Summer is upon us (hallelujah) and it’s time for as many beach days as you can squeeze in. There’s no better way to stay cool on a blistering hot day than to head to the beach… But sometimes a beach day can be a lot of trouble and kind of a mess. You can make the day run 100X more smoothly if you utilize some beach day hacks for kids.
Families that go to the beach often have so many tips and tricks to make the days run smoothly and feel effortless. So let’s explore these 20 beach hacks for ourselves!
Use These Beach Day Hacks for Kids to Make Your Next Beach Day EASY
Beach days can be fun, relaxing, and memorable. But with kids sometimes even fun and relaxing things like heading to the beach can become rushed, messy, and stressful.
Between the sand getting everywhere, keeping babies from gobbling up handfuls of sand, forgetting the essentials, and figuring out how to get tons of beach supplies from point A to point B, sometimes beach days can feel like a lot.
Which is completely the opposite of the point of heading to the beach in the first place. It IS supposed to be exciting and fun and great for cooling down too (which it usually is) but relaxing is typically supposed to be a goal of a day at the beach as well. However, sometimes it’s more stressful than relaxing when you’ve got your armful of kids.
But those who go to the beach often or live by one (I don’t unfortunately, but we DO plan beach trips a lot) know exactly how to execute a perfect beach day with kids. They know the best tips and tricks to make the day relaxing, enjoyable, and seemingly effortless.
Some of these beach day hacks with kids seem very straightforward, yet I forget sometimes and neglect to remember to do a lot of them when we plan beach trips! While others are pure brilliance that you would never think of.
With this collection of 20 beach day hack for kids pulled together, neither you or myself will be able to have wonderfully smooth beach days for the rest of the summer and year after year.
20 Beach Day Hacks for Kids and Families
Bring a Beach Tent: A popup one that is EASY to set up! There are some beach tents that are simpler than others.
Also, think about how it will handle wind.
If it can be easily moved if the wind direction changes or if the sides can be closed or legs lowered it’s ideal.
A beach tent provides shade and a place to nap and is better than an umbrella.
Use Baby Powder for Sand Removal: This hack is awesome for little kids.
It easily removes stuck-on sand from the skin believe it or not!
Sprinkle it all over and dust it off.
It causes much less scratching than just trying to rub the sand off and usually elicits less screaming than rinsing the kids off in the freezing showers (if they are even available at the beach you’re at).
Pack a Mesh Bag (or two or three): This hack is pure brilliance. Use a mesh laundry bag, mesh purse, or even mesh backpack when at the beach. For sandy toys, towels, or clothes the sand just falls through the holes with a little shake.
Freeze Water Bottles: Instead of buying a bunch of ice for your cooler just freeze water bottles. By the time everyone is thirsty they’ll be half melted. Outside of the cooler on a hot day they melt pretty quickly.
Try Half-Frozen Water Bottles. You can also freeze some half-filled bottles and when loading them into the cooler fill them up the rest of the way with water. Then you have ice cold water right off the bat and still have ice at the same time.
Use a Fitted Sheet as a Playpen: This hack keeps sand out of the play area. Instead of using a beach blanket, if you have a baby or toddler you can keep them more sand free this way. OR even if your kids are bigger it really helps keep the sand out of the snacking area. Place a bag/cooler, etc. in each corner of the fitted sheet to hold it up like a tiny fence.
Bring a Blow-Up Kiddie Pool: Fill it with a bit of seawater for a safe play area for little ones. Helping small kids play in the surf can be exhausting and trying on your back. If you use this hack it gives you a break to relax where you can just watch them play and step in if need be.
You can even get small pools at the dollar store and it doesn’t matter if they only last for one or two beach visits!
Pack Extra Plastic Bags: When you come to the beach everything is dry, when you leave everything is all wet and sandy… But you don’t think about that until it’s time to leave.
Extra plastic bags can be used for wet clothes to separate the wet things from the dry ones in your bags when packing out. They work as great trash bags too.
Put on Sunscreen at Home: Try to remember to put on sunscreen BEFORE you leave.
It’s really tough for excited kids to get to the beach and then proceed to wait for 15 minutes while their freshly applied sunscreen soaks in. Reapplications are fine (just stick the kids in the fitted sheet playpen for a bit with a snack during that time) but start that base layer of sunscreen at home.
Use a Beach Wagon: It makes it 1,000x simpler to carry all your beach gear. Make sure it has oversized wheels. Those are the ones that are specifically designed to trek through the sand.
Keep a Bucket of Water on Hand: If you grab one of the giant sand toy buckets and keep it full of water you can use it to remove sand in a snap. Dip sandy fingers for a quick clean-off before snacking or sandy toes before putting them into shoes.
Pack Snacks in a Box That Fully Seals: You need to have a box or bag that fully seals for all your snacks. Be sure that everyone seals it again while they aren’t eating. A zippered lunchbox, a tupperware style bento box, a cooler, a backpack, or even a tackle box will work. If you don’t you’ll get sand in the food and seagulls will swoop in the first second you turn your back!
Bring Lots of Water: Hydration is key, especially for kids. I know liquid is heavy, but you really don’t want to run out of fresh water while at the beach.
Make a DIY Baby Pool with a Shower Curtain: Bring a shovel, a plastic shower curtain, and a bucket to build your own kiddie pool! Dig a small hole and lay the shower curtain down across it. Use a bucket to fill up the shower curtain with water to make your very own kiddie pool. While you can simply dig holes near the shoreline to make “baby pools”, the sand will absorb the water in those pretty quickly. The only way to keep them full without a shower curtain is digging them in the tidal zone which isn’t really safe for little ones.
Use a Pool Noodle for a Headrest: Cut a slit in a pool to fit over the top of a chair for added comfort.
Freeze Gogurts for the Cooler: They’ll stay fresh longer and be cool treats. Plus they double as ice packs to keep everything else cool for a while.
Use a Cooler with Big Wheels: It is far easier to transport across sand. Some beaches you have to walk A LONG WHILE across the sand to reach the shoreline. If you can’t afford a cooler with wheels, set it on top of a boogie board and drag it along the sand.
Pack Extra Swim Diapers: Reusable swim diapers are great or disposable work too. But either type you choose know that packing one isn’t enough. If a #2 happens, you need a backup or two.
Bring an Extra Set of Clothes: Bring a dry/clean set of clothes for after the beach. Loose clothes like sweats are easiest to slide over sticky damp little bodies. Dresses are perfect for little girls because they are so simple to throw on. Don’t forget a jacket too. The beach can get very breezy and cold once the sun sets if you are planning a long beach day.
Get a Sand-Free Waterproof Beach Blanket. Beach blankets that you can simply shake out with no sand sticking to it are all the rage. They make really nice sand-free and waterproof beach blankets that you can pick up on Amazon or at Costco too. The best hacks for the beach are those that reduce the mess! If a new beach blanket isn’t in budget try a cotton sheet. They shake off sand way easier than a towel or blanket ever could.
Really Enjoy Your Beach Days
I hope with this big list of beach day hacks for kids you can really enjoy your beach days from now on. By packing the right items that reduce the mess and doing a bit of prep beforehand, you can make your future beach days a breeze!