Tips for Taking Your Toddler To The Beach

Going to the beach with toddlers is an amazing life experience for children. All that sand and water to play with and for most people it’s a different and new environment for the kids to play in. A trip to the beach with a toddler can be so much fun for you and them but it requires planning. There are lots of things to think about to get the day just right so everyone is happy. I’ve compiled a list of tips on how to get the most out of your day and some tried-and-tested ideas for what to bring along with you.

Take Everything In A Beach Trolley

We recently bought a beach trolley. It has wide wheels. We’ve been told wide wheels are the ones to have for the beach.

In the past, we’ve taken our one-year-old in her sling or in her buggy but she’s too heavy for me in the sling now and my husband finds pulling the buggy along the beach to be a massive effort. (Pulling a stroller rather than pushing it is the way to do it if you do take a stroller.)

So, we searched for a decent beach trolley, which we can potentially have the kids in and all our beach stuff and pull them along the beach.

I’ll update when we’ve used it.

Take Food & Drink

We are a packed lunch family saving money wherever we can. We pack flasks and refillable bottles of water and squash, a cool bag to keep everything fresh, sandwiches, crisps, fruit, fromage frais and a little treat like a chocolate bar. We make sure we also bring a bib for our one-year-old otherwise she’d be coated in food for the rest of the day.

We also sometimes buy an ice-cream or two so have cash with us for those.

These bibs have lasted us well and can be machine-washed so I’d highly recommend them.

Take Something To Create Shade

We have a windbreak – why are all windbreaks that bright blue, with yellow and red stripes?! – and a mallet (although a large stone will do). When we get to the beach, we see which way other families have set theirs up and we see where the sun is and make a decision from that about how ours will be.

We like to create a little area of privacy on the beach and the bonus is that it can provide shade for your little ones to play in.

We also have a beach tent to provide another bit of shade. It’s easy to put up as it just pops out of it’s case. Putting it away takes some thinking but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be able to put it away in no time. It’s a good place for your kids to sit and eat their lunch in the shade or have a bit of a chill out if it’s getting too much for them. Here’s the one we got but it’s currently unavailable.

This one is similar plus it has a useful video in the listing showing how to put it away:

Take Something To Sit On

In the past, pre-children, we used to take fold-up beach chairs to sit on the sand, but these days, we don’t have space for them, so it’s a picnic blanket for us with a waterproof underside just because I’ve sat on a blanket on wet sand before and you definitely need a waterproof layer on your blanket.

I have seen a beach hack, where you take a fitted bed sheet, turn it upside down and put boxes in the corners to hold them up and create a little oasis of no sand. We may try this next time to see whether it works, but I suppose you’d need a waterproof layer between your bed sheet and the sand.

Apply Suncream Frequently

We take Factor 30 and slather it on our girls before we leave our accommodation in the morning and then reapply throughout the day when we feel they need it. Factor 50 is also available in shops.

Our favourite is the brand Solait from Superdrug as it’s affordable at less than £4 a bottle and has a roll-on version too.

Take Toys They Will Play With

Buckets and spades are the automatic toys which spring to mind. Which kid doesn’t love building a sandcastle then knocking it down?!

If there are rock pools, take a fishing net to see what you can catch.

Toy diggers, trucks or little people would also be fun to play with in the sand.

Kids will make use of shells or stones they find on the beach too to decorate their sandcastles.

Pack A Change Of Clothes

Pack their swimming costume, beach shoes, a wetsuit (depending on what the water temperature is like) and some normal clothes to play in.

A sunhat and sunglasses are also necessary to protect them from the sun’s rays.

Take towels and talcum powder for getting sand off feet at the end of the day.

Pack For The Toileting Situation

Depending on whether or not your little one is toilet/potty trained will decide what you do for this one.

If your toddler is in nappies, pack a nappy bag with wipes, spare nappies, nappy bags and a travel changing mat.

If your little one is potty trained, take their portable potty plus inserts to catch the wee/poo and store until you can get to a bin.

If your toddler is toilet trained, make sure you pack their little toilet seat and research which beaches have a toilet. Try not to set up too far from the toilet block, just in case your little one needs to go quite a lot. Also pack some coins because some public toilets require payment.

This is our current favourite travel potty seat. It folds up nicely and fits in my handbag in its little travel bag. My daughter feels confident that it’ll hold her and it’s fitted every toilet seat we’ve used it on so far, which is a lot.

Here are some answers to some useful questions about taking your toddler to the beach:

What Time Of Day Should I Go To The Beach With My Toddler?

The best time of day to go to the beach with a toddler is early to mid-morning although the earlier the better. You don’t want to have the added stress of finding a parking space on a busy summer’s day so if you head out early, you hopefully can beat the crowds. It tends to get warmer throughout the day so morning might well be the coolest time of the day for your toddler to enjoy the sand and water. It is also best to avoid spending too much time in direct sunlight between 11am and 3pm because the sun is at its strongest then.

How Do I Get My Toddler To Nap At The Beach?

Wear your toddler out with a lot of running around on the sand in order to get them to nap on the beach. Running around in sand uses lots of energy up as it’s such hard work. Try to keep to the same time as usual and either create a shaded bed for them in your beach trolley or in your beach tent – somewhere where they can get peace and quiet for their nap.

An alternative would be for one member of the family to take your little one in their buggy for a stroll away from the beach to try to get them to sleep. Our girls can and could sleep in the buggy but I know many toddlers can’t so just pick which tip best applies to your family. I say away from the beach because pushing a buggy on a beach is really hard work!

How Long Should My Toddler Be Out In The Sun?

There is no set time for how long toddlers should be out in the sun. It all depends on how hot it is and how strong the sun is. Take precautions, such as getting them to wear a sunhat, having at least factor 30 sun cream on them and keeping to the shade as much as possible when it is warm. Between11am and 3pm, the sun is at its strongest as it is highest in the sky then so try to avoid being out in direct sunlight between these hours.

More sun advice can be found here on the NHS website.

What Beach Activities Can I Do With My Toddler?

Go paddling
Build sandcastles
Paint seashells (take watercolours)
Play ball games
Play frisbee
Go rock pooling
Go crabbing
Fly a kite
Bury things and dig them up
Make pictures with seashells
Create a moat with sandcastles
Draw in the sand

Beach with Toddlers Checklist

Beach Trolley
Beach tent
Windbreak
Mallet
Towels
Waterproof picnic blanket
Swimming costumes/trunks
Beach shoes
A wetsuit
Spare clothes
Sun hats
Sunglasses
Sun cream
Bucket & spade
Fishing net
Toys
Talcum powder
Food
Snacks
Drinks
Rubbish bag
Nappy bag
Nappies
Wipes
Travel changing mat
Potty
Potty disposable bags
Toddler toilet seat

Safety Tips While On The Beach With Your Toddler

Always Keep Eyes on Your Toddler

Always make sure that an adult in your party has eyes on the children at all times. Going to the beach with a family isn’t quite the relaxing time it used to be before kids so I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no point in me taking a book as it’ll remain unread.

We purchased wristbands for our girls with our phone numbers on. They wear these whenever we go somewhere a bit busy. I’ve drummed it into our now 4-year-old that if she can’t find Mummy or Daddy, she is to show an adult her wristband. She’s not a fan of talking about this because she gets upset at the thought of this even happening but I just wanted her to know what to do should she lose us in a crowd or on the beach. Because they wear them so often and not as a one-off, our girls are fine having them on. It’s still a bit of a novelty for our one-year-old as she has only needed to wear one since she’s been walking. Our wristbands were from Easy2Name.

Pay Attention to Any Notices About Currents and Riptides

The sea can be dangerous so pay attention to any warning or danger signs and do not enter the water where it is forbidden to do so. Currents and riptides can be hidden beneath the surface of the water and are extremely dangerous even for the strongest of swimmers. If you are entering the water with your toddler, keep them in your arms, do not use inflatables as they may blow out to sea with toddler onboard, and do not go too deep.

Make Use of Lifeguarded Areas of the Beach

Look for the coloured flags on lifeguarded beaches. There will often be a sign telling you what each colour means. Parts of the beach will be for body boarders and surfers and parts for swimmers. Keep to that section to keep yourself and the lifeguards safe.

Why not take a look at my post all about Summer Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers to prepare your child for visiting the beach?

Enjoy your day at the beach and let me know on social media whether these tips helped.