[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Every year, all of the women over 21 in my family go to the beach together for a week. We’re mothers, sisters, cousins and even some “out-laws”, and we use it as a week to reconnect and relax. We sit in a giant circle and chat, someone always brings afternoon cocktails (the afternoon starts really early at our beach) and appetizers to share, some of us even make time to enjoy a favorite summer book. The week is so amazingly refreshing and good for my soul. 
Taking your child to the beach is the exact opposite of that. It will not be the most relaxing vacation you’ve ever been on, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. It may take you four hours just to get packed for the beach, only to find out that your five year old “would rather be at the pool”, your baby likes to eat fist-fulls of sand, and your three year old has absolutely no fear of waves.
However, kids grow up so quickly and days at the beach can produce the most fond memories. I’ll never forget the first time our girls spent all day building a ridiculously extravagant sandcastle, or the joy spread across their faces riding a boogie board. Here are our tricks for a hopefully awesome summer beach trip.
SHELTER-
An SPF tent is ideal because the harmful UV rays can penetrate the fabric of an ordinary umbrella. The tent can also double as a nap-time space for your baby if s/he is inclined to sleep on the beach. The tents are really cool, they’re open on one side and usually have some sort of over-hang so you could even sit on the outside in a beach chair, but still have cover from the blistering sun.
SPF CLOTHING-
Rash guards and SPF hats are a must for the beach, especially if your baby is too young for sunscreen. My kids are suddenly aware of fashion, and it’s sort of a cool factor to wear rash guards these days- I’m loving the fad.
FITTED SHEET-
A fitted sheet upside-down in the sand is a genius way to keep most of the sand away from a hungry baby (do you know babies like to eat sand? Why are babies so weird?). Simply flatten the sheet on the sand and in the corners place heavier items like a cooler or backpack to keep the sides up- it makes like a pseudo playpen and hopefully most of the sand can stay on the outside.
ZIP TOP SANDWICH BAG-
Did you know a phone screen can be used through a fairly thin zip top sandwich bag? I always drop my phone into the bag before heading to the beach. I buy the cheap grocery store brand bags and they work perfectly well to keep the water and sand off the phone.
WATER SHOES-
The sand can get really hot, so if your little one is walking, it’s a great idea to get some water shoes which can be slipped on and off easily. The other option is to run screaming across the hot sand while balancing three kids on your back.
BABY POWDER OR CORNSTARCH-
Sand gets in everything, and I mean everything, and sand stuck in sweaty little crevices on baby’s skin can be quite annoying. Sprinkle a little baby powder or cornstarch on the body whenever needed or at the end of the day, and the sand comes off much more easily.
SMALL INFANT SEAT OR BOUNCY CHAIR-
If you don’t own one already look for one at consignment. They are so nice to have as a truly sand free zone for the baby. Once the baby falls asleep you can slip him or her into it and go for a swim while a family member watches the baby. Because the seat is slightly elevated off the ground, when the wind blows or someone walks by sand is not thrown on the baby.
SAND TOYS-
I get a big ol’ mesh bag and fill it with toys from the dollar store. My husband loves making sandcastles with the kids, so we have a variety of buckets and shovels. I always buy them at the dollar store or grocery store when they’re having a sale on seasonal items because the toys invariably get lost or broken.
INFLATABLE BABY POOL-
We loved having an inflatable baby pool (and you’ll need a bucket to fill it) for wee ones who were too too little for the ocean. When my youngest daughter was 9 months we were at the beach all the time, we had a tiny baby pool for her to splash around in (we put like two bucketfuls of water in the pool), and it was great. When we were ready to leave we would deflate it and stick in in a plastic bag for the car ride.
SNACKS AND WATER-
Its really easy to become dehydrated while in the sun all day. Make sure you pack a cooler full of fluids and snacks. Remember when you’re packing snacks that you’re going to be eating at the beach, so make sure that there is a way to get the food out of the big container that doesn’t involve sandy little hands. We chopped up veggies and fruit in the morning and served it on paper plates. We also always had disposable hand wipes (the kind you get free from Chick-fil-A) stashed in our bag; you can wash your hands in the surf, but I’d bet that kid was on the blanket next to us just peed in it.
BIG WHEELED CART-
Lastly, you need a way to get all of this stuff down to the beach. I recommend a beach cart or a big wheeled wagon. My kids were given a radio flyer with sides and huge wheels and we would pack everything into the wagon and pop it into the back of my SUV. Invariably, at the end of the day, one of the kids will ride back to the house in the wagon and be sound asleep before we get there. If you don’t have a bigger vehicle or a wagon, consider investing in a decent beach cart which is collapsible, since multiple trips back to the car isn’t ideal with baby in tow.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]