Taking Kids to the Beach

Hey there sea lovers, Victoria here! I go to the beach weekly with my two little ones and have unknowingly developed a bunch of tips and tricks to make the whole experience a lot easier! It just comes down to trial and error people. I often take the kids to the beach by myself, so it’s a bit of a mission, but I am a strong believer that it’s the best playground in the world! I never regret it and every time I get there it’s so worth it. Here are my top tips for a stress-free day at the beach with your kids…

The Ground Work

I always check the weather first - I use weather zone and check the radar and wind to make sure that it’s all clear. Nothing worse than getting all set up and then finding out you can’t even sit down cause the wind is so strong it pelts you with sand. Nobody needs that. Once I’ve checked the weather, I tell Theodore (my four-year-old boy) where we are heading so he can get his little mind around it. The sand, the waves, the sun, so he can start to comprehend that this is where we are spending the day.

Then it’s all about getting packed and out the door - no easy feat! Firstly I get the kids out of their pyjamas and straight into what they will wear at the beach. Theodore wears a rash vest and swim shorts, and Patience wears a full piece.

I put sunscreen on both of them at home to save the sandy juggle of chasing them all over the beach. Then it’s hats on! I don’t worry about shoes. Here’s what I pack….

What to Pack

Beach Cart - So that I only have to take one trip from the car to the beach, there are too many dangers with car parks and waves to be doing multiple loads. 

Beach Umbrella - So that we can escape from the sun when we need to.

Picnic Basket - I always take a cooler block (which I have actually used for a stinger bite in the past), water, fresh fruit, chips and nuts. Hack: Keep everything in Tupperware so it’s sand free. I also usually pack myself a smoothie or a drink cause if mum’s happy everyone is! 

Wet Bucket - I store our towels in it - I bring a towel or poncho per person and an extra one for sitting on.

For my boy  - Toys and goggles (it’s a comfort thing for Ted, he can’t swim without them, ha). 

For baby - Nappies, wipes, a dummy, swaddle and spare everything, ha! I wrap the baby like I would at home and when she naps I use the spare swaddle as a cool shade over her. 

For the car ride home - I keep a change of clothes for everyone and some warm water in bottles in case there are no showers at the beach or if they are too cold, this avoids a full blown tantrum when we leave.

Now I’m packed and we’re on our way! It’s sometimes like planning a rocket launch, ha! But honestly, if any of these things are missing it usually cuts our adventure short or there is a little extra whinging. 

If I am just going for a quick dip and walking from home, we just take towels. However, if it’s for a few hours or so, I always take these items. 

Once we are there, I keep the baby in the beach cart while I set up. Then it’s play time!

On the way home I put fresh towels in our Beach Cart and I use our Wet Bucket to bath and get the sand off everyone. In the cooler months I use the wet bucket to stand in and bring my own warm water to rinse the kids before they put their ponchos on. 

Lastly for me, I use my Beach Poncho to get changed under, because no one wants to see this mumma flash the passing crowd, ha!

I hope this has been helpful! I remember the days I used to sit down at the beach and relax with a magazine, that was living! I wouldn’t change my crazy beach adventures for anything now though…

* Googles ‘do Uber Eats deliver cocktails to the beach? *