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Plan Ahead for a Fun Day at Beach
Jul 24 2008 by Lori Hindman
7/24/08
Sunscreen, Snacks and Baby Powder on Mom’s Checklist
By: Lori Hindman
A great day at the beach doesn'’t just happen. It takes planning and organization, two things at which I do not excel. My general scheme for packing the car includes throwing everything in view into the car, strapping down the kids and heading off into the unknown. This rarely works out; my kids end up without their favorite sandcastle buckets or the fruit snacks while I eat Oreos and wish I were one of those organized moms.
So, in a revolutionary attempt to cultivate my latent logistical abilities, I’'ve created a checklist for the perfect day at the watering hole.
- Pack early — like, way early. Don'’t wait until 5 minutes before you intend to leave.
- Plan for how long you intend to stay, including meals, naps and change for parking meters.
- Remember that you'll have to carry everything, so pack as lightly as possible.
- Bring one towel for each person and a blanket for everyone to sit on.
- Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!
- Fill a soft-sided cooler with drinks and yogurt or cheese, and bring grown-up food for yourself or you’ll end up munching on Oreos.
- Pack toys that you don’t mind losing (because you will lose something).
- Don'’t forget baby powder for getting all that sand off; just shake out a handful and rub it on your feet and legs. It absorbs moisture and causes the sand to fall away.
So much of what to bring to the beach depends on the age and stage of your kids. My kids are strong swimmers, so I don't have to worry about flotation devices. But I do have to schlep their boogie boards at the end of the day when my boys are too tired to do much more than shuffle back to the car. A beach umbrella is only worthwhile if you have very young kids who will sit under it; otherwise its just a hassle. But if you do bring an umbrella, pack a shovel because you’ll have to dig a deep hole to make it stand up. Pop-up tents are cool, but if theres any wind they turn into sails. Good luck with that!
You can't plan for everything, and even if you could you would need a Sherpa to carry all your gear. But for a trip to the beach, the most important thing to have is a sense of adventure — and water. None of this makes much sense without water.
User Comments
I’m heading to San Diego on Sunday and I plan to utilize all these tips, especially the baby powder one!!
While I am a landlocked Colorado girl, I thank you Lori for the tips as the mostly work for a trip to the mountains as well. And for the record, Oreos are pretty darn good! Of course, I never buy them for my child b/c they’re too tempting for me so neither of us gets the pleasure.