Beach Stuff for Kids!

Vacations with kids are just harder. You need to pack more stuff. They most likely sleep less and that means you do, too, so really, it can be less than relaxing! However, they are still great times and worth doing, because you make fun memories and no one remembers you barely slept, because of all the fun stuff you are doing!

I like sharing baby items that I think are really fun, so I thought I would do a baby beach items list for you in case you are planning a vacation some time soon!

First up...

The Puddle Jumper!

My friend, Carla, had one of these last summer in the pool with her son Charlie! It is AWESOME! It is a life jacket, but a swim float and is U.S. coast guard approved. Last summer, we had the Swimways Infant Spring Float and it was perfect for an infant in the pool, but this summer, I knew Cai would want to be mobile and float around. He wasn't sure how to use it at first, but by the end of the few days we were there, he definitely got the hang of it better and could swim from me to Hart by himself by kicking his feet! The arm floats are attached to the chest piece and it buckles in the back. It's for children 30 - 50 lbs and runs about $18 at Target. Cai wasn't quite 30 lbs, more like 27, but I watched some home movie you tube videos prior to buying it and I saw some pretty tiny kids in it and I don't see why you couldn't put it on a slightly smaller child. (It's in the life jacket section of the sporting goods area). If you will be in the pool or just want a fun life jacket, then this one is great for active little ones. Of course, you still have to be right there and supervise this fun, but it's great for a toddler in the pool!

Sand Toys!

This little set was only $1.99 at Target and kept Cai busy for hours on the beach! Totally worth that $2.

The Sportbrella!

Great for any age, haha! You need a little relief spot to get out of the sun, if necessary with little ones! You can definitely use just a little umbrella, but if you are looking into getting a nice beach umbrella, this one is really awesome!

Buddy Fruits!

These are the perfect beach kid friendly snack! Blended fruit in a pouch that goes straight into the mouth! No way sand can get combined with that! You can throw them in the cooler and they are a nice refreshing snack between waves!

As far as sunscreen, my dermatologist reccommends using Aveeno Baby . That's actually what she recommends for adults, too.

However, I can't, but help the need to have spray sunscreen for quick applications on the beach, so Coppertone Waterbabies Sunblock is great, coming from a mom's opinion!

Also, if you are in need of some good family fun... then you should definitely buy a fake snack and hide it in your brother's bed (this was not my idea!).... it make for some pretty fun times!

This particular one was supposed to expand to 4 feet long if put in water... what we didn't know was that it took 4 - 5 days to get that long, so we were a little disappointed when we planted it in his shower, only to find it still looked like this later that afternoon!

And if you want to get the person back, who had this original prank idea, well, you should hide it in their toilet... THAT was pretty awesome!

One last baby tip I have is to ask your hotel if they provide a crib. Ours provided a pac n play, so that was one less thing to pack, however, when we got there, they only had a normal bed sheet to use for the pac n play, so I was very glad that I packed a pac n play sheet (just in case). That way I could use the bed sheet folded up AND then put our sheet on top of that one.

Obviously, there are some other great (& needed) items for having a beachy time with your baby, but these are just a few of my favs that we used and enjoyed! I hope you have a great vacation! :)