Beach days with the family are the best days. What could be better? Well, these beach hacks designed especially for families actually can make your beach days even better and make your life as a parent easier. Interested? Check out these awesome ideas that you’ve probably never thought of, but that you should definitely consider. We’ve broken them down into age groups, so we’ve got everyone in your family covered.
Ready? Prepared to be mind blown.
Beach Hacks for Babies and Toddlers
Use a mesh laundry bag to carry beach toys. Let’s face it, when you have kids you usually bring more stuff than you need to the beach. Make your life a little easier by stashing all of the sand toys in a mesh bag. That way, toys stay in and sands falls out. You can even hose them all off right in the bag if need be. Brilliant!
Bring a sled. A sled? To the beach? Well, yes. A small plastic sled can actually help you to haul all of your beach gear a little more easily. Just load it up and slide it to your spot in the sand. It can also serve as a cozy spot to keep baby sand-free and comfortable. Line it with towels or their favorite blankets, and it could even be cozy enough for a nap. Or fill it up with water and use it as a water table for toddlers to play in while at the beach. That way you won’t stress about them being too close to the waves.
Make your own kiddie pool. You could actually bring a small inflatable kiddie pool to put water and toys in and keep your littlest ones happy at the beach. You could also purchase a cheap shower curtain or liner at any dollar store, dig a small hole and lay out the liner to create your own kiddie pool and play area. The kids will be entertained for hours and near enough for you to sit back, relax and enjoy the beach. No need to worry about keeping them safe from the ocean tides and waves; no chasing them closer to the shoreline. Well worth it!
Beach Hacks for Kids
Dress them like surfers. Trying to slather sunscreen on kids is like nailing jello to a tree. Forego that aggravation by simply dressing your kid in surfer attire. You know, long board shorts, rash-guard-like shirts, and hats or visors that cut down on your child’s sun exposure while keeping them cool and comfortable. And that leaves you with less areas where sunscreen needs to be applied and much more sanity.
Bring balloons. If your child gets water in their ears (and they always do), have a balloon handy. Let your child gently blow into a deflated balloon three or four times, which will in turn force the water out. No more whining and complaining about water in the ears!
Freeze water balloons. Speaking of balloons, freeze some water balloons to use as ice packs in your cooler. Then when they defrost, have a family water balloon toss or water balloon fight. The kids will love it! Just make sure to pick up all of the balloon pieces from the beach before you leave.
Make sponge leis. String together a few brightly colored sponge pieces on a string to make quick and easy beach leis. Kids can wear them for fun and keep cool by rewetting them throughout the day.
Beach Hacks for Tweens and Teens
Bring baggies. Unless each of your older kids has their own waterproof case for their phones, it’s best to have small plastic baggies on hand to keep the sand and water off of those costly devices. Plastic baggies allow you to still use the touchscreen while keeping phones free from sand and surf. You know they’ll be using them while on the beach!
Keep cash safe. If you’re kids are bringing some spending money to the beach, encourage them to keep it in a safe and not-so-obvious container. Consider rolling up cash and putting it into an empty chapstick container or empty and clean sunscreen bottle. Just make sure they don’t forget it’s in there or throw it away accidentally.
Bring an empty pill container. Use it to store hair ties, jewelry or any other small paraphernalia so they don’t get lost in the mix of their beach bag.
Lay flip flops upside down. Keep feet cool by flipping the flops with the bottoms up so that they are not scorching hot every time they’re put on. Simple but effective!
Natural beach highlights. If your tweens and teens are bugging you about highlighting their hair, let them make their own beach hair spritz that will naturally highlight their hair while in the sun. Squeeze lemon juice in a spray bottle or let them strategically streak their strands and let the natural highlighting begin. Easy and inexpensive!
DIY Beach Waves. Giving hair beachy waves is pretty easy to do. Take a spray bottle and fill halfway with water, then add a teaspoon or two (depending on the size of your bottle) of sea salt and hair gel. Voilà! Spray on dry or damp hair for easy, breezy beach waves and texture.
Propose a reading challenge. Beach days are the perfect time to get in some reading. Your tweens and teens might need a little extra incentive to spend some time reading while basking in the sun, sand and surf. Create a family reading challenge where each member of the family chooses at least one good book to read during your time at the beach. If everyone in the family meets their goal, celebrate with a special family outing or activity.
Beach Hacks for Parents and Grandparents
Give your steering wheel a 180. If you’re driving to the beach and your car is parked in the hot sun, don’t forget to turn the steering wheel 180 degrees. That way when you’re ready to drive, you won’t burn your hands on the wheel. (We’ve all done it!)
Keep a jug or two of water in the car. You know how it is, you get to the car and realize there’s still sand on everyone in some form or another. Keep a few jugs of water on hand for last minute rinsing to prevent your car from becoming your own private beach.
Leave extra towels in the car. Towels that come to the beach with you ultimately end up sandy, wet or both. It’s always nice to have a few clean towels on hand for last minute clean up and drying off. Leave a few extra towels in the car and you’ll always have what you need. And you will need them….
Chill your sunscreen. Everyone gets a little hot and cranky sometimes. Chill out by keeping your sunscreen in the cooler. It’s an instant pick me up, provides cooling relief and is extra incentive to reapply. It feels oh so good!
Hide your valuables. We’ve all heard about the diaper trick to hide your valuables. But how many people actually do that? Not sure. We like keeping an empty, clean lotion or shampoo bottle that’s wide enough to drop your keys, a credit card and cash into for safe keeping. Not only does it keep your valuables out of sight, it keeps them sand-free as well.
Cool Slushies for Kids & Adults. You can freeze some Capri Sun pouches and let them defrost a bit before serving them up to the kids as refreshing slushies. Make your own Adults-Only Slushies by mixing up your favorite fruit juice and rum (or whatever your favorite adult beverage is), freezing individual servings in a plastic baggie, then defrosting a bit before sipping with a straw or scooping it with a spoon. Go ahead and indulge, you deserve it after a day at the beach with the family. Cheers!
Do you have any family beach hacks that you use while at the beach with the kids? We’d love to hear them. Our comment section is open 24/7.
