Top 10 Mom Approved Beach Vacation Tips

I have been vacationing to the beach with our growing family for years, after shepherding a crew of now 6 kiddos over a 15-hour road trek to my happy place, I think I have some tips to share, especially as I am also now the mom to a little one with special needs as well. I have learned over the years, please heed my advice as I have made the mistakes so you don’t have to. Here are my Top 10 Mom Approved Beach Vacation Tips from a mom who has been there…lots.

If you are flying you actually have to be more creative because of the luggage and weight requirements when you are traveling with younger children, or children with special needs. We drive but that’s just because if you have ever tried to price out airline tickets for a family of 8, well, then you would understand. However, driving makes it so I have more freedom to ensure that I have all my bases covered. Okay, keeping in mind the mode of transportation…here goes.

MAKE A LIST

Seriously, I know that you might be tempted not to, especially if lists aren’t your thing, but you NEED a list. I actually save mine from year to year on my computer so I just give it a glance, update and check things off. After forgetting something important way more times than I care to admit, this is a must. Sit down and think of EVERYTHING you use in the span of a week, then add more underwear and socks.

PACK A FIRST AID KIT

Never is it fun to be at your hotel or rental home when in the middle of the night have a child spike a fever and you have no Tylenol. For littles with special needs, like my Cedar with Down Syndrome, try to think of things that you might wish you had if they get sick, for us that is a pulse oximeter and a snot sucker. Don’t forget the adults here too, eating differently can cause a need for a bit of acid indigestion fixing, better to be prepared than to have to run to the store. Also, check out your location ahead of time and make note of the closest urgent care and Children’s hospital, just so you know where it is.

RENT IT

If you are traveling with little ones, or ones that may need baby gates, pack and plays, and high chairs, simply rent those items when you get to your location. Hotels will often have cribs you can request, and if you are renting a beach house most rental companies are affiliated with area rentals that can save you the hassle of not having the conveniences of home when you really need that high chair.

BEACH BUCKET

This hack is one I just came up with this year because of traveling with our littlest one. We have never vacationed at the beach with a child who is not yet walking, this was a first. So how do you deal with the fact that every time they touch anything, the hands are sandy and they go straight into the mouth, which then becomes sandy? I came up with this ingenious idea. We took a gallon tub we had used from ice cream (yes our family can demolish one of those huge tubs) and I buried it up to the lip in the sand. Cedar wasn’t able to tip over the bucket, but when I filled it with water he loved splashing in it and constantly rinsing those sandy hands. This kept him occupied for hours, and the bigger kids loved finding large shells to add to his water bucket.

HIT THE SHADE

As much as I love the sun and soaking it all up, little ones need some shade. Also, those who aren’t yet walking or running do as well. Years ago we chose to buy a sports shade like this one, but even a beach umbrella will work (and beach umbrellas are great to stick in the sand right at the surf to shade your child who wants to sit in the surf) But wait, there is a trick to it…the beach can be a VERY windy place, yes, I speak from experience. We take sand an either fill up the beach bags, or the sleeves that our camping chairs come in, and tie them to the canopy to keep it anchored down. No one wants their beach gear flying down the beach.

TAKE YOUR SUNSCREEN

Hit a dollar store or Walmart before you leave because it is a known fact that beach towns mark up their sunscreen like 1000 %, don’t forget the Aloe and after sun lotion too!

FRESH WATER

Kids can be weird about their water. If the water in a location tastes different to them, they sometimes won’t drink it. You can fix this potential problem by getting them used to bottled water while at home and then just using bottled water while at the beach. We find that a gallon jug of water serves us best because when the sand gets on a little one’s face, a quick douse of fresh water rinses it right off (salt water usually burns the eyes).

PACK AND PLAY

Remember #3? My little guy is not yet mobile so another option is to bring the pack and play right to the beach. Obviously you don’t want to take the padded mattress there but having a safe place for your little one to nap, play with toys, or just chill, can be worth its weight in gold. It is especially nice to have them up off the sand for a bit. Oh and a soft sided carrier like this one is great to have in a pinch to pack them up, let’s face it, strollers just don’t work in the sand.

POUCHES

Okay, this one may make the speech therapists cringe, but in a pinch, those organic baby food pouches with applesauce, bananas, or other fruits are an awesome quick snack. They travel well, require no refrigeration before opening, and can be eaten virtually mess free in the car or on a plane if you suck the sweetness through the opening.

CALL YOUR BANK OR CREDIT CARD COMPANY

It never fails, we forget this one all the time. In today’s age of cyber security when your bank or credit card company sees activity outside of what your norm is, or sees your card being used in a different state, they may put a hold on your account. That is not fun to have to deal with when trying to purchase all those souveniers your kids just have to have.

I promised 10, but seriously, with 6 kids I could go on and on. We actually pack most of our dry goods in a cooler and then hit the local grocery for cold items when we get to the beach, but that is because we drive to the ocean. We rent a beach house as opposed to a hotel because it is often near the same nightly price (check for condos too) and so much easier when traveling with kids. Like I said, I could go on and on. Having 6 children, one of whom has Down Syndrome, has not hampered our travel plans one bit. In fact, the only thing I found to be different this time was that I packed more “stuff” but that happens when you are a family of 8.