How do you "go to the beach"

[Kaleidoscope]

We've never done a beach vacation so I have no clue how to prepare or what to take other than swimsuits and sunscreen. Will I want chairs? a beach tent? Do kids usually actually play with sand toys?

 

My kids are 8-11 and we will be at the beach 3 days.

[Mommyof4ks]

It depends on what you plan to do at the each. We love to walk the beach and play in the water, so we do not take chairs or tents, but our kids will take sand toys and stop to ply with them some. We know other families that take chairs, picnics, toys, radios, and so on. Either way bring a towel, because the sun gets very hot near the beach, and wrapping up feels good.

[bettyandbob]

I've never taken chairs to the beach. Years ago I stayed in week long condo rentals and the condos we got always had beach chairs and a variety of toys left either by the owner or previous renters.

 

I always pack a big towel (double wide) or blanket to sit on, a few sand toys (bucket, diggers) and a boogie board. A ball and a frisbee would be good too. If you do not have toys and boogie board wait until you get their. Most stores at the beach have this stuff on deep discount right now (at least mid Atlantic beaches IME). Everyone should have their own book too.

 

ETA: my recent beach experience has been just 2 night trips (camping or inexpensive motels) we take very little stuff.

[TranquilMind]

We've never done a beach vacation so I have no clue how to prepare or what to take other than swimsuits and sunscreen. Will I want chairs? a beach tent? Do kids usually actually play with sand toys?

 

My kids are 8-11 and we will be at the beach 3 days.

 

Are you staying on the beach or do you have to drive there?

 

We stay in a condo directly beachfront every few years. So everything you need is available there . Yes, kids play with sand toys. I play with sand toys!

 

If you burn, take lots of sun BLOCK and use it. Take an umbrella if you want some shade, if you have to drive to the beach. Some places provide them if you are staying there. Take a cooler with lots of water and also snacks. Take sunglasses and towels and goggles. Have fun!

[Princess Peach]

We live about 30 minutes from the ocean. We take chairs, beach toys, boogie boards, sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, towels, and a cooler with water and snacks. Have fun!

[Jeannie in NJ]

my dc have lived in our beach town their whole lives. When they were younger (they are now 15 and 17) we would take an unbrella for shade. Now we have chairs with a little shade top on it. We always take chairs. Mine don't like sand toys anymore but at your dcs' ages they might like buckets and shovels. Also take snacks and a cooler for drinks, water, etc.

 

oh your dc are perfect ages for boogie boards and skim boards

[Garga]

Chairs--yes! My back gets achy if I have to sit on the ground/sand for a long time, and I'm pretty healthy.

 

Beach toys--yes! But I bring little garden shovels (trowels?). The plastic ones break too easily in the heavy sand. Those metal garden shovels are much better. Be sure to have buckets, to cart water from the ocean to wherever you're building your castle with moat. Be sure to have some sort of round/square things to make the castles with.

 

Sunglasses. Make sure to leave a corner of a towel clean to wipe them off. The salty air makes them smeary after about a half hour.

 

Sunblock. Slather that stuff on, like icing a cupcake. And reapply every 1.5 to 2 hours.

 

Towels. One for everyone, and maybe a little extra one for the sunglasses.

 

Drinks. Maybe in a little cooler? Or just bottles of ice that can melt into water. And a little snack, too. Running around on the sand is hard work, so the kids will build up appetites.

[brendag]

Food and water (everyone seems to get very hungry and thirsty)

Towels and more towels

Beach Blanket

Toys if your kids play with them including sand/water bucket

Flip flops/shoes that you can take off and on easily & that can be washed off

Magazine/book to read if your kids are not off playing in the water

 

I don't know if you've been to the ocean before, but definitely make sure to keep applying the sunblock even if your kids don't usually burn. The rays reflect off the water as well, even if it is cloudy.

 

Brenda

 

ETA - If you are going to be there for 3 days and plan to spend a lot of time actually on the beach, beach chairs are nice unless you plan on lying down on the towel most of the time. If you're staying on the beach at a hotel, I'd ask the hotel if they have chairs that you can use.

Edited September 9, 2012 by brendag

[bookfiend]

Also, I pack a wet washcloth (or two) in a ziplock bag - because sunscreen gets in eyes, fresh hands are nice when eating (pack grapes, citrus)

 

Take a plastic tote for the seashells you will collect as you walk.

 

The plastic sand toys you buy are a joke and won't move the sand for those big castles! Buy an inexpensive set of plastic gardening tools; they work much better. We use an old LEGO bucket for towers and such.

[justasque]

Assuming you aren't interested in investing in a huge supply of beach gear:

 

SUNSCREEN!

Chairs, one for each grownup. Kids can sit on towels.

Umbrellas, the bigger the better. Golf ones are ideal.

Duct tape, to tape the umbrella to the chair. Works wonders.

Towels. One each for drying off, and perhaps one for the kids to sit on.

Water bottles for all.

A cooler with snacks.

Sand toys, if they're builders. Improvise these with a selection of yogurt containers, larger plastic tubs, plastic spoons, etc.

Clothes to change into for the way home, if there is a place to do that.

Books for the grownups.

Boogie boards, if you think the kids will like them.

 

Park yourself somewhere on the beach as your "home base". From there, you can go on walks, swim, build, etc.

 

We require a grownup in the water with kids.

[Truscifi]

We live about 30 minutes from the ocean. We take chairs, beach toys, boogie boards, sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, towels, and a cooler with water and snacks. Have fun!

 

Except we add an umbrella because dh burns easily. Oh, and shoes that can be rinsed off and left out to dry, like crocs.

 

We take less if we are staying somewhere beachfront and can just run up to the house/condo/room for snacks and drinks or to get out of the sun. In that case we just take sand toys, towels, and sunglasses. Maybe chairs if someone has a bad back or something.

[redsquirrel]

I grew up near a beach. Every summer, we spend a week at grandma's going to the beach, and we spend another week in Maine on a beach.

 

Towels

Blanket to sit on

Chairs (now I use a chair. When I was a kid I did not)

Sunglasses. It is hard on the eyes to be constantly looking out towards the water to keep an eye on your kids.

SUNBLOCK

sand toys. Even my 12 year old plays with sand toys. My kids like shovels and other instruments of destruction. DH and I will toss a frisbee around for a while.

flip flops or some sand friendly shoe OR water shoes. We are a water shoe family. We spend a week at the beach in Maine and there are lots of rocks and cliffs to climb and explore. Shoes are needed.

We use rash guard/swim shirts.

Water jug. Cups. (beach time is thirsty business)

Snacks in a seagull proof box. They will open a totebag.

magazine etc.

We always go with two swimsuits for each kid. That lets us go to the beach more than once in a day. One suit can be drying while the second one is in use.

I always bring myself a light sweater or fleece. Sometimes the kids want to stay in the water so long that it starts to get cool. They never notice but I do.

 

One thing I do is to make sure my boys are both wearing usually a water shirt, but sometimes bathing trunks, in a VERY bright colour. I put them in safety orange, electric blue, bright yellow etc. I want to be able to find them in the water or on the beach right away. I also wear a bright orange swim shirt so they can find me. DH has one in electric blue. Every year we appreciate this.

 

My almost 8 year old cannot swim very well. I always make him wear a US coast guard approved life vest when he is in the water. It gives him a lot more freedom and me peace of mind. I still don't let him go in past his waist, but I know if a big wave knocks him over he will be ok.

[StephanieZ]

I bring:

 

+ SUNSCREEN. I like the cream/lotion (SPF30+) for first applications, but a spray can is nice to reappply kids if they are sandy.

+ big towels -- one each

+ flip flops for all

+ chairs for grown ups -- one each

+ BIG sun umbrella ($15ish at Sam's)

+ Sun hats for EVERYONE. Sunscreen rubs off, especially under eyes. Hats are a MUST when you aren't in the water in my family.

(The hats and umbrella make all that time in the bright sun more pleasant, too. Otherwise, the glare gets very tiring.)

+ Sunglasses, especially if you don't do hats!

+ One bucket for each kid (or more). They are handy for shell collecting as well as water hauling as well as critter observation.

+ An oversized beach shovel. "Digging to China" or making huge holes is quite fun. A larger beach shovel is really handy.

+ Coverups for everyone. The fancy new "swim shirts" are awesome, but an old long sleeve dad's shirt is almost as good for a short stay. These are imperative if someone gets a burn, and are really handy for avoiding them!

+ One or more "boogie board". Cheap ones can be bought for under $20 near the beach and will last fine for 3 days. Makes riding the waves great fun.

+ If the water is fairly calm, waves small, then noodles or other floaties are fun. IF the waves are big, then boogie boards are the only floaties I use.

+ If your kids are not strong swimmers and/or the waves will be big (say, over 3 ft), then you might like having them in ski-style life preservers. These ones are ones that do NOT toss you on your back, but are simply meant to assist flotation in a normal swimming position. I always made my kids wear them before they were strong swimmers, and even now that they all swim well, I still make them wear them if there are huge waves due to a storm, etc. (Our beach does not have life guards.)

+ goggles and/or snorkels/masks if your kids have them and like them.

 

We stay at a house on the beach, but if you will have to drive/haul junk to the beach, you'll want to bring a little cooler with snacks and cold drinks. When we stay at the house, we still often bring a little cooler down for the day, but if you are hauling stuff, it is critical.

[SebastianCat]

Before you buy anything (toys, chairs, etc.) find out what may already be there for you to use if you are staying beachfront.

 

Others have said it, but you cannot put enough SUNSCREEN on your kids, especially if they spend time in the water. The kind with zinc oxide is the best - very pasty, hard to rub in, but physically blocks the sun's rays much better than chemical sunscreens. And yes, you MUST reapply at least every 1-2 hours. Don't let the kids put on their own sunscreen either.....the sun's rays reflect from every direction off the water and magnify the effect.

 

....spoken by a mom who has lived in FL her entire life, but whose 7 year old dd got a horrible sunburn last year because I forgot to reapply. :thumbdown:

[KrissiK]

Chairs, towels, sunglasses, my youngers played with sand toys, my olders just like to play in the waves. One year we had a great time with kites.

[Kaleidoscope]

Thanks!

 

The lists helped a lot. I'm a fair skinned red head so I'll be slathering the sun screen believe me. We are staying at a condo on the beach. We have to bring everything with us, nothing provided. I'll finish up my shopping tomorrow :001_smile:

[Melissa in Australia]

we live a 5 minute walk form the beach. All we bring is sunglasses and a towel. We walk down in our swimmers and go for a swim then come home.

If the kids want to go to the surf beach, (20 minute drive) all that is brought is boogie boards, surf boards, towels and a water bottle. We don't sit on the Beach, we go there just for swimming and come home.

[ChristusG]

We live about an hour from the beach. We go for a day maybe once or twice a year. But then we rent a condo several hours from us on the beach for like 4 or 5 nights every spring.

 

Here's how our family does the beach....

 

I'm adamant that we go somewhere where we can either (A) walk to the beach, or (B) shower off after the beach. I can't stand getting into the car being sandy and sticky.

 

We bring sunscreen, definitely. Usually we'll stay through lunch, so a cooler of food/drinks. My kids play with sand toys CONSTANTLY at the beach. They'd rather dig, make castles, build roadways, and dig up shells than swim. Besides the usual sand toys, I throw in some plastic cups, plastic silverware, bowls, and people/animal figures...they all always get played with. And I bring sand toys in a mesh laundry bag so that all of the sand/water can just fall through the bottom.

 

I line the back of our vehicle with a sheet so that we can put chairs/toys back in after our day at the beach without it messing up the car and making a huge mess that I'll have to vacuum.

 

We definitely bring chairs.

 

When I have babies, such as now, I always bring a sun tent to cover the baby with.

 

My kids wear long sleeve rash guards and board shorts to limit sun exposure (this way I don't have to put as much sunscreen on them either).

 

Towels, of course.

 

When going to the beach, I feel like I'm packing to go on some sort of week long adventure LOL. So much stuff!

[PinkInTheBlue]

Assuming you aren't interested in investing in a huge supply of beach gear:

 

SUNSCREEN!

Chairs, one for each grownup. Kids can sit on towels.

Umbrellas, the bigger the better. Golf ones are ideal.

Duct tape, to tape the umbrella to the chair. Works wonders.

Towels. One each for drying off, and perhaps one for the kids to sit on.

Water bottles for all.

A cooler with snacks.

Sand toys, if they're builders. Improvise these with a selection of yogurt containers, larger plastic tubs, plastic spoons, etc.

Clothes to change into for the way home, if there is a place to do that.

Books for the grownups.

Boogie boards, if you think the kids will like them.

 

Park yourself somewhere on the beach as your "home base". From there, you can go on walks, swim, build, etc.

 

We require a grownup in the water with kids.

 

:iagree: Fantastic list! We are about an hour and a half from the beach and this is much like my ideal list.

[Kaleidoscope]

I'm doubtful of how much I'll use a chair but I am taking on just in case. I'm going to be the only adult with 4 kids so I'm thinking there won't be much sitting and relaxing.

 

But maybe I will make them take breaks so I can sit a bit at least.

 

I'm very glad we won't have to get into a car sandy. Our condo is right on the beach.

[alpidarkomama]

We like to travel light at the beach. Swimsuits, bucket/shovel, and boogie board for each kid. I carry the towels, but they have to carry the rest (except I'll help DS5 w/his boogie board). FUN! Chairs are just too much for me to handle on top of the other stuff. I'm usually in the water with them anyway, or sitting on a towel.

[justasque]

I'm a fair skinned red head so I'll be slathering the sun screen believe me.

 

In that case, rash guards for everyone.

 

It's much more reliable than reapplying sunscreen regularly.

Lands End does good ones; you can get them at Sears. If you wait for the beach you'll end up paying the same price or more for lower quality.

 

(And my mom would require hats. We can tell what year it is in family photos from which hat we're wearing. "Oh, that was the year of the Australian hats!", etc.)

[kolamum]

We take:

 

Towels

blanket {to sit on}

change of clothes

sun screen

sun tent

sun umbrella

boogie boards

sand toys

drinks with flip lid tops to avoid excess sand in them

snacks

wipes

books to read

dry clothes

bag for wet clothes

aloe vera

 

Course, that's only if we aren't going to the beach across the street. ;)

[ktgrok]

A plastic baggie for taking home some shells, sea glass,or other finds.

A camera.

Chairs for the grown ups...if you are laying on the towel you can't watch the kids.

pails and shovels

sunscreen

towels (at least one more than you have people)

sheet or something for kids to sit on (sheets are easier to pack than a blanket, and lighter when they get wet)

snacks and drinks

wet wipes/baby wipes for hands.

[Kaleidoscope]

Ah, good suggestion an using the sheet and the flip top bottles. I'll make notes of bot of those.

 

 

In that case, rash guards for everyone.

 

It's much more reliable than reapplying sunscreen regularly.

Lands End does good ones; you can get them at Sears. If you wait for the beach you'll end up paying the same price or more for lower quality.

 

(And my mom would require hats. We can tell what year it is in family photos from which hat we're wearing. "Oh, that was the year of the Australian hats!", etc.)

 

Fortunately I'm the only fair skinned red head of the group. I'll definitely have ashirt on myself. I burn fast. My girls are all AA. I won't neglect sunscreen on them though.

[momto10blessings]

chairs (usually just 1 or 2 for mom and dad to rest in and for kids to sit on while drying off), towels, umbrella if you want shade, drinks and snacks, shovels and buckets, boogie boards are a hit at that age, camera, sunscreen. blanket/sheet/large towel for kids to sit on, sunglasses (I cant go without them but kids dont use them), hair tie for mom

Edited September 10, 2012 by momto8blessings

[hollyh]

wet bag or trash bag for wet bathing suits and/or towels

[sleepymommy]

We take

 

Sunblock

Sunhats

Chairs with the cup holders and built in top cover

My Kindle (can't live without that one, I don't go in the water much) I keep it in a ziplock bag.

Sand toys

Goggles for the kids

Snacks that are prepackaged

Towels

Water bottles

 

I like for all these, minus the chairs of course, to go into a mesh bag. I have a Saltwater Canvas bag http://www.saltwatercanvas.com/ which I love, but you can get similar ones at places like Walmart. It's great to be able to just shake the bag a bit to get most of the sand out.