BEACH MUST HAVES FOR INFANTS

Planning a beach vacation with a baby can be both an exciting and stressful thing. I scoured the internet, Pinterest, and blogs in search of tips for taking a baby to the beach and put them to the test. Here is a list of some helpful items to make your beach vacation with your wee little one enjoyable and relaxing! 🙂

So sit back, take a look, and think about how wonderful your vacation will be and all of the memories you will make with your family.

Beach Tent: This was by far the greatest investment we made for this trip. You won’t last long on the beach with a baby without shade. A tent is a PERFECT way to keep your little one enclosed, safe from the sun, and out of the sand. Our little one took plenty of naps in there while daddy and I soaked up the sun. It was wonderful! We bought a Coleman DayTripper Beach Shade. They are about $40 but so, so worth it! It was huge, had a line for drying swim suits and swim diapers, had a tarp to extend outside of the tent to avoid sand, and plenty of windows we could unzip to let in a breeze.
Sunscreen (and LOTS of it): My little one is fair skinned so we applied sunscreen about every hour. We brought with us BabyGanics Mineral-Based Sunscreen SPF 50 and my daughter didn’t get burnt once (Now, I, on the other hand am a different story) 😛 We also used BabyGanics Sunscreen Stick for her face which worked out great for us.
Sunglasses: If you’re going to wear sunglasses, why shouldn’t your baby? Their eyes are sensitive to the bright sunlight. We brought Baby BanZ: Adventure BanZ. They worked out fantastic for us. They wrap around their head with Velcro to hold it in place because what baby will wear sunglasses on their own (NOT my baby)
Little miss is rocking her Carter’s shades
Rash Guards: Baby skin is so soft and delicate. Rash guards will protect them from the sun and sand. I would suggest bringing at least 2 maybe 3 on a week trip.Carter’s sun hat, Carter’s rash guard, and BB Littles Swim Diaper
Swimsuits: This one is up to you. If you have rash guards, you really don’t need them but they do make for some cute photos! 🙂
Swim Diapers: I researched so much on disposable vs. reusable swim diapers and felt like reusable was what would work best for our family. I think it’s important to understand that neither disposable or reusable diapers are meant to hold in pee. If they were, your kid would be weighed down by the weight of the pool water their diaper was collecting. They are meant to only catch poo. Disposables are known for falling apart in the water, they’re expensive, you need A LOT of them, and they aren’t eco-friendly. Reusable swim diapers may cost more up front, but you will be saving more in the long run. We used BB Littles Swim Diapers. They are about $18/diaper and you really only need 2-3. They are made to grow with your kid with snaps for all sizes. They have side snaps which is truly fantastic for diaper changes. You only have to clean them if they had #2 and if so, you just spray it off in the tub and air dry. That’s it. Whichever you choose, just be prepared! 🙂
Sun Hat: Our little one didn’t go anywhere without her swim hat. Carter’s has a bunch of super adorable sun hats with a Velcro strap to keep your little one from pulling it off.
Beach Towels: We brought about 3 of these and that worked out well. Each day we would line dry the previous day’s towel(s)
Wet Bags: We brought a few mini wet bags from Thirsties and it was a GREAT IDEA! They were perfect for holding any wet swimsuits and diapers. No wet swimsuits in my diaper bag or our car! J Win-win!!
BABY POWDER: When I read this on multiple blogs, I thought they were crazy. We decided to pack some to see what the big deal was and I am SO glad we did!! It’s like magic! J You rub it on to sand-covered skin and all of the sand just falls off so easily (plus it leaves your skin feeling nice and soft- yes, my husband and I used it too 😉 )
Baby Food Pouches: There is nothing worse than having to try to feed your baby food from a jar with a spoon that inevitable will be covered in sand. It’s worth the extra few cents to just buy the food pouches instead for this trip. It will save you some stress later on. It’s vacation, you can splurge a little right?! 😉
Water Baby Carrier: A water carrier makes it way easier to take your little one in and out of the water. We brought our Beachfront Baby Carrier and it was great! We use a ring sling so it is super easy to slip on and keeps baby safe. Mom Hack: We also used this for showers while on vacation because there was no way I was lugging around her bath tub or going to set her in a hotel tub. Yuck.
Outdoor Blanket: These are AMAZING. They have them at Walmart by Mainstays for under $10. We laid ours out on the sand to let our little one explore and it was easy to keep the sand off of it. It’s water-repellant so no water will come through the bottom OR SAND. 😀 This was perfect for the beach!