Going to the Beach

baby powder! Best way to get sand off little hands and legs. Just sprinkle it on and it dries out the sand, so it just brushes right off.

Iv had both of my girls on the beach since infants. I usually bring a stroller for the baby to nap in or sit up in under the umbrella (not sure if your daughter will nap in a stroller. a small blow up pool is great even just a 1 ring one. Toys that can get wet and brush sand off rubberish or harder plastic toys shovel and bucket or spoon and cup if you dont wanna buy them. Sun screen and dry clothes that are cool and loose for when shes tired of being wet. Lots to drink and light snacks. Dont forget extra wipes, not just for a messy diaper but helpful with sandy hands and face. bring a big blanket to keep her off of the sand ( of course she will want to play in it too. Keep in mind the type of day it is an overcast or day with a nice breeze will work best if it s too hot with no breeze dont expect her to last to long. I'v been able to keep my kids on the beach all day (happy on the beach) if they are willing to nap and are kept cool. Dont forget your camera! Oh and lots of diapers, my suggestion is if she has sand in her diaper or swim diaper when you change her take her to the ocean to wash away the sand, dont try to wipe it away

we took our 5 month old out (9 mo now) and she LOVEd it, Daddy took her out into the water and she loved the waves splashing her (just a little, daddy's tall) and loved just playing on the beach blanket. We had a big umbrella for her, you got lots of good advice, but I didn't see trash bags? make sure you bring several plastic grocery bags for wet suits, dirty diapers and such, it's easier than heading to the trash can every time. Lots of wipes, water and snacks, might want to take her to the car or hotel room for milk time as in the heat, milk doesn't sit well, or if our b/f she may get too hot to eat. the little pool idea sounded great, i do that for my dd at the pool, a little one ring blow up for like $3 at walmart. put sunblock on about 30 min before your headed out, we love being outside and my kids have never gotten sunburn, not even slightly mainly due to properly applying the sunscreen. good luck and have fun!

Hi A.,

When we took our children to the beach before they could really enjoy it, we always took a portable playpen. Of course you cant forget the sun block and to reapply is often. The umbrella is a great idea as well plenty of towels. A bucket and shovel is always a favorite. Have fun and enjoy the beach!

SUN BLOCK, SUN BLOCK, SUN BLOCK! LOL
Also, When I take my daughter to the beach, her eyes get really red and watery from the salt water and sand. I have special eye drops for her, but one time she got a slight infection from it and was cranky the rest of the trip. You might want to be careful of that. I have taken her stroller and usually let her sit in that (it has a shade) but I guess umbrella does the same. The stroller works for me, less sand all over the place like on a blanket. But sometimes it is hard to push the stroller in the sand, so your husband might need to carry it if you bring it. Lots of fluids! So she doesnt get dehydrayed. Snacks, beach toys, etc. Also, be ready for a explosion at all times. It never fails. Mine is 2 1/2 so I get her swim diapers too...

Don't forget the sunblock for her as well!! If you are gonig to the beach, the water may be too rough for a baby float. Best bet is to hold her in your arms if you want to take her out with you say up to your mid section. Depending on how long you are going to be out there and how hot (my son would start to get over heated within an hour in nothing but a diaper and in the shade with a breeze) something for her to nap in if she will need one like a easy to carry stroller or to pull through the sand instead of lugging the pack 'n play. Plenty of liquids for her to drink to help keep her cool and not over heated. Swim diapers (I recommend Huggies Little Swimmers brand over Pampers Splashers) so she isn't getting water logged wearing regular diapers and isn't getting poop everywhere either. I keep a ziplock bag in my beach bag with both that way I can put a regular diaper on my son if it is going to be a while before he gets back in the water since swim diapers only hold so much liquid before it starts leaking. But she can try to dig in the sand with a shovel and bucket and she might enjoy sitting at the edge of the water letting the waves come up over her legs as well.

So just have fun and follow her lead on not getting over heated and you should have a great time!!

Have fun!
S.

I love the beach and taking my son there. We took him at 7 weeks, 13 months, 18 months, 24 months and now we can't wait until our next trip in August (he'll be 29 months). The basics you need are swim diapers, wet wipes, ziploc bags for snacks and food, a big beach blanket, umbrella or tent device for shade, a baby hat that secures under the chin (or they take them off), SPF 50 sunscreen (Aveeno is great -so is Banana Boat, Coppertone -any of the kids stuff) -and some type of jog stroller or pack and play. They get tired FAST on the beach, and you can put them in their stroller or pack and play in the shade and let them nap while you read and relax! I'm a beach bum, so we generally go out to the beach and stay most of the day, but as long as you have a good shade option and take food and diapers for the little one -that's fine! Take some sand toys -buckets, shovels, cars/trucks, balls from Target or the dollar store and have a great time! Most babies also love playing where the waves break, in tidal pools or going out with mommy or daddy into the water and floating around. One indispensable piece of equipment I ordered from www.onestepahead.com is the Wonder Wheeler Deluxe -about $60 and SO worth it -you can roll chairs, tents, cooler, towels, toys -everything, and it has big sand tires. If you don't have time to get that -take a wagon to load everything on. My little boy at 18 months would put his shovel in the wave break and watch the tide take it out a little and wash it back in. This was a game he played for about an hour! They just love playing with the water and sand. Have fun!

Hi A.,

I think everyone has great ideas to help you consider the options and what definitely to take. Took my son to the beach the other day and he was covered in sand from head to toe. My husband suggested getting a milk jug (washed in dishwasher and dried) full of water to wash the sand off, but we all know what happens when sand gets wet! It is even harder to take it off so I went to the Dollar Tree and bought baby powder and used that to take the sand off! Believe it or not it really works - just sprinkle the powder on areas with sand and watch the sand fall right off. The powder absorbs the moisture if sand is wet on body, but smells good too! Works great! Tell me what you thought once you try it out.

Have fun in the sun and keep lotioned up!
April

We just returned from the beach and saw lots of babies.
I saw lots of little blow up swimming pools. The mom
and/of dad let them sit in it with the unberella over it.
The splashed and were cooled at all times. Always suncreen, hat and plenty to drink. Also, I wouldn't keep them out there as long as an adult would stay. It's just
too, much for them. Go down in the morning and you could
always return later. Af far as toys anything light and you
don't mind getting wet. It gets easier as they get older.
Save the floaty for the pool. Enjoy!

Hi,
I would get a trusting babysitter or family mamber and leave her home if you are going for the day. She is too young to enjoy any of it. There are times when babies need to stay home where they can be happy and safe. The sun is very hot and she will need constant monitoring, so plan to take lots of sunscreen to protect her delicate skin,umbrella, a hat, and a blanket when on the beach, water bottles and her food.
I still say leave her home and you two go have fun. This advice does not mean you leave her everytime you want to go somewhere, just this time unless you will be in a hotel and can take her in after a short period of being in the heat and sun. My advice and I'm sticking to it.

I always cover my son in sunscreen before we leave the house so it has time to soak in...then I just reapply throughout the day. The umbrella is great to have! Just bring plenty for her to drink and snack on! My son has a blast playing in the sand. I always bring small cups so he can make small castles. Make sure to sit where the sand is wet!!

I used to live in Cali, so we did the beach often, sunscreeen even if cloudy, light bounces off ocean. Sun hat, of course swim diapers, toys for digging and holding things. Snacks and such and then have a good time and be flexible. Remember lotion, salt water dries the skin quickly. Have FUN

I would buy baby sunscreen and a hat and sunglasses,The younger you get her used to wearing a hatand sunglasses the better since you like going to the beach

Do not forget your suncreen, a lot of liquids and she should take a nap in the middle of the day The beach and the pool could and would make her tired

Just be prepared for her not to like the ocean. My 2 youngest didnt like the water at all, although the 5 yr old loves it now. Also the baby got "burned" by the water. She was about 9 mos or so and when I dipped her legs in the water the first couple times she turned red every where the water touched her. Probably just that her skin was more sensitive but I kept her away from the beach for another few months. Just a little warning. And now she is afraid of the surf. Her older brother was to for a while but now he loves it like I said before.

I live at the beach(Hilton Head Island ,SC)& have a little girl too, though 9 mths older than yours. The best thing about the beach is that it's pure entertainment all on it's own. Hopefully she's sitting up well on her own because she will probably love playing in the sand. Load her up with sunscreen & put a hat on her & let her go ! You will find sand in all her crevices for days after, & she'll probably eat some as well - but no harm done. Make sure to keep her hydrated. Have fun !

Just remember to take lots of sunscreen and a hat for the baby. My girls really enjoyed playing in the sand for hours and prefer the pool to the salty beach water, so bring lots of sand toys -mostly a couple of buckets and shovels - and have fun building castles! We usually take too much stuff that they don't need, so I wouldn't worry too much. Bring 2 or 3 suits and less clothes. Remember being in the sun can be very tiring-especially from 10-2. C.

Hi Audrey,
Well, it's been a long time (almost 20 years!), but when I took my son (about the same age as your daughter) to the beach for the first time, he hated the water, because it made him afraid. I think it's because the ocean is sooo big. I had just sat him down at the water's edge, thinking he would like to splash in it, but he wanted NO part of it! I had to carry him in and play with him, moving him up and down, so the water would barely wet his butt and legs, but never put him down. He enjoyed that. Also, he did enjoy playing in the sand. Using some building blocks he had, I showed him how to build things in the sand (and knock them down!). I don't know how fair-skinned your baby is, but don't let her stay out too long. Sun burn can creep up on you and especially on a little one. Her skin isn't as tough as ours. Even though my son has great skin for tanning and now, at almost 20 years old, he keeps a great tan all summer, I limited his exposure back then to no more than 30 minutes at the time. I think we also used a sun block. If your little girl has some favorite toys, do bring them to keep her busy on and off the beach. Have a great trip!
S.

I have 3 kids, 10 months,almost 4 yr old, and one that just turned 7. We go to the beach several times a year. A bucket and shovel go a long way at her age. The sand and water entertain them also and just watching the water. Make sure put at least 50 sunscreen on her and make her wear a hat and reapply sunscreen a couple of times. The sun so much stronger than you think. I have blonde hair blue eyes on all 3 of them and they will tan but burn easily. Also extra swim diapers and try to park somewhere that has water so you can wash all the sand off and put a clean pair of clothes on before she has to get in her carseat. My 10 month old likes to play with the dive sticks when he is at the pool, they are soft enough for him to chew on. He loves to play on the stairs in the pool where it's very little water. I always make sure they have something cold to drink in there sippie cup and some snacks they don't have to stay cold. You will have so much fun. They love the beach and love to eat sand!! They only do it a couple of times and then figure out it doesn't taste so great! It's a messy time and there is sand everywhere and I find the pool is much easier but they do love it. The beach are some of the best memories for our family and it will get easier each year. The 4 and 7 year old have a blast and are so much fun to watch play in the sand. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

The best sunscreen you can buy. Stay off the beach between 11 am and about 4 pm. Keep the beach times to an hour or less. Mine enjoyed playing in the sand with a bucket and shovel. She also enjoyed the strainer and seeing the sand fall through it. Keep the baby in the shade most of the time as she will get some rays there. Take the swimsuit pull ups for her. If the hotel has babysitting available you may want to schedule it for a few hours a day to give yourself a break to enjoy the sun and surf. We also always scheduled at least one night out using the baby sitting service and it worked out fine. The sitter would come to our room so bedtime was at the normal time and we had the evening for ourselves. V.

Just remember everything! LOL!! When I took my little one to the beach for the first time, we had an umbrella and I had one of those beach hats. Perfect picture opportunity. How bad am I... I don't remember exactly how old she was! I do remember that I had dug out a hole in the sand that was similar to the shape of a car seat so that she could sit/lay in it when she was tired on sitting up and watching daddy surf. I found a towel worked better than a blanket in that instance. We were in California at the time and the water is so much colder so the little ones weren't that interested in going. Not to mention that they were a little frightened by the crashing waves. I would suggest something that made sounds or a radio to take along. They loved playing in the sand. Plenty of sand toys and whatever sticks or branches that washed up on shore to build with. Have a great time!

We just came back from our first beach trip, but my daughter is 14 months, so I am not sure how much help this will be. She liked sitting on the edge of the water. It was a challenge sometimes to keep the sand out of her mouth. We just went to the beach for about an hour at a time, once in the morning and again in the evening. We tried to avoid the really hot, high sun times. Hat and sunscreen were must dos.

Hi A.,

Does your baby still take 2 naps? if so, she will probably sleep a lot, so if you take a pack n play and the umbrella she can sleep in it on the beach. the float is nice for the pool. maybe some buckets and shovels to play with. they also make little tents for babies, but i think the pack and play and umbrella will be sufficient.
have fun!! you can always buy things at the beach if you realize you need more.
don't forget your sunscreen!
K.

We went to the beach several times when my kids were babies. The things we found most helpful (besides sunscreen, swimming diapers, etc.) were an umbrella, a "Neat Sheet" (easier to get sand off of) or big blanket, and an inflatable baby pool (it gives the baby a chance to enjoy the water when they tire of the waves- and if under the umbrella gives them a chance to enjoy the water without sun exposure).If you think this will be the beginning of many beach trips, we ended up getting a rolling beach cart to help carry all of the beach and baby equipment with less hassle (i can't remember where I got mine, but Lillian Vernon now has one to give you the idea and you might find one cheaper somewhere else).

Have fun!
M.

A.,
We just returned from the beach. We took our 13 month old daughter, who is always happy and excited and full of energy. She was totally overwhelmed by the beach. We took her out late in the afternoon and just let her watch the birds and the water. She did not want to get on the sand or in the water.
So, just be prepared for that response and have plenty of things to do inside as well as outside!

We took my son to the beach when he was 9 months old and he enjoyed just sitting there with a few sand toys (bucket, shovel) and then sitting on the edge of the water with Daddy letting the waves roll over his legs. Of course I kept plenty of sunscreen on him and he was absolutely covered in sand but that's what baths are for (and then they take a GREAT nap so you and Dad can have some time together!) We brought the cutest "car" floatie to the pool and he LOVED it so do bring that. I did push the stroller on the beach just to carry all our towels, etc. Snacks and water. And we really could only stay an hour or two at a time because it does get hot. Have a blast! We are going to the beach this Saturday for a week with my now 2 1/2 year old :)

Is she walking yet? I took my son to the beach for the first time at nine months and the sand was a pain! He could only crawl at the time and I had a big sheet layed down, but he kept crawling off of it and got sand in his hands and then put them in his mouth. He then found that interesting and decided to grap handfuls of sand and put them in his mouth. It drove me crazy. We skipped the beach last summer when our second child was 9 months old.

We have taken our 8 month old to the beach a few times now. She LOVES the sand and wading in the shallow waves (with help of course!). We find it handy to have lots of wipes and water to rinse sand off her hands (and occasionally out of her mouth). We also take her pacifier because it helps her keep the sandy hands out of her mouth. She loved a small shovel last time. I'd also take some water for her to drink if she'll take it. If you can, keep the first visit short. Its a little overwhelming for babies the first few times, and they wear out quickly! Mine is very adventurous and full of energy, but an hour on the beach is plenty long for her.

Sounds fun! We're headed to the beach in 2 weeks with our 8 month old daughter. My friend recommended taking the Bumbo seat for the beach, if you have one. She said that it was a good way for a baby to sit up without getting covered in sand or toppling over due to lumpy/shifting sand underneath. And of course LOTS of sunscreen. My girlfriends recommend Aveno. I found it at Target. If you have an inflatable bath tub you might like having that in lieu of using the hotel/motel tub. Uses less water and you don't have to worry about how clean the tub is or isn't. Have a good trip!

Great idea about the blow up baby pool. Have a blast! Don't take the advice of the woman Ginny M. of getting a sitter for your daughter, she will have lots of summer fun with her parents!