Looking for some unsolicited advice on traveling to the beach with your kids? Here are my 4 tips plus a plug for visiting Chesapeake Beach, Maryland.
Unfortunately, we are not one of those clans that take annual family vacations. There are either budget restrictions, time restrictions or sanity restrictions keeping use from taking a week long trip with the whole brood. Every year we plan on a vacation but it never actually happens. So what have we done the past two years to curb the urge of an actual family vacation? Take a road trip to a nearby beach, that’s what!
Last year we drove to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware and had a blast! This year we decided to stay more local and hit up Chesapeake Beach. Located in Calvert County, Maryland and only about an hour drive away from home, Chesapeake Beach holds several quiet secluded beaches along the quaint, historic little town. There’s a marina, a water park and tons of waterfront restaurants right in the heart of town. It was super cute actually. Since it was our second go-around at a beach day with kids, I I thought I’d share a few tips that have worked for us!
Rashguards Are Awesome!
Rashguards are awesome, if not only for the fact that they save you so much worry when it comes to re-applying sunscreen. While both my kids wore short-sleeve rashguards on our day at the beach, I’m considering grabbing long-sleeve versions for next year. They are major time savers, too!
Apply Sunscreen Before Hitting the Beach
Have you tried applying sunscreen to a wiggly child at the beach? Sand everywhere! By applying sunscreen before stepping foot on the beach, you are saving your sanity and you are ensuring major coverage and protection.
Leave the Toys at Home.
Seriously tho, the beach environment is the entertainment so leave the extra toys at home. We simply came equipped with a few sand buckets and shovels and we were all set. Both kids were entertained for hours – shoveling sand, collecting shells and using their imagination!
Pack the Non-Obvious Essentials
You’re going to the beach with kids so there are essentials that you must pack that most people don’t consider. There are the obvious must-haves: sunscreen and towels, but with kids there are other less obvious essentials. For example, water diapers, a plastic bag to hold the used water diapers in, functional sippy cups/water bottles, water shoes and a beach hat.
Water diapers are life savers, my friends! No leaks or accidents and everything was held in tightly and makes changing super easy. As far sippy cups and water bottles go, we opted for ones that had the straw secured in so that sand didn’t sneak in which is perfect for sandy little hands. We love this one for Theo and this was a great option for Remy. I’m also a big fan of water shoes for kids and toddlers. They are great to protect from hot sand and sharp sea shells, and they protect little feet from the sun. Lastly, hats that actually stay on are essential from keeping the sun out of eyes and protecting the scalp.
