Let’s face it here in sunny Southern California the beach days are pretty common. Living so close to the beach we make beach days pretty regular, especially during the summer months. The water in the Pacific starts to warm and I can’t seem to keep our girls from the water. As we start our summer I know there’s plenty of tips to share so I wanted to share 15 tips for better beach trips this summer.
- Bigger The Beach Bag The Better – One thing I did was pick one of the largest totes I have to dedicate as my beach bag. The larger the bag is easier it will be to carry your essentials to your spot for the day.
- Pack Your Bags The Night Before – This will save you so much time running around trying to remember everything you need. Often I forget items by not packing ahead of time. Being prepared is essential for a drama free beach day.
- Lots of Water – We actually have a large cooler that also is a water bottle. We add ice and keep that close by for drinking water all day.
- Pack Extra Toys – I love saving old plastic food containers for the beach. My kids use them for mud pies and all sorts of extra fun! We also pack small toys like cars and items for sand castle creations.
- Bring Two Trash Bags – One bag is always for trash so we don’t leave anything behind on the beach. We keep the other bag for odds and ends like wet clothing and towels.
- Check The Tide – Knowing when high and low tide is essential if you’re planning on staying one day. You may set up and discover that the tide comes in and then you have to relocate all of your belongings to another spot on an overcrowded beach. It’s best to know before you go!
- Arrive Early – The sooner you arrive at the beach the better chance you have of getting a spot. We like to set up near a lifeguard station close to the water so we always arrive early in the morning and plan on staying all day.
- Sun Protection – You have to prepare to be in the sun for hours on end especially in the heat of summer. Dressing your kids in sun protective clothing will help eliminate the need to reapply sunscreen so often. Also purchasing beach hats for
- Sunscreen – This is essential when spending any amount of time outdoors. Apply sunscreen at home before you hit the beach and then keep a bottle of lotion nearby for easy reapplication. I set a timer every hour and a half for sunscreen reapplication as well.
- Bring Enough Towels for Each Person – I always bring one towel too many because there’s always a towel that ends of wet and no one wants to use it. Having a towel for every person means that everyone will be warm and cozy when needed.
- Beach Tent – I really love our beach tent, we bought it years ago and it’s literally the item we never leave home without. I can keep all of our supplies in the shade and it provides much needed shade when my younger kids need to take a break.
- Bring A Change of Clothes – If you plan on staying all day we always pack an extra change of clothes. The evening can become quite cool along the beach so having that extra pair of clothes is something my kids are always grateful for.
- Hand Rise Station – Bring an extra bucket for hand rising. This will be especially helpful before snack time!
- Lots of Snacks – Check out my best tips for beach snacks including packing small portion sizes in individual bags.
- Baby Powder – This sand hack actually works – so when you’re ready to pack up use baby powder to get sand off your skin.
