With the warm spring weather arriving, it’s the perfect time to start planning your beach trip. So that your day out is fun for the whole family, here are a few tips to help your beach adventure run smoothly.

Prepare the night before

Pack the car the night before your trip so you can get all of the essentials, such as chairs, umbrella, wind block and beach toys, organised without a stressful rush in the morning.

You’ll also need a bag for towels, hats, sunglasses, sun cream, spare clothes, nappy changing essentials, a lifejacket, swim nappy, and a bag for wet clothes.

Pop any snacks you’ve prepared in the fridge, ready to put in the cooler in the morning.

Preparing the night before ensures that you can leave nice and early and enjoy a full day playing in the sand and the sea.

Timing is essential

While hitting the beach at lunchtime might sound like a great idea, getting to the beach early is a must to avoid the mid-day heat and won’t clash with their afternoon nap. This will help prevent any major meltdowns from a too hot, tired toddler.

Take a cooler with refreshing snacks

The best snacks at the beach are ones that will cool you down. Chop up some cucumber, watermelon, frozen grapes or maybe even pack some homemade fruit juice lollies along with lots of water. Don’t forget the wet wipes for sticky fingers and faces.

Protect yourself from the sun

Whether you choose a large umbrella or even a pop-up tent, you’ll need something to shelter your toddler from the sun and sand to protect their skin and eyes.

Beach toys and activities

Don’t bring too many toys for the beach. Playing in the sand and the water with a toy such as Sand Pal is a great option as it provides so many building variations. Let their imagination run wild! Playing on the beach together is great for family bonding, and with the Sand Pal kit, you can come together as a family to build the most incredible sandcastle on the beach.

The kit also comes with a handy mesh bag to keep all of the sand moulds together, and you can give it a good shake to get rid of any sand before packing up for the day. The kit is also really easy to clean, making it a great beach option for toddlers.

Apply sun cream before you get to the beach

Trying to chase your toddler to put sun cream on them once you get to the beach will leave you feeling frazzled before the day has even started. Pop their sun cream on before you get them dressed; there is nothing worse than trying to apply sun cream onto already sandy legs. Check your sun cream for how often you need to reapply.

We hope these tips and tricks help you and your little ones to have a fantastic day at the beach.