battlemaiden Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'm just know feeling brave enough to take all the kids to the beach by myself. I'm thinking about whether I should get one of those beach tent thingies. Any other great ideas? Containment for the baby would be a bonus. Thanks. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'm just know feeling brave enough to take all the kids to the beach by myself. I'm thinking about whether I should get one of those beach tent thingies. Any other great ideas? Containment for the baby would be a bonus. Thanks. Jo I would take a complete change of clothes and lots of wipes in a diaper bag, a collapsible playpen and lots of snacks and drinks - of course you'll have those anyway for your older ones. Bring a blanket big enough to cover the playpen in case you get very lucky and little sweetie gets lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the waves. Baby sleeps inside playpen, blanket covers playpen so baby does not sleep in direct sunlight. Unfortunately, my son loved to eat sand so he was often in the playpen or being carried around. If your's is reaching beyond tasting the fascinating substance, depending on age you could bring a little shovel and bucket just for her/him. No matter how clean you keep the kids, plan on just dunking them all in the bathtub when you get home. The fine beach sand sticks in everything, even the tightest diaper. I would love to be at the beach...now. SIGH. ENJOY! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'm just know feeling brave enough to take all the kids to the beach by myself. I'm thinking about whether I should get one of those beach tent thingies. Any other great ideas? Containment for the baby would be a bonus. Thanks. Jo A few things we used to do when the boys were little were really helpful. Of course, it will depend on how far you have to travel from the house/car to the beach. A beach-worthy wagon or stroller is your friend! We had the most awesome wagon and it saved my life/sanity so many times. I used it for years and years and years. I always bring one or two king/queen sized sheets with us - they're easy to shake out and dry very quickly. I usually cut a hole in the middle of the sheets and stick a light umbrella in each. If your kids are very young, I vote for a canopy - they're easy to set up and travel well. Cooler - finger foods are easiest and least likely to get wasted. String cheese, little cracker sandwiches, bits of fruits and veggies. If you have toddlers, a cheap wading pool/inflatable pool (with the handy car inflater) can be your best friend. Have the older kids use sand buckets to fill it with sea water and voila, you've contained your toddlers while still being able to keep an eye on the older ones. A gallon jug of water is great for when little ones get a lot of salt and/or sand in their eyes. If you're relatively close to the beach, load them up with sunscreen BEFORE you leave the house. I usually bring a two gallon jug cooler with a pour spout with juice or water or whatever and small dixie cups. Less waste and easy to dispense (if you sit the jug on top of your cooler). Sandwiches - packed in a small cooler and kept in the car for the ride home. That's when they seem to get REALLY hungry. This would be the time for juice pouches or mini bottles of water as well. When we got home, everyone was hosed off in the driveway (or wherever this makes sense for you). Rinse off at the beach if there are facilities and do it again when you get home. Another thing I found really helpful (I love the beach and used to drag the kids all the time - still do but it's easy now lol) was to put them all in the same swimsuit - preferably in a bright bright color. It's easier to count if you're looking for four or five lime green short people. If it didn't work out that they could wear matching swimsuits, they wore matching t-shirts - even in the water. As they got older, we moved to matching boogie boards. I hope you can get out and have fun! I remember it being a TON of work to get us there, but it was really worthwhile for my mental health. Don't forget to bring cool stuff for sandcastles, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Readsalot Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hi Jo, We were stationed at Kanehoe and used to go to Bellows Beach. I think Bellows is one of the nicest beaches on the island. I also love Hanama Bay but that would be difficult with children. I am sure you know how much stronger the sun is in Hawaii, remember to reapply sun screen often. I would start getting a burn in just ten minutes there. Also remember pool shoes for the kids as the sand has a lot of sharp coral in it. I love how kids in Hawaii get tough feet and can run around everywhere barefooted, If I remember correctly Bellows some nice shade palms although I would take a tent just in case. I would also get one of those coolers on wheels that can roll over sand. I like to take juice boxes or Capri suns and freeze them and use them to keep the cooler cold. Also they are great as they thaw because they become like slushies. We also apply sun screen before leaving the house so our son can hit the sand or water as soon as we arrive. Although I am not much for pre-packaged snack they do well for the beach...granola bars, bags of chips, cookies, crackers etc. This seem to keep the sand we bring back to a minimum. I take a small trash bag so we can dispose of our trash right in a can at the beach. I also remember getting box lunches in Hawaii and really enjoying them. I hope you have a great day at the beach. We would love to go today( we are within walking distance of the Atlantic) but it is 18 degrees at the moment so I guess it is a bit COLD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LN in WI Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Dust your babies with baby powder as you are leaving -- Then you will be able to simply dust off the sand. It truly is amazing. That is the only useful thing I ever learned from a parenting magazine.:) ellen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mx5 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'm just know feeling brave enough to take all the kids to the beach by myself. I'm thinking about whether I should get one of those beach tent thingies. Any other great ideas? Containment for the baby would be a bonus. Thanks. Jo I do envy you! Enjoy your day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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