Bringing Baby to the Beach

Update: We just posted another great tip sheet - Five Tips for Fabulous Beach Pictures!  Be sure to check it out here!

Our annual trip to Myrtle Beach is still almost two months away, but I visit very regularly in my day dreams. On our first trip with the babies, I felt like there was little advice out there for new moms taking babies to the beach and thought I'd share some things that worked for us!  Check our our top ten list of tips for taking babies to the beach!  Hopefully we made it in time for your summer vacation. :-)

1 - Consider an "Off Season" Vacation  This September will mark our third year of visiting Myrtle Beach during a time when most families have packed up and headed home.  For us, this offers weather that is much more mild (typically low 80s) and fewer beach neighbors crowding your style.  An added benefit is that prices typically dive after Labor Day, allowing us to score a much larger place in a prime location that would be out of our budget in other summer months.

2 - Stay Close to the Water Save yourself the grief and stay "oceanfront" if at all possible.  Babies are so unpredictable and frequent trips back to your home away from home are unavoidable.  We loved being able to see our beach spot from the balcony, and run up (for the millionth time) for the items we inevitably forgot on the first trip down.

3 - Find your Shade  For our first trip with the babies we brought along a dark colored EZup (generic version) which provided excellent shade.  It was large enough for our four adults and two babies and was easy to set up with two people.  I really recommend buying extra long stakes for the sand - in the range of 10-12 inches.  An alternative would be a small "personal tent" for baby but be cautious to make sure your aware of potential risks and recalls for popular brands of such tents.

4 - A Comfy Spot for Baby We brought along a "Neat Sheet" to cover the sand where the babies would relax, and staked it with the stakes that originally came with the EZup.  For anyone who doesn't know, a "Neat Sheet "is also known as a "ground cover" and is basically a tarp with a cloth backing.  They're pretty waterproof, washable and comfortable for lounging around.  We pulled the corners tight for the stakes so they wouldn't bunch, and it provided a great sand-free surface for the babies to play on.

We also had the luxury of owning the Big Kahuna Beach Chairs by Rio that lay all the way flat.  These created mini cots on which our babies napped daily.  I guess the sound of the real ocean was just as soothing as the ocean sounds in their Sleep Sheep!

5 - Bring Everything You Need for the Afternoon  Click Here to see our Beach Baby Checklist of all the things you'll want to have in your Beach Bag!

6 - Use a Spray Bottle for Sandy Binkies Our twins adore their pacifiers - especially while napping oceanfront.  But those binkies (without exception) found their way into a sandy pile and mixed with moisture cling to the plastic.  GROSS!  Our solution was a simple spray bottle of water.  Just a few squirts and all the sand blew away.  Make sure you get one with a little power (even the ones in the travel section of target or walmart will do) and they'll work magic on those sand covered binks!

7 - Corn Starch Keeps you Sand Free Bring along a sprinkle of corn starch (baby powder works also) to keep feet and hands sand free.  By absorbing the skin's moisture, sand will slide right off keeping everybody clean and happy.

8 - Don't forget the Sun Screen While I am not a sunscreen expert, I do make absolutely sure my kids are covered from top to bottom for any exposed skin.  Our regular pick is Coppertone Kids Spray because I feel like it gives us quick, even coverage without having to hold kids down to rub it in.  If you need more information on the importance of Sun Protection, download Coppertone's printable guide here.  And for Moms concerned about chemicals, Safemama offers a great guide there as well!  Remember that just one severe burn increases your little one's risk of cancer later in life - so sunscreen is mission critical!

9 - Bring Extra Diapers Maybe one of my girl friends should have told me - but I was SHOCKED to realize that Swim Diapers were for "poop only."  For a day of lounging beach side, babies are more comfortable in regular diapers.  Otherwise, you'll be surprised when that baby who has yet to touch water for the day leaves a wet imprint on your cover up!  Trust me when I say, save the swim diapers for the pool.

10 - Get in front of the Camera After reading Allison Tate's article last year about the importance of mom's capturing the fun they have with their kids, I was inspired to hand my hubby the camera and let him shoot away as I played with my babies in the surf.  Now I'm not a swimsuit model of any kind, but I never regret having the images to remember how much fun we all had together.  I look back at my own expressions of joy, watching my sweet babies explore one of my favorite places - where the water meets the land.

Looking for another great post about the beach?  Check out our Five Tips for Fabulous Beach Pictures!