Top 5 Tips for Beach Trips with Toddlers!
Every summer, my in-laws host a trip to a little Panhandle beach town called Mexico Beach. Since I started coming with my husband, Mexico Beach has quickly become one of my favorite places to visit. Nicknamed “The Forgotten Coast,” the town has fought to hold onto its small-town charm and quiet beaches. When my daughter was old enough to start coming to the beach, we were excited to share this special place with her. Toddlers can be unpredictable, even during their normal every-day routine. With this being our second trip to Mexico Beach with our daughter, we were a little bit more prepared to enjoy the beach!
1. Prep, Prep, Prep
In all new situations, positive and negative, my toddler reacts so much better if she knows what to expect. Leading up to the trip, we watched videos, read books, and played “pretend” beach a lot so that when the big trip came, she would be ready. Some of our favorite prep materials were Ms. Rachel Visits the Beach, Baby Loves Summer by Karen Katz, and pretending to go fishing with this toy fishing set.
2. Strategize Sun Protection
The is is a very serious concern when spending time at the beach. I tried the viral hack using a makeup brush and a dab of sunscreen to evenly apply it to your baby’s face, neck, and ears. This worked so well – we no sun burns the entire week! I have used both Think Baby and Blue Lizard sunscreen for my daughter, and loved them both. Make sure you also bring some type of shade covering to protect. This one is very easy to put up and take down. Lastly, this hooded towel is absolutely adorable, and provides some shade and comfort for little ones as they head back from a long day of playing at the beach. My daughter has the Bluey version, but there are lots of different characters to choose from!
3. Toting Toys
All those fun, colorful beach toys take up lots of space, leaving very little room for other essentials. Grab an expensive, extra-large tote bag that you can just throw everything in at the end of the day – sand and all. I also loved these zipper pouches that I used for sunscreen, snacks, wet bathing suits and swim diapers. This Beach Wagon is a splurge, but if going to the beach regularly is your thing, it is absolutely worth the investment. We got this wagon right after we got married, and we still use it all the time. It fits our chairs, towels, pop up tent, toys, and other good junk, and glides on the sand with ease. As for toys, this Melissa & Doug Sand Baking Set is one of our faves – and it’s on sale!
4. Snacks on Snacks
We learned pretty quickly that our daughter’s burnout rate for the beach was high. She would run at full speed through the waves and on the sand, and then would be crying and ready to go back up to the house in fifteen minutes. We figured out that the key to her lasting a little bit longer was snacks! She was burning so much energy that she needed to take frequent breaks to eat and recharge. I love this snack cup for all things travel. Bring a good insulated water bottle too to keep your baby’s water cold and make sure they stay hydrated. This one is on sale!
5. Keep Your Expectations in Check
Remember that any change is your toddler’s routine – even if it’s meant to be fun – is hard for them. This can be feel so disappointing to us adults, when we’ve been looking forward to enjoying something with our kiddo, and they don’t dig it. Manage your expectations and know that meltdowns will happen. The first day at the beach was rough for us, but once we figured out what our daughter needed (and let go of our own expectations) we were able to just enjoy her and have fun! I know every year she’ll enjoy it more and more.
Those are all of my beach tips I learned from our trip! Are there any that I’m missing? Where are you traveling with your toddlers this summer? Let me know in the comments! Happy Trails!
This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase items using my links, I will earn a small commission. Thank you!
