Beach holidays take on a whole new meaning with kids, don’t they?
There’s much less sun bathing and relaxing and much more sun cream slathering while fishing sand out of the baby’s mouth.
Don’t get me started on trying to get the sand off of everyone at the end!
These days we make a few, short trips to the beach and call it a day, but we have learned a thing or two about beaching with babies over the years.
So, to help you keep your cool on the sand over the summer, here are Mumbler’s best tips for surviving – and enjoying – the beach with kids!
- Pack a baby paddling pool: They’re small and lightweight so easy to fit into your luggage, but are a great tool for the beach. Kids can sit in them if they don’t like the sea, or use them to wash their hands if they get too sandy. It also means you don’t have to sit near the sea for them to quickly cool off.
- Arrive after breakfast, and leave by noon! Beat the crowds and rock up as early as you can. By lunch time you – and the kids – will have had enough, and can come away before the strongest heat of the day.
- Baby Powder is fab for removing sand: Apply it onto dry, sandy skin and brush it off with your hands.
Pack beach toys into a mesh laundry bag: You can simply shake out the sand when it’s time to go.- Avoid getting your hands greasy from sun cream by using makeup sponges to apply.
- Shade, shade, shade: However you want to do it, shade is your most valuable tool on the beach. Take beach umbrellas, or rent a parasol. You could take a pop-up tent for kids to nap in, but we find they get too stuffy and the kids get hot and bothered.
- Throw a mini fan into your beach bag to cool you down in a pinch. Especially useful if you’re sat nursing or rocking a baby and there’s no breeze.
- Take a fitted sheet, weigh down each corner with something heavy (beach bag, bottle of water, etc) and you have a safe space for a baby to play in. Or somewhere to keep your belongings out of the sand!
- Drinks coolers are worth their weight in gold when everyone is tired and thirsty. Freeze bottles of water and they will stay cool all day. You can also pack frozen fruit in individual bags or frozen yoghurt tubes. They will melt as they day goes on and become refreshing snacks for the kids.
- Roll up your valuables into a nappy, then wrap it up like it’s used – no one’s going to want to go rummaging around in there!
