It’s Summer and your family is ready to head to the beach! There is just something amazing about the beach. Make your family vacation go smoothly and safely with these 6 smart beach essentials.
These are tried and true essentials for my family of four boys! I have gone through a lot of products and done a lot of research before purchasing these products. So you can trust that I use and love them.
01 POPUP BEACH TENT
My family has tested a couple of popup tents over the years and I’m telling you those cute little ones that just pop open are a waste of money! They don’t stay up in the slightest breeze, especially an ocean breeze.
We finally found this beach tent at Costco. Oh my gosh I love it! We use it for so much more then just the beach. It was great for my 7 month old to nap in. It kept him out of the sun and off the hot sand.
It pops up so easy and the front little doormat can zip closed when you need privacy to say, change a baby bum, get dressed into your swim suit or nurse!
The vents on the side are so necessary to keep the air in the tent at the right temperature. They easily zip closed for privacy. It also has sand bags on the side to keep it from catching the wind.
In my opinion going to the beach with kids WITHOUT this popup beach tent is just crazy! Last time we went to the beach I saw families oozing envy as we easily popped this thing up and it stayed in place.
02 BEACH WAGON
Kids need a lot of stuff! I’m talking snacks, swim toys, beach chairs, towels, diapers, water bottles, body boards, I could go on!
The distance from your hotel or car to the beach can vary greatly! You may end up carrying a child or two.
A beach wagon is the only sensible way to get everything to and from the beach. We love this one! It folds up easily into the back of our van and holds a lot of stuff, even a kid or two.
Whatever Beach wagon you choose make sure it has big fat tires! This makes all the difference when pulling it across the sand. We choose this beach wagon.
03 BRIGHT SWIM SHIRTS
I have my boys in bright colored swim shirts for two reasons. First to protect from the sun and more importantly so I can find them on a crowded beach or in the water!
Nothing is scarier then not being able to immediately spot your child. You know the exact sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach I’m talking about.
Make them easy to spot in a crowd with all the same bright (I’m talking neon bright) colored swim shirts.
I put each of my boys in these neon orange swim shirts. These are amazon essentials, they are soft durable and come in just about any size and color! This gives my mom heart just a little piece of mind with four boys running in all different directions!
It’s this swim shirt that comes in a range of different colors.
04 WATERPROOF PHONE CASE
I always worry about getting my phone wet or sand in it. But my mom brain can’t not bring my phone to the beach just in case there is an emergency.
Problem solved. These are amazing!!! Just slide your phone in and lock it. You can still use your touch screen and even finger print scanner. You can even use it to take photos under the water!
I also like to slide some cash or credit cards and drivers license in the back so I can leave my wallet at home.
I got this pack of 2 waterproof phone cases. They had good reviews and were a great price for two and fit basically any phone you could have.
Wear it around you neck with the lanyard or use the arm band (personal favorite).
05 COOLER
When taking kids to the beach you don’t want to have to pack up everyone and everything to go get food. You want to make the most of your time on the beach!
We have this cooler that has a handle and big wheels. We easily pulled this along the sand. Even my 7 year old was able to pull it for us.
It is deep so we can keep a lot of food and ice in it. I could easily fit two meals in it at a time. It keeps everything cold all day long even on a hot day at the beach.
06 TENT FLAG
Last time we went to the beach my boys had a really hard time finding us after the waves carried them a few yards down the beach.
Despite the beach not being very crowded and being the only ones with our large popup beach tent they lost track of where we were.
So this is my solution! Just stick this 6 foot waterproof flag in the sand in front of your tent. It draws the eye and gives the kids something specific to look for.
CONCLUSION
I really hope these help your family enjoy the beach together! I know I can’t be without any of these smart beach essentials! If you have any other smart beach essentials to add please leave a comment below!