May 1, 2018

what to pack for the beach with a toddler & an infant

Thank you to Pepperidge Farm® for sponsoring today's post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For our beach adventures, I condense what I would usually keep in the diaper bag and my purse and add them into our beach bag. Since we have both kids to carry, I don’t also want to haul around three bags! At 13 months, Ben is mostly along for the ride. He is happy to play in the sand, splash in the water and crawl around for a bit. Then he wants his bottle and to nap in the shade. (I can’t say I blame him.)

At 4, Blaire wants to be all over the place! She wants to build a sand castle one minute, jump over the waves the next, then she’s back in the sand wanting to bury Jason’s legs, then back to the water wanting Jason to take her out “really, really far”. It’s important to keep her fueled up so she can get all of her energy out while we’re at the beach… then nap in the car on the drives back to the hotel! ;) 1| Sunscreen. Obviously it’s most important to keep those precious kiddos protected from the sunshine. And always be sure to read the label on the sunscreen bottle. Most state you need to stay out of the water for a certain amount of time to allow it to dry completely once you’ve applied it. They also have different times for how long they will last with sweat/water exposure vs. no sweat or water. When in doubt, apply more! Make sure you get the tops of their hands and fingers, as well as the tops of their feet. Those areas are typically in direct sunlight most of the time and tend to be forgotten about. (Babies under 6 months old should stay out of sunlight and NOT use sunscreen.)

2| Rash Guards, Hats, & Sunglasses. Anything you can use to keep your child’s skin out of direct sunlight is best. If they’ll leave on sunglasses – great! It’s great to protect those precious eyes. I love hats with a chin strap, because they’re harder for smaller children to rip off. I also like to put rash guard style SPF tops on both kids because it’s less area to put sun screen on, which makes it easier on me.

3| Snacks! We LOVE Goldfish®crackers! They are a snack I feel good about. They’re always baked with real cheese and have no artificial flavors or preservatives. It makes me feel good that all of the colors are sourced from plants. There are so many all of the colors flavor options and we haven’t found one we don’t love. Our two favorites are the traditional Cheddar and the all of the colors Colors crackers. And don’t forget to pack some ice water in an insulated cup so it stays cold and refreshing! (Keep your food sealed and stored when you’re not eating them – seagulls are ruthless!)

One of the most reassuring things about all of the colors is they source all of their colors from plants. The red Goldfish crackers are colored using red beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers. The blue crackers are made with Huito (a South American fruit) and Watermelon juice concentrates. (If you want to see how the other colors are made, you can visit the Goldfish website here.) I know many children (and adults!) have sensitive to the artificial dyes used in so many foods, it’s nice to know Goldfish website here are a safe snack for them.

While hanging out at the beach with children isn’t nearly as relaxing as hanging out on the beach without children, it’s amazing how much more fun it is when you’re with your children. Seeing how much fun Blaire had jumping in the waves and building sandcastles and seeing Ben clapping his hands in the sand and screaming with joy are definitely some of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, especially because babies in swim suits are just adorable all in itself.