Beach Trip Must Haves

A trip to the beach is always a summer time favorite for my family but with little ones it can be nearly impossible.  Here are my must- have beach items.  We spent the day at Emerald Isle this weekend and here are a few things either I was so grateful we’d brought or something I wish we had thought to bring.

Sunscreen: I can’t say it enough. Slather yourself in sunscreen.  Skin Cancer, while often easily treatable, is extremely scarring and can spread quickly.  Don’t take chances.

Beach Wagon: It’s nearly impossible to carry everything and still keep track of kids.  A wagon makes it so much easier to transport everything on and off the beach.

Beach Umbrella:  Pick one that goes up and down quickly.  Not all beaches allow shade umbrellas or tents so check the rules for the beach you are visiting.

Drink holders;   Having an ice cold Coca-Cola fall into the sand is terrible if you are a die hard Zero lover like I am.  Have something to set drinks on will avoid frustration of having sandy drinks.

Phone Solar Charger:  All that fun happening!  You will want to take photos- a dying cell phone is always frustrating so harness the power of the sun and use it to charge your phone.

Vacation Vault: I wish I had had this when we went this week.  I was so scared that my phone or wallet was going to be stolen.  We felt that someone always had to be at the “camp”.  This would be great to hook on the top of the tent – it would be difficult to steal this!

Beach Blanket: Gone are the days of lying down a sheet- use this nylon parachute sheet and don’t worry about putting a sea water soaked towel in your trunk!

Sunscreen: a MUST have. Having worked in a medical office that performed surgeries on skin cancer patients – I beg you to wear sunscreen. A golden tan isn’t too beautiful if your nose has to be removed due to skin cancer (or your ear…or your lip).

Travel First Aid Kit: Shells are sharp. Jelly fish sting. While the beach is a fun place- there are dangers.  You’ll be grateful for some bandaids and Neosporin if an injury does occur. I remember growing up that someone stepped on a rusty fishing hook!

Sand Toys; Throwing a bag of dirty, sandy toys in the car is horrible but getting the sand all over the car is awful to clean up later in the day.  Getting toys that have their own container that seals is a must-have!

A tote bag; One that lets the sand fall out and everything air dry quickly.

Beach Cooler: Bringing your own lunch and drinks is so much less expensive than buying lunch out!  Plus it means you get to keep your perfect beach spot!