness is SO good at the beach for some reason) Yogurt is great since it is nice a cold, but has more substance than water or juice. We always pack a few Danimals in the cooler (be sure to keep them nice and cold!) since they are easy to drink while sandy. ๐ My kids love the taste and I love that it has no high fructose corn syrup and is a great source of calcium and vitamin D.
Danimals are also perfect for school lunches and an afternoon snack at home. You can find them at Walmart in the refrigerated yogurt section. They have so many great flavors, my kids love strawberry explosion, banana blast and cotton candy. (also, be sure to look for the limited edition toasted marshmallow flavor as we get closer to the holidays, seriously AMAZING)
There you go! Simply follow these tips to make for a fabulous family beach day! What are some of your favorite mom hacks for the beach?
These are really good tips, I only wish my son would actually agree to go to the beach or even swim, clearly he doesn’t know what he is missing out on.
Maybe when he is older he will enjoy the water more! ๐
Yes to all of these! We just got back from a weekend at the beach and all these tips are a must! My son loves Danimals. We’ll have to pack them for next time!
I hope you guys had a great time! ๐
Great ideas, especially the “snacks, snacks, snacks!” I have to admit, I’m always one for a variety of snacks, myself ๐
Yes especially at the beach where I feel like I am always hungry!! ha!
What a great post! Looks like you had an amazing time with the family at the beach. Loved #3 and couldn’t agree more. ๐ I used to love Danimals as a kid so it’s super fun to see your kids enjoying it too!
Jenn
http://www.honeydewblog.com
Yes they are such picky eaters so when I find something they like I stick with it! ๐
Great tips! Especially the snacks because if we ever went to the beach without them, we’d have one grumpy kid!
Such great tips! Minimalizng what to bring to the beach is key for us. My daughter loves running straight to the water and waves. I have come to terms that the beach is no longer relaxing but way more fun!
I love the beach and cannot wait to implement these tips so I can feel like my family will have an enjoyable time!
Kids love to go to the beach, including mine. But we usually go after school when the sun is not too hot anymore. We’re a bit lucky, our house is only a block away from the beach so this kind of set up is doable.
Can I rewind the clock for more beach days? What they have cotton candy flavor now? Too awesome.
What great tips! I love the idea of limiting the toys (especially with so much other gear!). And your tip about leaving your body images at home – that’s my all-time mantra. I never want to project my body issues on my kids!