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Are you planning a trip to the beach with your baby or toddler this summer? Our family lives in central North Carolina, which means that we can access our beautiful North Carolina beaches in just a few hours. Ellie has been to the beach several times in her 2 1/2 years, and these are the must-have beach items for babies and toddlers that we suggest.
Shibumi Shade
Beach sun is hot and causes burns quickly. If you are heading for a day at the beach, you are going to need relief from this for your baby or toddler.
Walk on any North Carolina beach, and you will find miles of Shibumi Shades, and for good reason. These shade tents are light weight, easy to set up, and easy to move. They only weigh four pounds and take about three minutes to set up.
The best part about the Shibumi Shade is that it works with the wind instead of struggling against it. Anyone who has ever chased a tent down a beach knows what a plus that is (and also how dangerous tumbling tents can be)! In addition, these tents are made from recycled plastic, so the company is working to help the environment.
The Shibumi Shade is one of the pricier canopies on the market, but the fact that fewer and fewer people are bringing any other type of tent to the beach speaks for itself.
Sand Cloud Blanket
This is another pricey purchase that is totally worth the hype. We LOVE our Sand Cloud blanket. When we go to the beach, we typically rent a place right on the water so that we can go back and forth all day. There are times when we just want to pop out for 30 minutes and then head back inside, and we don’t want to lug lounge chairs out to the beach just for this. The Sand Cloud blanket is perfect for a quick beach outing. I can spread it out for Ellie to sit on while she plays in the sand, and when we’re done, a quick shake gets all of the sand off.
Sand Cloud blankets and towels are sand resistant and take up a lot less room in a beach bag than a regular towel. They also donate 10% of their profits to saving marine life.
Thinkbaby Sunscreen
There are lots of baby sunscreens on the market, but Thinkbaby consistently shows up on lists of best baby sunscreens. We have been using this since Ellie was six months old and have been very happy with it. I originally chose Thinkbaby after researching sunscreens because it uses zinc oxide and is free of oxybenzone, parabens, and phthalates. It is SPF 50+ and spreads on much more easily than most zinc oxide sunscreens. It lasts about 80 minutes before needing the next application.
Side note: Babies under six months old should only use a minimal amount of sunscreen, and that is only when they can’t be kept out of the sun. For the most part, they should be dressed in protective clothing and kept away from direct sun according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Long-Sleeved Bathing Suit
The best way to keep that baby skin from burning is to cover it with material that has a built-in UPF of 50+. It originally seemed counterintuitive to put long sleeves on a baby when it is 90 degrees outside, but when the sleeves get wet, they actually keep the baby nice and cool.
My absolute favorite brand of bathing suits is Ruffle Butts. (They also have a boys’ line called Rugged Butts.) The girls’ styles are so cute with their signature ruffles on the butt! They also have a built-in UPF of 50+, many of them have snaps at the bottom for a quick diaper change, and many have zippers at the neck so that you don’t almost pull your baby’s head off trying to remove his/her swimsuit.
Sun Hat
I’ll be honest, I’ve never been very successful at keeping a sun hat on Ellie. The second I put it on, she pulls it right off. (I have the same problem with hair ties.) However, I do recognize the importance of protecting her head from burning, especially with her fine hair, so I continually try. Hopefully, your baby/toddler is not quite as adverse to head coverings as she is.
There are tons of sun hats on the market. I, once again, got ours from Ruffle Butts because I love that brand. Ruffle Butts sun hats have UPF 50+ protection, a wide brim, a securing toggle, and tie straps for under the chin.
Baby Tent with Pool
If you have a baby who can sit but not walk, a baby tent with pool can keep him/her in the shade and in the water at the same time. (Obviously, watch your child anytime he or she is in water.) Without water, this can function as a shade tent for a nap during a full day at the beach, and it could also be used outside of the beach as a shade tent in your yard for summer.
There are lots of good baby shade tents with pools on the market. Nearly all of them have good reviews with the major complaint being folding them back up for storage. Make sure that you look for one with a UPF of 50+, like this one from Monobeach.
Swim Diaper
If your toddler isn’t potty trained yet, you are going to need some sort of swim diaper. We have used both disposable and reusable swim diapers. Your preference will probably be much like your preference for disposable or cloth diapers. Gross fact — both of them work by letting pee through and catching poop (yuck!). We found this out the hard way when we put a swim diaper on Ellie before driving to the pool one day; her car seat was soaked when we got there! I should have realized that the whole point of a swim diaper is that it won’t expand the way a regular diaper does, so of course that’s how it works. You can find disposable swim diapers and an array of reusable swim diapers on Amazon.
Sand Toys
My two older boys never had any interest in the sand, so I was surprised to find that Ellie could happily play in the sand for nearly an hour! We bought her this really cute Melissa and Doug sand bucket with measuring cups, a spoon, a whisk, and a sifter. These tools are so great for her fine motor development, and scooping/spoon use is something that we are currently working on in OT. This set is not great for sandcastle building, so if your toddler has reached that stage, you’ll probably want something more like this Toy Life set.
Beach Bag
If you are taking your family to the beach, you’ll need something big enough to hold towels, water bottles, sunscreen, etc. Bogg Bags are all the rage right now because they are durable, waterproof, and huge! The original size is best for the beach, and it also comes with two clear insert bags.
Beach Wagon
So how do you haul all of this stuff? A beach wagon! The Sekey Collapsible Cart with Brake is a fan favorite due to its roominess and large wheels. This one also has two cup holders and a one-year warranty. (Side Note: This is not the type of wagon that carries children.)
What other must-have beach items for babies and toddlers would you include in this list?
