Going to the beach has always been one of our favorite ways to spend family time. Since moving to Florida, we now have even more opportunities for beach dwelling. We love it. We can spend time playing with the kids and watching the kids while we sit and talk. A win/win for all!
However, packing up a family of eight to go anywhere for the day takes a bit of planning. We don’t exactly travel light! The more we go, the more we learn and the easier it all becomes. Then we can spend more time at the beach enjoying our day instead of just getting ready.
Here are some Beach Necessities for our Family
1. Beach Mat – This is the newest addition to our beach gear, it works great. We put it under the tent and the kids can sit and eat lunch or just take a break from the sun. It cleans off easily and folds up nice and neat.
2. Beach Tent or Umbrella – We like using a tent rather than an umbrella. We can take our tent to sporting events and we have seen many umbrellas flip inside out due to the wind at the beach. Not fun.
3. Beach Chairs – Even though our beach tent is awesome, and a good size, we still can’t really all fit under it. Plus these can easily be taken to other outdoor activities as well.
4. Beach Wagon – Awesome for carrying all the chairs, the tent as well as beach toys. Like some of the other items we use this anytime we need to carry items a distance. I have also seen people using these carts for their beach gear.
5. Rash Guard/Sun Shirts – These are a must have at the beach. The sun is hot. No matter how much sunscreen you put on, nothing beats being covered up. Great for when they are swimming and the sunscreen doesn’t stay on anyway.
6. Hats – I’m always encouraging my kids to wear hats. It’s a little challenging at the beach because they are in and out of the water. I know I should be wearing at hat too, but I really dislike the way I look in hats. I searched all over for one and I still don’t love it. Plus, it didn’t want to stay on at the windy beach, so back to the drawing board.
7. Beach Nets or Sand Sifters – These are great for finding shells or shark teeth!
8. Packed Lunch and Snacks – Often at picnics it’s easier for us to do family style eating, but not so at the beach. I’ve found it’s better to pack items individually. If you want to eat your chips with sandy hands, go for it! I’ll clean mine off first, thanks.
9. Napkins – Cloth is great because they won’t blow away! It’s usually a bit windy near the water.
10. Paper Towel/Wet Wipes – My kids are always touching things at the beach, seaweed, sea creatures etc.
11. Trash Bag – Helpful to keep trash from blowing around the beach as well as filling up your cooler with junk.
12. Dry Clothes – we always start the day in our bathing suits. The kids get up and put their suites on and we head to the beach ready to hit the beach. The night before each child puts a clean outfit into a bag to change into when we are ready to head home. It’s so much nicer to drive home in dry clothes, even if you are still covered with sand! Plus, we will often stop for ice cream and it’s just better to be dressed.
Making Family Memories at the Beach
Living within 1-2 hours of many beautiful beaches was one of our reasons for moving to Florida. We get the opportunity to be out in the fresh air, getting exercise, and the kids are happily playing together. {Sand play is also a great sensory activity!} Most of all we are doing something together. Building memories that will carry through to adulthood.
What do you do to build family memories?
Great suggestions!! I can remember being a kid and putting my flip flops and towel in a sack and throwing it on my handlebars and biking to the beach. Did I have the life, or what? I really miss that!!!
I’m sad we only get to give our kids those beach memories once or twice a year!!
And — you look cute in that hat!
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Mary, that’s awesome! I wish we could do that, for now we will have to settle for a car ride. Thanks for saying that. I never like pictures of myself.
I LOVE my beach cart. I can fit two chairs, our blanket, cooler, huge bag of stuff, balls, and lay the skim boards and boogie boards across the top. Now that Grace is old enough and strong enough, she is my cart handler. It can be a bit tricky. I don’t know how the wagon rolls in the sand, but you have to tip the cart onto the two larger wheels for it to roll well in the sand.
The wagon is okay in the sand. Depends on which beach we go to!! Since it serves double duty for other events it works for now. I can definitely see the benefits of the beach cart 🙂
Going to the beach CAN be a chore, can’t it??!! We had a different beach cart than your wagon. We finally got rid of ours, it was showing age. I definitely like your beach wagon!! Enjoy all your beach trips.
We are (or at least want to be) weekly beach goers- especially when my kiddos were younger, we rarely missed a week during the summer. The wagon is the best! My son makes an art of packing it to and from the beach. And an awning is so important will little kids. We don’t bring one anymore, but my kids used to even nap under ours (we spend ALL day at the beach ;)). Another thing I used to bring is a little plastic critter catcher. We used it to very temporarily hold various creatures in while we admired them- then return them to where we found them. Another good tip- bad weather can be a great time to go the beach as well! We have the most fun when we have to bundle up for beach time- although you may not get the same cold weather days in Florida.
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Great List!
Being a Florida Native and spending most of my childhood at the beach, this is a great list you suggest.
Our family loves going to the beach. Of course, it’s a bit more of a chore now compared to my single days of just throwing a suit on and heading out the door. 🙂
I absolutely LOVE the suggestion of bringing a trash bag. It is so sad when you see others leaving their trash because they don’t know what to do with it or refuse to bring it to any public trash cans. Thanks for adding that in.
I am always sure to bring lots to drink, mainly water. The salt water can sure take it out of you. Kids drink loads of salt water.
This is a great list!
Being a Florida Native and practically growing up at the beach, your list is wonderful.
I especially LOVE the suggestion bringing a trash bag. It’s very sad to see others leave their trash on the beach because they don’t know what to do with it or refuse to put it in the public trash cans.
I am always sure to bring lots to drink, mainly water. The salt water can sure take it out of you. It’s inevitable that the kids will drink the salt water. 🙂
Thanks for a great list
Thank you Brandy! Yes, it is amazing how much water we can go through in just a morning at the beach!