Beach Bag Checklist

There is nothing worse than all the work it takes to get on the beach with kids and then realizing you forgot something vitally important.  I put together this handy little checklist of everything I bring to make beach time less stressful and more fun and relaxing.

1.     SUNSCREEN-My son is a fair skinned, blue eyed, red head so it’s extra important.  I usually bring the regular rub on kind but I also pack the spray on kind for two purposes.  First, so I can spray on areas that are difficult to rub lotion onto such as the hairline where there’s hair but where he can still get sunburned.  Second, if he’s being difficult it’s easier to spray while he plays than make him stop and rub it on.

2.     A couple of plastic bags.  Plastic bags are great for putting wet bathing suits into so they don’t get everything else wet.  I also have one in case anything disgusting needs to be put away.  You’d be surprised how often that has happened as a mother.

3.     Wet wipes.  For if the ice cream man comes and for any million of other ways my son could get sticky.  Sand and stickiness do NOT mix well.

4.     A bunch of dollar bills.  Sometimes there’s a vending machine and sometimes the ice cream man comes.  I hate turning down the ice cream man.

5.     Hat.  A hat is good to protect heads from midday sun.  There is no possible way to protect a child’s head from the sun on the beach all day without a hat.  I know there are hats with SPF but my son’s baseball cap seems to work well.

6.       A long sleeved shirt or sweat shirt for if there’s a chill.

7.     A change of clothes.  To change after the beach so there’s no ride home with sand in our pants.

8.     A fresh towel.  I usually wrap this in the plastic bags mentioned above so they’re not sandy.  I only bring a fresh towel if I’m planning to shower at the beach.  There’s nothing worse than taking a shower and having to dry with a sandy towel you’ve had on the beach all day.

9.     A small first aid kit.  I know the lifeguard has one but I bring mine just to have band aids and stuff like that for small cuts.  If anything major happened I’d call for help.

10. Books.  My son brings his own bag of toys but I like him to have a book if he needs to chill out under our umbrella.  This works well if a child is tired, needs a break from the sun, or is not getting along with his friends.

11.   Deodorant.  I hate being smelly.

12. Comb and detangler.  My hair gets so tangled at the beach and this makes it easier to comb through so I don’t look like a total mess.

13.   Lip gloss.  No reason to be totally barefaced on the beach.

14.   Magazines.  For meJ

15. Dry snacks.  The rest of the food such as sandwiches, drinks, watermelon, etc. are kept in the cooler.

What are your must-haves for the beach?

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