Taking a Baby to the Beach!
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It is officially Summertime in Michigan! I am actually sitting at a coffee shop while I write this because it’s 97 degrees and there are power outages due to the increased air conditioning use. It’s hot, to say the least! When my husband and I were dating he used to rave about Michigan Summers, he used to say “it’s like living in Florida without the salt.” I used to roll my eyes until I spent my first summer weekend in South Haven, MI. He is honestly not wrong. Some of the beaches on the Great Lakes are soft, white, and sandy just like Florida, but there is no salt or sharks!
We are fortunate enough to be a quick 45-minute drive from the beach so we go all the time in the summer! Some days it’s a quick after-work drive to eat a picnic dinner and watch the sunset. Some days it’s spending the entire day relaxing on the beach, playing sand volleyball or Spikeball, and swimming. Chris and I couldn’t wait to take E to the beach for the first time last year, but we quickly realized that there were a few adjustments that needed to be made to make beach days with a baby easier and enjoyable for everyone involved. Here are our tips and tricks for taking baby to the beach and having the best beach days!
Sun Protection
Sun protection was one of my biggest concerns when taking E outside his first summer, especially as a baby at the beach. My husband is a redhead and Eli has inherited his light hair and fair skin so I knew that sun protection was going to be a big part of any outdoor activities and a must have beach item for baby.
Protective Clothing: the more coverage the better
Long Sleeve Rash Guard - The less skin exposed the less sunscreen I have to apply and the less concerned I need to be about sunburn. We spend a lot of time in the water so I was willing to invest in a few rashguards that would hold up to frequent wear and wash. I found the Rugged Butts brand in a local boutique and fell in love with their swimwear. They offer their rashguards in long sleeve and short sleeve options and in a wide range of colors that will coordinate with any swim trunks! We had two rashguards that held up incredibly well throughout the summer and if E hadn’t outgrown them he could wear them again this summer.
Sun Hat - My son, like most kiddos, HATES having sunscreen applied to his face. While I still make sure to apply it to his face and ears anytime we’re in the sun, the Rugged Butts wide brim sun hat makes me less worried about any of the spots I may have missed while he wiggled around during my sunscreen application. This sun hat offers an adjustable strap to help keep the hat on your little one’s head and the soft material is comfortable and makes it easy to pack in your bag for baby at the beach. Plus, it makes him look adorable!
Sunscreen: Baby’s skin can be so sensitive! With all products I use on E I like to do my research and find “clean” products with ingredients I can trust. Baby beach supplies like sunscreen are no different.
ThinkBaby SPF 50+ contains no PABA, parabens, phthalates, BPA, or toxic chemicals. This sunscreen is safe for babies, and safe for the earth! ThinkBaby is produced in the USA, and is highly biodegradable, non-toxic, and does not contain any known chemicals harmful to coral reefs. This formula is slightly thicker than other formulas so it takes slightly longer to rub incompletely, but it provides great coverage.
Neutrogena Baby Free and Clear is specially formulated and made with 100% zinc oxide. This sunscreen is a “tear-free formula” so it won't sting eyes and is free of fragrance, parabens, phthalates, dyes and irritating chemicals. R has eczema and this brand is hypoallergenic and is great for babies with sensitive skin. It has even been awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance!
Beach Gear
As any parent knows babies come with a lot of “stuff.” I wish I could say a day at the beach with a baby is different, but it’s not. Fortunately, most of these items don’t take up too much room but they do make your trip to the beach go much more smoothly.
Beach Bag - Bogg Bag - Before we headed to Florida in April for our first family beach vacation, my friend Andi told me I “had to get a Bogg Bag.” After her insisting, and lots of googling I decided to give this bag a shot and let me tell you - I LOVE IT. The Bogg Bag was invented by a Mom (I love supporting women/mom-owned businesses!) so I didn’t feel guilty about spending a little more than I normally would on a beach bag. I can say I think this will be my one and only beach bag from here on out.
The Bogg Bag does come in multiple sizes, if you have a little one (which means LOTs of stuff) or multiples I suggest the Bogg Bag XL. The bag is big enough to hold up to 6 towels with room for snacks and toys - perfect at the beach for baby! The bag comes with two smaller clear zipper bags that can attach to the inside or outside of the bag to help organize smaller items like keys and sunscreen. Two of my favorite features that make the Bogg Bag unique are the flat bottom design that ensures that the bag will never tip over and the waterproof material that means you can hose off any sand and dirt that comes home in your bag.
If you don’t need the XL, they also offer a Baby Bogg Bag that’s great for solo beach trips or a cute summer purse.
If you need to pack formula, or often back lunch for your beach trip you can order the Bogg Brrr insulated cooler insert that fits perfectly inside your bag and keeps your items cool on hot days.
Pop Up Tent - Sometimes little ones need a safe space, their own space to play, a place to hide from the sun, or a cool spot to nap. A pop up tent offers all of the above and is a must-have beach item for a baby.
This pop-up tent (similar to the one R is using on the left in the picture above!) offers a mesh screen door to keep out excess sand and bugs as well as a mesh window to allow for a breeze while baby plays or naps.
Depending on where you go to the beach there may be large waves that can make it difficult for baby to enjoy the water. This shark theme tent offers shade, while also providing a small baby pool that can be filled up with lake/ocean water that allows your little one to splash away in a safe, shaded environment. O loved splashing around in it at the beach!
Beach Blanket - Any good beach day requires a good beach blanket
- This beach blanket is large enough for a family to share, and is “sandproof” and water resistant. The quick-dry and soundproof technology makes this blanket comfortable for relaxing and enjoying a picnic and makes it easy to pack away in the travel bag it comes with. This blanket comes with stakes that can be used for more solid surfaces, and anchor pockets that can be filled with sand to keep your blanket from blowing away.
Kids Beach Chair - Everyone wants a cozy place to sit at the beach!
- This baby beach chair offers a great place for your baby to sit and enjoy a snack or just take a break. The removeable umbrella also offers a nice option for added shade
Poncho Towel
- Every parent knows how cute little ones look in hooded towels! But I have found when it’s time to dry off and leave the beach trying to keep a hooded/any regular towel on my son becomes a challenge. That was until my friend Kelsi showed up to a pool date with her daughter in an adorable poncho towel! Pull it on over their head and they stay warm and dry and you don’t have to worry about them dropping their towel or dragging it on the ground as you head home.
Flotation Devices
Water safety is so important with little ones! Katie and I did hours of research to find floaties for our boys that we felt were the safest, with this being said we NEVER leave our boys alone or unsupervised in or near the water.
Infant Floatie
- LAYCOL Pool Floaties were the floaties that Katie and I purchased last year after loads of research, Katie and I purchased the and our boys loved them. The design of this float allows for babies to lay on their stomach or their back and the straps go over baby’s shoulders and clip between their legs so there is no room for them to slip out. The sun shade was a great added bonus for our boys' sensitive skin. Our boys loved their floats, E even used to take cat naps floating in his. The best part about this design is that it has lasted more than one season! How many baby items do you order that you only get to use for 2 or 3 months? The boys used them all last summer (cute little E+E pictured at 6 months) and R was able to use his this year on spring break (at 16 months!)
Toddler Floatie - I searched high and low this year for a swim vest that didn’t have a large cartoon character on it. Call me no fun, but I prefer clothing that is more subtle, neutral, and not covered in characters. Believe it or not when it comes to swimming floaties this is very hard to find!
- Speedo was the only brand that had more neutral colors and more subtle patterns. I purchased E’s Speedo Splash Jammer Vestfrom Target and when I went to Amazon to price check for this post and saw that the price was DOUBLE what I paid, so I suggest shopping around before purchasing. I love this style of flotation device because it has shoulder straps in addition to the armbands and chest strap, this added safety feature gives me peace of mind that E won’t slip out of his floatie as he’s splashing around. Katie bought a similar Swim Float Vest for R too!
Play
Bucket & Toys - What's a trip to the beach without a beach bucket or sand toys?
- A simple beach bucket like this can provide tons of fun for kids. They'll love filling it with sand, dumping it, filling it with water, dumping it, repeat, repeat! For more fun, get a whole lot of toys like this beach toy set that R has!
Dump Truck & Toy Tractor
- An Aunt gifted these John Deere sand toys to R and he enjoys having a different kind of toy to play with. These are fun for "moving" dirt around where you need it to. He also likes that he can play with these on a blanket by themselves if he isn't interested in the sand right then.
