Tips for Conquering the Beach with Your Toddler

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My husband and I are well known among our friends and family as the beach bums of the group. Having a baby didn’t change that title, okay maybe a little bit, but we are still very determined to enjoy our favorite place.

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We already had our now 16 month old little girl last summer, but when we went to the beach she was so young, she would just sleep and not really know the difference. This summer is a whole new ballgame so I wanted to share with my fellow beach lovers some tips we’ve learned when taking a toddler to the beach!

Don’t dress your child until you get to the beach!

We leave at morning nap time so our daughter gets in a snoozer before we arrive. It works out great. As soon as we get there, I lay out our largest towel and fold it in half so I can get the baby lathered up in sunscreen before we put her bathing suit on. It keeps me from missing any spots. After that, it’s swim diaper, swim suit and hat time.

Swimsuit and Hat- Conquering the Beach with a Toddler- Corpus Christi Moms Blog

In the mean time, dad is getting stuff out of the truck and setting up!

We have designated an old tool bag as the beach bag for all the toys. I have some random cheap bath toys, waters ball, shovels, pails, cups, and anything else that is safe to be washed off and that we don’t care all that much about! (Fun fact: Dollar Tree has great beach toys!)

Towels and Toys- Conquering the Beach with a Toddler- Corpus Christi Moms Blog

You definitely are going to need shade!

We have an umbrella like tent but there are shades anywhere you look around this time of the year, I try and keep our girl in the shade as much as possible, if we are not in the water we are in the shade!

One of the best investments I have made was to get a small Adirondack chair from Wal Mart. They are only $4.95 and kids are obsessed with them! I love ours because she can easily play in the sand and doesn’t try to get in my lap the whole time. Mom and Dad also need chairs. We have ones with a side tray. It’s so nice for feeding lunch and keeping drinks handy.

Beach Fun with Dad- Conquering the Beach with a Toddler- Corpus Christi Moms Blog

Take your lunch!

Little ones get so hungry playing so much in the sun and water! Peanut butter and jelly along with a squeeze pouch have been so perfect and are easy clean up. Of course, a cooler full of drinks and snacks is a necessity at the beach! I also tote along two large jugs of water to dump on our feet and all over her body when we are ready to get into the car to leave.

My biggest piece of advice is to enjoy. Sit back (with a beer if you so choose) and let your littles explore and find all kinds of new things out about the world around them.

 It is so much fun to watch their brains work as they are learning so much!

Toddlers in the Sand- Conquering the Beach with a Toddler- Corpus Christi Moms Blog

What tips would you add for enjoying a beach day with a toddler?