Beach Preparation

One thing I do for the summer is pack a large beach bag that stays in the car at all times...
In it are sun screen, bug spray, floaties, several "extra" towels, sun hats for kids, swimmers, etc...
That way if we forget/ run out of something we have an emergency supply to raid... Also helps for those unexpectedly sunny days, accidents, etc...

Individual baggies of animal crackers, whale crackers, pretzels, etc are my usual go to snack for beach trips and capri suns are easy to haul, store, etc...

When our daughter was younger during the summers I always kept a wagon in the back of the car it helped so much to cart everything around. At the time I had a smaller cooler that fit perfectly on the end of the wagon.

As she got older and could walk longer distances I always kept a cooler with rollers in the back of my car. We love ice so I add ice every other day, for the beach you will probably want cold packs. I also keep our sun screen in there since it gets so hot in the car.

Keep a box of ziplocs handy so you can keep all opened packages of food or supplies in each bag. Take lots of water and juice. Ziplock filled with baby carrots, cucumber slices, celery. Another with apple slices, grapes, orange slices, strawberries. I took either already prepared sandwiches or the makings for sandwiches. I liked using Pita bread since it held stuff better than bread.. Crackers, cookies. I also took sparkling water and ginger ale in case of upset tummies.

We also always have a canvas bag with all of our beach towels, extra set of clothes for all of us, sun glasses and sunhats..Toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer, remember not to use baby wipes on their faces, they can cause rashes on them. I took trash bags to collect all dirty and wet clothing. When we got home I would carry it directly to the laundry room and start a load..

I noticed Costco had a great huge umbrella that converts into a huge sun shade. Folding chairs and an old quilt.

Have a blast and remember a camera or purchase boxed cameras..

Only bring the neccessities! We go to the beach a lot and I keep a mesh bag filled with basic sand toys and floaties in it. I also keep a bag with swim diapers, sunscreen and ziplock bags (for the wet clothes or to protect the camera/cell). No beach balls or anything that will be blowing away. I don't bring chairs, too much to carry. I just bring a decent size beach blanket that folds up and velcros and has straps and a lil pocket. A beach umbrella is always nice if there is no shade. Pre-sliced frozen fruit is always good for the beach. You'll get better at it with practice :o) It took me a few weeks to get my routine down.

My kids are too old to be in a stroller, but we have so much stuff and boogie boards too that I got the Wonder Wheels beach cart. I love it. I got it through the internet. It fits everything with boogie boards on top. It stands upright, then you tilt it to roll it along. It's great. For shade, we just use a regular beach umbrella.

I have a 5 and 3 yo. We live in Poway so we go to the San Diego beaches often. We have a Bob stroller, so we just load it up with everything and push it pretty easily over the sand. The kids walk. We like Mission Beach South (by the volleyball courts)...more parking, less crowded, bathroom and picnic benches, and life guard tower. I also like to take the kids to Del Mar beach and park for a few hours after school once in awhile by myself. I pack up snacks, andwich stuff and drinks into our Max Cold Mesh Igloo. I make the kids carry their own beach toys (usually just a couple of buckets and a couple of shovels...nothing fancy) from the car. I throw sunscreen, beach towels, our beach blanket (it's Nylon...I think we got it from Target or Babies R Us), portable kids potty, and a few other snacks or drinks onto the stroller. We hang our two beach chairs on the back of the stroller. One of us carries the big beach umbrella that we got at Costco for like $40 (we've had it for 3 years now without breaking so it's well worth the money) and holds the two kids hands in the parking lot while the other pushes the stroller over the sand.

If it's just me and the kids, I pack the igloo, our beach blanket and the kids carry their sand toys.

I also keep sand toys and changes of clothes in the car at all times. That and a case of water, a case of juice boxes, and a bunch of non perishable snacks. We have a Toyota Siena so I just keep it all in the way back.

This will sound funny....but my friend and each had one of those wheeled folding shopping baskets that you see old ladies pulling, when our kids were little. We went to the beach constantly or camped there. Those carts were lifesavers! We bungee corded our beach chairs to the outside and filled it with all the things you need on the beach. A small ice chest fits right inside. It's easy to see where things are inside one and it lays flat in the car trunk. You could pull it from the parking area and it stood up on/out of the sand. A nice landmark for the kids to see so they didn't move too far away, too! Sure beat being a pack horse carrying everything!
Oh food....we love grapes at the beach. It's humid there and all that water, for some reason we are always really thirsty, grapes hit the spot!

If you have a two or under child bring a small little inflatable pool. Put beach toys inside. My child would sit there for hours. If you don't want to bring alot. just dig a chair in the sand with a back to it and lay an extra towel in the hole. Baby powder is a must. shake it on the sand that never seems to come off expecially in the private areas. It makes the sand come right off.
Food must haves. Frozen grapes. Frozen gogurt.

One Step Ahead has excellent sun protection gear, clothing and especially a large tent. Everything else I'll have to learn about from other moms who responded. Have a great time in San Diego!

Lots of sunscreen for the little ones - and KEEP re-applying if they go in and out of the water (high SPF too) and lots of fluids ( water ). I was a medic and although the weather is overcast a lot at the beach, people still can get very burned and dehydrated. Bring an umbrella or something for shade and hats are the best for babies/toddlers (protects their scalps/face/ears from getting burned). I don't know how old your kids are, but now that I have kids, I always park next to or near the lifeguard tower 'just in case' of an emergency (or at least know where they are located). Have fun -San Diego is the best! :)

We live a mile from the beach and go all the time, as we are a surfing family, also. We have a boy-5 and a girl 3. I recommend having a dedicated beach tote that you keep packed with the necessities(sunblocks, wipes, hats, shampoo, brush, etc) as well as, to put your swimsuits, cover-ups, sweatshirts, flip-flops, extra change of clothes, etc. in. Also, get a larger plastic tote to carry the towels, beach toys, etc. Get a large umbrella that is UV protective (CVS, Target). Costco has great Tommy Bahama beach chairs that have room to carry things in the back and even hang your towel. An oversize Beach Towel/blanket is great, so the whole family can sit together and eat or lay on. They are also great to take to the parks or other outdoor events. There are insulated recycle bags for drinks and snacks. Water bottles with the chiller piece inside to keep drinks cold. Suggest making sandwiches at home or take oranges, apple slices, grapes, freeze yogurt tubes, also crackers, cheese sticks, packages of lunchmeat like Buddig. chips, cookies. Load some plastic bags for wet suits, trash. Boogie Boards are fun, too at Target, Sports Chalet, local beach stores - Wings and tons of other games to play. Frisbee and footballs. If you need a stroller, they are great to load up stuff for the beach, but it needs to be a jogging. outdoor style to get through the sand. We usually pull up as close to the beach as we can to unload all of the gear, then one person stays with the kids and gear while the other parks. Hope this helps - Kate

We live on Maui and it seems like the best times we have on the beach are when we bring the least amount of stuff and stay for a max of 2 hours. One bucket and a couple shovels for sand castles. Eat before you go, because I personally don't like my food encrusted with sand. bring water. I assume that you have a shower at the beach to rinse off. Sunscreen before you go. Don't sit on your towels. Keep them freshly folded in the beach bag (or better yet, in the car, assuming you are driving). You will be covered in sand no matter what you do, it is nice to be able to have something that is not wet and sandy when you are ready to leave. We usually don't spend all day at the beach - too much sun. We like to go either in the morning from 9-11 or in the afternoon from 3-5 when the sun is less powerful. That way, you don't need to reapply sunscreen, so no need to bring that either and try to rub into sandy skin. Have a great summer, and remember, you can always come back another day, you don't need to get all your beach time in one day!

We like our chairs (need to switch to the ones that can go as a backpack, from Costco) But our daughter loves to have her own chair too. I finally found a small kid size one which is a backpack and has a small pocket on it as well. Of all places I found it at CVS and she loves it and carries it on her back. (one less thing for us to carry)

How old are your children do they know how to swim if not now get life jacket to wear ni the water take sunnscsreen along have fun A. no hills