Oh how exciting it was to know that it is possible to give my little guy an exciting life even at this age and doing so, as a single mama. We took a 3 night trip to a beach less than 2 hours away. The drive was about an hour and a half. I want to share my essentials to have a successful beach trip and overnight with a baby.
Most of the items I purchased from Amazon, but can be found in your local stores too! I had some lessons learned for sure and there are items I wouldn’t bring the second time around.
1. Collapsible Beach Wagon
This was key in transporting all things from car to beach. I will use this year round, for all things we do. It fits snuggly in my SUV next to my stroller and is very handy when you need an extra hand.
2. Pop Up Beach Tent
Baby will get hot, need to nap, eat and get diaper changes. It’s important to protect baby’s skin with not just sunscreen but also a tent facing away from the wind.
3. Beach Toys
I didn’t see it fit to bring toys from home to the beach. This gave my son a whole new sensory experience and made it exciting to play with something exclusive for his environment, even when he was just as happy with an empty water bottle.
4. Baby Pop Up Beach Pool with Cover
Some oceans run cooler than other. The ones in Maine are pretty cold even in July, so getting the water from the ocean and into this toy was key. It kept him cool on the hottest days! He loved this!
5. Big Beach Blanket Waterproof and SandProof
Yes, this thing was a lifesaver! Beautiful too! It was nice for him to crawl around and was easy to pack away at the end of the fun. I got so many compliments on this! It’s pictured above too!
6. Things I Wouldn’t Bring Again
A beach chair. Most of the time, I was lying in the tent, playing with my son or chasing him around. Not necessary for me. I also brought a stool for him to eat, left it at the hotel. It was just easier to let him eat off my plate and oftentimes I just held him. A stroller on the beach, just no. Use a baby carrier, even if it’s built for all terrain. Sand is sand. A book. Perhaps when he is older I will find time to read again, but most of my time was spent playing with him. Especially if you are alone, eyes on baby at all times and not much time for leisure other than watching the beautiful ocean in the background! It did not at all take away from the enjoyment; it’s just not quite the place at this time, for that.
7. Other Things That Were A Saving Grace!
Baby powder really helped get sand off my son. I also brought a few light swaddle blankets for nap time. For the hotel, his pack-n-play was phenomenal! Though he preferred to play peek-a-boo <3, it was good and safe for him during bedtime as opposed to cosleeping. I also transported a few favorite toys from home to make him feel at home.
A few things I did to keep things in order. I didn’t change bedtime. My guest and I went out to eat each night for dinner and baby boy slept peacefully in his stroller. Upon return to the hotel, he would go back to sleep after a few minutes of peek-a-boo. I prepared bottles ahead of time and put them in a cooler or the diaper bag to always be prepared if he got hungry.
If it’s your first beach baby trip, you got this! I feel like now that I know what wasn’t needed and what was, the next one will be loads easier.
Enjoy!
