Help me hack the beach
March 28, 2016 8:05 PM Subscribe
I plan to spend a good deal of time on the beach this summer with my two year old. What non-obvious things am I missing to make beach time fun?
We have a couple of camp chairs and a beach blanket, as well as a few sand toys. I walk from the parking lot with a toddler in tow, so massive things I have to haul aren't as helpful. Our beach generally has shade. What can I bring to make beach time as fun as possible?
We have a couple of camp chairs and a beach blanket, as well as a few sand toys. I walk from the parking lot with a toddler in tow, so massive things I have to haul aren't as helpful. Our beach generally has shade. What can I bring to make beach time as fun as possible?
Where is the beach? (wondering how cold the water is)
I like to leave a gallon of water, baby powder, and dry non sandy towel in the car. When we get back to the car the water is nice and warm from sitting in hot car. Get the kid naked and rinse 'em down. Dry off. Use baby powder to help get the real sticky sand off. (We have a long ride home so it's nice to be comfy in case nap happens!)
If water is really cold (our beach is often 62-64 in August) bring a tiny blow up pool. It warms up and you can drag it to shade if need be. Kid has fun filling it up and climbing in and you get to sit down for at least a few minutes.
Couple of buckets, good shovel (not the ones that come with the pail), turkey baster and a couple small pouring cups for sand/water play.
Those squeezey tubes they have for kids now with apple sauce and more are probably good for the beach, but we never used them.
posted by ReluctantViking at 8:20 PM on March 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
I like to leave a gallon of water, baby powder, and dry non sandy towel in the car. When we get back to the car the water is nice and warm from sitting in hot car. Get the kid naked and rinse 'em down. Dry off. Use baby powder to help get the real sticky sand off. (We have a long ride home so it's nice to be comfy in case nap happens!)
If water is really cold (our beach is often 62-64 in August) bring a tiny blow up pool. It warms up and you can drag it to shade if need be. Kid has fun filling it up and climbing in and you get to sit down for at least a few minutes.
Couple of buckets, good shovel (not the ones that come with the pail), turkey baster and a couple small pouring cups for sand/water play.
Those squeezey tubes they have for kids now with apple sauce and more are probably good for the beach, but we never used them.
posted by ReluctantViking at 8:20 PM on March 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
Inflatable beach balls are the *bomb*. The wind carries them unpredictably, and chasing them in the sand is fun for everyone!
posted by colin_l at 8:22 PM on March 28, 2016
posted by colin_l at 8:22 PM on March 28, 2016
Oh! Another thing: use a fitted sheet to make a sand free beach blanket.
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:24 PM on March 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:24 PM on March 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
A large wagon or a cooler with wheels is a lifesaver if it's a long walk from the car to the beach.
posted by primethyme at 9:19 PM on March 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by primethyme at 9:19 PM on March 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
Sunscreen, hat, maybe even sunglasses. If your toddler is fair-skinned, you really want to be super careful about excessive exposure to the sun - there just ain't nuthin' good about it. Try to go in the early morning or late afternoon instead of peak sun intensity hours.
posted by OCDan at 9:48 PM on March 28, 2016
posted by OCDan at 9:48 PM on March 28, 2016
To hack the beach, take less. Much, much less.
When the kiddo is tuckered out, you want to be able to pack and leave very quickly. The more you haul in, the more you need to pack to haul out. Those few minutes of packing up can be a killer with a hot, cranky child. Do your beach chairs have backpack straps so that you can carry them hands-free? You want those.
The best part about living where you can spend lots of time at the beach is leaving without guilt. When you go to the beach on vacation, you might feel obligated to stay all day. You live here, and you leave whenever you want. Annoying people sit next to you? Leave. Too hot, cold, sandy, cloudy, sunny? Leave. Toddler gets cranky? Leave.
posted by 26.2 at 11:53 PM on March 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
When the kiddo is tuckered out, you want to be able to pack and leave very quickly. The more you haul in, the more you need to pack to haul out. Those few minutes of packing up can be a killer with a hot, cranky child. Do your beach chairs have backpack straps so that you can carry them hands-free? You want those.
The best part about living where you can spend lots of time at the beach is leaving without guilt. When you go to the beach on vacation, you might feel obligated to stay all day. You live here, and you leave whenever you want. Annoying people sit next to you? Leave. Too hot, cold, sandy, cloudy, sunny? Leave. Toddler gets cranky? Leave.
posted by 26.2 at 11:53 PM on March 28, 2016 [6 favorites]
Depending on the beach:
kites
squishy balls you can toss around in shallow water
sturdy cups to build sand castles with
decent shovels and rakes (the ones they make for little gardener hands are perfect)
frisbee
pencils and paper for sketching
seconding the pullable wagon; you'll be glad you have it when you're leaving and your kid is cranky and you're trying to carry the bag AND your kid
goggles if they want to stick their face in the water
I never used those pop up tent shelters but people seem to love them
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:36 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
kites
squishy balls you can toss around in shallow water
sturdy cups to build sand castles with
decent shovels and rakes (the ones they make for little gardener hands are perfect)
frisbee
pencils and paper for sketching
seconding the pullable wagon; you'll be glad you have it when you're leaving and your kid is cranky and you're trying to carry the bag AND your kid
goggles if they want to stick their face in the water
I never used those pop up tent shelters but people seem to love them
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:36 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
Chill out. Let your child just meander on the sand.
Wear sunscreen, a hat and a rashie.
Don't take too much stuff. A towel each and a bottle of water. Don't take buckets and spades - they will be interesting for about 5 minutes, and then your child will discover what they can do with their hands in sand and that will be it for the plastic. Let them splash around in the shallows for as long as possible.
I grew up near a beach - I spent huge amounts of my childhood summers at the beach. The most I ever took was a towel and when I got older a boogie board.
posted by awfurby at 3:38 AM on March 29, 2016
Wear sunscreen, a hat and a rashie.
Don't take too much stuff. A towel each and a bottle of water. Don't take buckets and spades - they will be interesting for about 5 minutes, and then your child will discover what they can do with their hands in sand and that will be it for the plastic. Let them splash around in the shallows for as long as possible.
I grew up near a beach - I spent huge amounts of my childhood summers at the beach. The most I ever took was a towel and when I got older a boogie board.
posted by awfurby at 3:38 AM on March 29, 2016
Yeah, im in the less is more camp too. Water. Towels. Chair for you. Tennis ball. Maybe a magnifying glass to look at water and bugs and fish.... thats it.
posted by chasles at 4:21 AM on March 29, 2016
posted by chasles at 4:21 AM on March 29, 2016
I see people on the beach here with little tents for their kids. It protects them from the sun and gives them a place to take a nap. If you google "small beach tent" you'll find a bunch of them.
posted by mareli at 5:11 AM on March 29, 2016
posted by mareli at 5:11 AM on March 29, 2016
The best thing we have taken for the last 20+ years is a shower curtain (big family lots of kids). A cheap basic vinyl one that costs about $5. It becomes the kid's own private pool after digging a rectangle hole, lining it and filling it with water (bring a bucket for trips to the waves). They spent hours playing in it when they were toddlers (especially on days with rough surf). I don't have any pics of ours that I can link to, but here is one that is similar. This site has a small circle, we do a larger rectangle. Way better than dragging a blow up pool too. End of the day just let it drain, take it down to the waves to rinse and refold it.
They would spend hours jumping in and out, playing with little toys (a boat or two, a barbie, plastic cups, etc). This is also handy for washing up for snacks and going home. And if the surf is too cold for wave jumping, it doesn't take too long for the sun to heat up the water either.
Oh yeah, get ready for lots of comments from people telling you what an awesome idea it is!
posted by maxg94 at 6:54 AM on March 29, 2016 [8 favorites]
They would spend hours jumping in and out, playing with little toys (a boat or two, a barbie, plastic cups, etc). This is also handy for washing up for snacks and going home. And if the surf is too cold for wave jumping, it doesn't take too long for the sun to heat up the water either.
Oh yeah, get ready for lots of comments from people telling you what an awesome idea it is!
posted by maxg94 at 6:54 AM on March 29, 2016 [8 favorites]
I think her baby was smaller than yours at the time but my SIL brought something like this to the beach, and it was awesome. We filled it with water, baby sat and splashed in it under the umbrella while playing with sand and had so much fun.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:57 AM on March 29, 2016
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:57 AM on March 29, 2016
The Stearns Puddle Jumper took my kid from having a death grip on me in the water to dog paddling everywhere pretty much instantly. They're way, way nicer to use than lifejackets or arm floaties.
Peshtemal towels lighten a beach bag enormously, dry quickly, and make a tired/sad/cold kid feel better when snugly wrapped up in a bunch of them.
IKEA's big re-usable bags are great for the beach; they hold everything and they're so easy to carry and they don't add extra weight.
I have long ago given up on "food that won't get sandy." Bring a smallish cooler, pack lots of small portions of different things, dole it out as needed, no big loss if it ends up dropped in the sand as there're more little things to dole out. Fruit's good. I like to partially fill our water bottles (big ones!) and put them in the freezer so they stay cold.
Sunblock that comes in a stick like a giant lipbalm is for some reason usually stupid-overpriced but it's great for kids' faces; you can get every bit without them squawking about getting it in their eyes, and it doesn't budge. Try to make a rule about wearing hats, and back your play there by wearing one yourself -- I am a beach addict and at 41 have already had a bunch of precancerous lesions frozen off (sorry to nag!).
Lands' End makes a beach blanket from thick soft terrycloth that I love if we're there all day. Nice to cuddle and read on. For short visits, flat sheets are my blanket of choice -- light, easy to shake the sand off.
Do not get an inflatable that has a face and ends up getting a name. I had to do a crazy-fast swim through some of the less pleasant kinds of weeds once to rescue our beloved floating turtle. Last summer I came the closest I've ever come to drowning by stupidly going after another kid's floating-away floating friend -- I saw the tears and I saw my daughter nearly in tears just from empathy, and, damn, that thing really booked it down the river and I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't managed to catch up with it. If it floats and can float off, it should be disposable; no cute faces!
posted by kmennie at 10:16 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
Peshtemal towels lighten a beach bag enormously, dry quickly, and make a tired/sad/cold kid feel better when snugly wrapped up in a bunch of them.
IKEA's big re-usable bags are great for the beach; they hold everything and they're so easy to carry and they don't add extra weight.
I have long ago given up on "food that won't get sandy." Bring a smallish cooler, pack lots of small portions of different things, dole it out as needed, no big loss if it ends up dropped in the sand as there're more little things to dole out. Fruit's good. I like to partially fill our water bottles (big ones!) and put them in the freezer so they stay cold.
Sunblock that comes in a stick like a giant lipbalm is for some reason usually stupid-overpriced but it's great for kids' faces; you can get every bit without them squawking about getting it in their eyes, and it doesn't budge. Try to make a rule about wearing hats, and back your play there by wearing one yourself -- I am a beach addict and at 41 have already had a bunch of precancerous lesions frozen off (sorry to nag!).
Lands' End makes a beach blanket from thick soft terrycloth that I love if we're there all day. Nice to cuddle and read on. For short visits, flat sheets are my blanket of choice -- light, easy to shake the sand off.
Do not get an inflatable that has a face and ends up getting a name. I had to do a crazy-fast swim through some of the less pleasant kinds of weeds once to rescue our beloved floating turtle. Last summer I came the closest I've ever come to drowning by stupidly going after another kid's floating-away floating friend -- I saw the tears and I saw my daughter nearly in tears just from empathy, and, damn, that thing really booked it down the river and I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't managed to catch up with it. If it floats and can float off, it should be disposable; no cute faces!
posted by kmennie at 10:16 AM on March 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
As someone who grew up at the beach I really cannot overstate how much kids enjoy digging holes in the sand.
We had elaborate hole digging rituals, hole goals, I remember the best days that had the best holes out of hundreds of beach trips.
If you give your kid that shower curtain to make it possible for every single hole to achieve pool stage then you are going to be a hero in that kid's life forever.
posted by skrozidile at 11:32 AM on March 29, 2016
We had elaborate hole digging rituals, hole goals, I remember the best days that had the best holes out of hundreds of beach trips.
If you give your kid that shower curtain to make it possible for every single hole to achieve pool stage then you are going to be a hero in that kid's life forever.
posted by skrozidile at 11:32 AM on March 29, 2016
You know that some sunscreen burns the eyes right? The sticks and sprays are worth it. A long sleeve SPF rashguard is not a bad idea to start as a general habit then you can avoid putting all the sunscreen under the shirt.
This probably won't happen to you but my littlest one hates the sand, always has. The texture is not doing it for her and the stickiness to her skin makes her crazy and we end up running for the nearest shower so maybe be near a shower?
I agree with above on many small portions of food so sand contamination doesn't spread through the entire supply. Also a cooler with a cold milk/drink and fresh snack in the car for the tiredness and crankiness when leaving at the end of the day.
Also agree with some time of roller transportation for from the car to beach and an umbrella to provide some shade.
posted by RoadScholar at 1:12 PM on March 29, 2016
This probably won't happen to you but my littlest one hates the sand, always has. The texture is not doing it for her and the stickiness to her skin makes her crazy and we end up running for the nearest shower so maybe be near a shower?
I agree with above on many small portions of food so sand contamination doesn't spread through the entire supply. Also a cooler with a cold milk/drink and fresh snack in the car for the tiredness and crankiness when leaving at the end of the day.
Also agree with some time of roller transportation for from the car to beach and an umbrella to provide some shade.
posted by RoadScholar at 1:12 PM on March 29, 2016
This one took me a while to get comfortable with (for myself), BUT: the less fabric a bathing suit uses, the less sand it traps. Bikini beats one-piece every time.
(Of course, I had to balance that with increased umbrella/sunscreen use/re-application.)
posted by mon-ma-tron at 3:09 PM on March 29, 2016
(Of course, I had to balance that with increased umbrella/sunscreen use/re-application.)
posted by mon-ma-tron at 3:09 PM on March 29, 2016
Beach aficionado here. My more-subtle hacks:
Bring Q-Tips. Feels so good, gets sand out, prevents trapped water causing ear infection. Just QTip after each immersion.
A tiny travel bottle of conditioner and a hairbrush make me feel a lot better after a salt-water swim.
Bring a $5 or $10 with you in your bag and leave all other ID/wallet/money stuff in the car. Reduces stress about walking away from your bag.
Less is totally more, but if you need more, don't try to take the middle route and hump a bunch of heavy stuff and bags. Just get a big convenient wagon and make it simple. Either go light, or go heavy and get wheels, don't force yourself to drag like 4 bags draped across you.
It's great to go with just the kids if you must, but go with friends whenever you can, because you can spell each other and take turns getting a nap/watching kids swim/going for walks.
posted by Miko at 9:48 PM on March 29, 2016
Bring Q-Tips. Feels so good, gets sand out, prevents trapped water causing ear infection. Just QTip after each immersion.
A tiny travel bottle of conditioner and a hairbrush make me feel a lot better after a salt-water swim.
Bring a $5 or $10 with you in your bag and leave all other ID/wallet/money stuff in the car. Reduces stress about walking away from your bag.
Less is totally more, but if you need more, don't try to take the middle route and hump a bunch of heavy stuff and bags. Just get a big convenient wagon and make it simple. Either go light, or go heavy and get wheels, don't force yourself to drag like 4 bags draped across you.
It's great to go with just the kids if you must, but go with friends whenever you can, because you can spell each other and take turns getting a nap/watching kids swim/going for walks.
posted by Miko at 9:48 PM on March 29, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mrfuga0 at 8:12 PM on March 28, 2016