8 Tried & True Tips for a Successful Beach Trip with Kids

As we get closer to our family’s upcoming Florida trip, I’m so excited about spending time on the beach with my kids. I envision hours of fun in the waves, building sand castles and flying kites. However, I’m also aware of the meltdowns and non-stop action required to keep the kids entertained.  In addition, this will be our first time taking a 4 month-old to the beach. A baby adds a whole new element of preparation and packing.

This is why I’m so excited for today’s post, by the fabulous Dr. Autumn Hanson of Permission 2 Move. Autumn is a physical therapist, blogger, mom of 2 and Florida-native. She’s here to share her tried and true tips on how to make your next beach trip with kids stress-free and fun! Not only will she help you prep for your trip, but she’ll get you moving out on the beach and making memories to last a lifetime.

Meet Autumn

Hello everyone! I’m excited to be here on Run Wild My Child sharing some tips and advice on how to make a beach trip with kids as successful and stress-free as possible. As a Florida native, I’ve spent a lot of time at the beach over the years. I was fortunate enough to grow up within walking distance to the beach in beautiful Treasure Island, Florida. With 3 girls in my house growing up (ranging in ages from 6-16), it was challenging to find activities we could all enjoy doing as a family. It was always a struggle just to get out the door. However, we were always happy to be at the beach once we got there.

Not much has changed since I began my own family years later. Now, as a parent of two girls aged 3 and 1, I appreciate the effort that makes a beach trip enjoyable for both the parents and kids. Without adequate preparation, the happy beach trip you imagine will likely end with one (or all) of the following: sunburns, crying children, a miserable spouse, sand covering everything, or even a strike from a stingray (as my husband suffered through and ranks as one of his most painful experiences)!

With dozens of family trips to the beach under my belt, from Hawaii to Bermuda and back to Florida, I’ve got boatloads of experience in what works and what doesn’t. Here are my 8 tried and true tips to make your beach trip run smoothly and enjoyable for everyone!

Timing is essential

Make sure that you choose the right time to hit the beach when going with little kids. While mid-day might sound appealing, there are two elements working against being at the beach mid-afternoon: the intensity of the sun’s heat and nap time. Those two factors, when combined, are exponentially harder to overcome and can lead to major meltdowns, both figuratively and literally. The best times to beach are mornings and evenings when the sun and heat are less intense.

In order to get to the beach early, pack the car the night before and plop your kiddos in the car as soon as their eyes open! The longer you spend in the house getting ready to go, the later you get to the beach. If you are like me and get great ideas of what to pack and clean and rearrange at the last minute…don’t! JUST LEAVE! (see below for more info on prepping the night before)

If you miss the window of leaving early or the day is heating up quickly, don’t despair. Going to the beach in the evening is wonderful! Usually, the crowd disappears shortly before the sun does, so you’ll have more space to run free. You can enjoy the beautiful sunset with cooler temperatures and without worrying about getting the sand on the lady next to you when your child uses her towel as a superhero cape.

Protect yourself from the elements

There is nowhere to hide from the sun at the beach. Long gone are the days where your sole purpose to go to the beach is to get tan. Little children need the shade, not only to protect their skin but also to hide their meltdown from the rest of the beachgoers. Trust me on this one.

Whether you choose a sun shelter, a giant umbrella or tent, you need something to protect your littles from the harsh sun and any sand-blowing wind. We have tried several options for beach protection from the sun and we love the Ikea Sommarvind.  Once you master the folding process (after watching a few dozen YouTube videos), this pop-up tent cannot be beaten for its simplicity, storage size, and function.

Bring a cooler with hydrating snacks

Just before you anticipate a meltdown, call everyone over for a refreshing treat. The most enjoyable snacks are those that cool you off under the summer sun. Pro tip: these almost always include some sort of dripping liquid, so bring napkins or wet wipes, too! Our family favorites are watermelon, frozen grapes, coconut water, sparkling water (or bubble water as my 3 year-old lovingly refers to it) and popsicles.

If you are concerned about the amount of sugar in your children’s beach snacks, I have a great popsicle swap idea for you! Fill a silicone popsicle mold with water (or healthy juice) and fresh fruit, then pop it into the freezer. My girls really enjoy their own fruit popsicles at the beach and I love not having to constantly say, “NO MORE POPSICLES!”

To keep everything cool, you’re going to need a good cooler. Our favorite cooler is the Yeti Hopper Flip 8, but simpler options will also suffice. We also pack insulated water bottles to keep our water icy cold even when it is out of the cooler. Our favorite water bottle is this 64-ounce Hydroflask.

Prepare the night before

In our house, preparation starts the night before. Since we have a habit of doing ‘just one more thing’ before we leave, we have better luck getting out of the house on time without a mess if we prepare ahead of time and leave as soon as we wake up. Pack a bag with your sun protection, accessories and beach activities the night before and put it in the car. Tidy the house and check everything off your list as you pack. Leave the delicious snacks in the refrigerator until it is time to go.

Prepping the night before ensures we get out the door with everything we need at a decent time. We love the feeling of coming home after a long day on the beach and walking into an unusually clean house with overtired kids (and adults). The sigh of relief from everyone is quickly followed by a smile, as well as a lighter-hearted approach to showers and rest.

Play with your kids!

If you are in the mindset of going to the beach to ‘sit back and relax,’ you’re in for a shock! That’s the mindset of your former pre-family self. With little kids, those days are over! Sorry! Save that thought to motivate you to take a trip with your girlfriends later in the summer and instead switch gears to being active at the beach with your family.

If you are active at the beach, you will feel twice as successful. An enjoyable family outing and a full body workout all wrapped into one beautiful day at the beach! Think of the calories you’re burning as you drag that overflowing wagon through the sand. Try walking barefoot in the soft sand to strengthen your lower legs. Chase the kids (or the birds) for excellent cardio! But most of all, just play with your kids. That typically includes activities like shoveling sand, tag, body surfing in the waves while attempting to keep your kids’ faces out of the water and hauling buckets of water for the amateur sand sculptors. This is when the best memories are made!

Bring activities, but not many

Don’t go overboard packing entertainment for the kids. After all, the great thing about the beach is that it serves as its own entertainment. I do suggest bringing some activities though. My mother used pre-planned activities to achieve the family bonding she was interested in cultivating. While the rest of us were focused on what we like to do individually, she was focused on what activity drew us together as a family. These activities will vary on the age and interests of your family. Try to think of activities that promote teamwork like playing soccer, baseball, kan jam, Frisbee, or bocce ball together. These activities transfer your focus from the heat to the game.

Explore & make friends

Remember how I mentioned early that the beach serves as the entertainment as well as the destination? Use that to your advantage. Grab a shovel from your sand castle building crew and start digging. Have a contest to see who can find the most unique shell. Then head over to the edge of the water where the coquinas lay buried just below the surface, until, like magic, they resurface as the sand gets pulled away with the tide. Walk the beach for sea treasures. Cue the kids to find out what items float or not and why. Explore why you need water to make a sand castle or why a bucket of water gets heavier each subsequent one you carry.

You can also use your beach time to make new friends. Maybe it is as simple sitting near a family with kids your children’s ages. Kids make fast friends at the beach and then they’ll have new friends to explore and play games with. Plus, they’ll likely be much more understanding of the sand in the face from the superhero cape…I mean, towel.

Change your perspective

Little kids have a different idea of fun than parents do. I challenge you to view your beach trip from their point of view. Spend a whole day focusing on what’s important to them and you’ll be so pleasantly surprised at how much fun the beach can be.

Your kids won’t remember that you forgot the organic sunscreen and had to use the aerosol stuff you swore you would never use. They just know that you made sure they were protected. They don’t remember their meltdown over saltwater in their eyes. But they will remember you surrounding them with a towel and blotting it out. They won’t remember that the blueberries were covered in sand, but rather that you packed their favorite snack. They won’t remember the time they fought with their sibling about how big the sand castle has to be. But they will remember that they built the biggest sand castle ever and that you helped them do it.

What’s your best piece of advice
for beach outings with kids?

Hello, my name is Autumn! I am a wife to my high school sweetheart (a pilot in the Coast Guard) and mama to two spunky little girls that are frequently playing with dinosaurs in dress-up clothes. When I am not out adventuring with my family, I work as an outpatient physical therapist and Pilates reformer instructor. I love that my career allows me to help people move and feel better. However, after years of hearing my patients say, “I wish I would have learned the importance of movement sooner in life,” I started Permission2Move. I am grateful to have an avenue to inspire people to move more adventurously!