Tips for Beach Days with a Baby
Have you ever found yourself stressed trying to plan and execute a beach day with a baby? Have you ever felt lost at what you will need for a day in the sun with a new baby? When my daughter was born, I took her to the beach for the first time just ten days after birth. As a May baby, she went to the beach multiple times as a newborn.
As a mom, the packing list feels so long for any outing. My motto has always been “better safe than sorry”. You never know what your baby might need while out and about and it is better to be prepared for anything. So you can imagine how daunting it might feel to try and pack for a beach trip with a baby.
People are often surprised when I tell them I took my daughter to the beach at 10 days old but I loved every minute of it! Taking a newborn to the beach really wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. You don’t have to put off fun beach time until your child gets older. You can take them at any age! Here are some of the best tips and tricks I have learned to help make your beach day with a baby smooth sailing:
Limit Sun Exposure
Limiting sun exposure for a baby is so important. You don’t want to risk sunburn or overheating. So you want to make sure you have some shade from the sun at the beach such as a tent or umbrella.
Be Proactive While in the Sun
The biggest thing I make sure not to forget when taking a child (especially a baby) to the beach is a sun hat. It is another great way to keep the sun off your baby’s face. Sunscreen is another key to being proactive while out in the sun. For safety, I didn’t put sunscreen on my newborn but I always make sure to use it on my older babies.
I also made sure to bring a lightweight breathable blanket to the beach. I used a breathable swaddle blanket. It was easy to use to help cover up my newborn while in the carrier and out of it. It helps to keep them covered without getting hot. For my newborn, I kept her skin covered with clothes and the swaddle blanket.
Bring a Baby Carrier
My baby carrier was the best thing I brought for baby beach days, especially with an infant. In the early days with my daughter, I was afraid of the wind making it hard for her to breathe at the beach. So I simply put her in the carrier to keep her close and keep her face protected. It was the best way I could think of to help shield her from the sun, other people, and out of the wind to make sure she could breathe comfortably while at the beach.
Bring Items to Keep Baby Entertained
For older infants, you’re going to want some beach toys. If your baby is mobile, likes to play, etc. make sure to bring some beach toys to keep them occupied and have some sand playtime.
If your baby is younger you could bring a pacifier or chew toy. I always brought my daughter’s pacifier and just clipped it to the baby carrier. When she got a little older I would clip a little chew toy onto the carrier to keep her entertained and keep it protected from the sand.
Bring Milk and Snacks
Whether your baby is a month old or eight months old, you’re going to want to make sure and bring snacks along on your beach adventure. My kid’s snack all the time and would sometimes want something randomly while at the beach If you’re baby is still being nursed or bottle-fed make sure you have milk/formula handy for your day at the beach. I nursed my young baby multiple times while at the beach by simply using a lightweight blanket for a coverup.
Keep Things Clean
One word: sand. The beach is messy no matter how careful you are. I made sure to bring pacifier clips, towels, baby powder, wipes, and water to help combat this. I used pacifier clips to attach some small toys to the baby carrier. This helped to keep the items from falling in the sand and getting messy. I used towels not only for sitting on the sand, but also for covering up when needed, and to help wipe the sand from faces and hands. Baby powder is one of my favorite mom hacks for Summertime because it gets sand off of your body so easily. Simply apply it to the sandy area and the sand wipes right off. Wipes I used to help clean hands and water you can pour onto anything to help clear off the sand.
Extra Everything
In the early days with a baby, you always want to bring along extra everything for every outing. This includes beach outings. I made sure to have extra clothes, diapers, and wipes on all our beach days. You never know when you’ll need a change of clothes or how many times you’ll have to change a diaper(s) while you’re out.
Make Transportation Easier
The more items you bring along on your beach trek, the harder it is to carry and keep track of your baby/kids. We invested in a beach wagon after having my second child and it is the best decision we made! We can easily pack it will all of our beach essentials and even put our kids in if needed. As a mom, having your hands free is such a help.
A beach trip with a baby (even a newborn) is very doable. You just have to be flexible and prepared. If you don’t want to be on a timer – simply bring extra things you may need while out. Then you can just relax and not worry about leaving at a set time. It can be a long day, but it can be so fun too. Some of my best family memories are with our kiddos at the beach. I challenge you to get out of your comfort zones and just go for it!
