Rollaboard Travel - Tips on Traveling Light

If you plan a family vacation or visit family this summer you might just be heading to a beach or two. With warm weather in full force the water never looked so great. After a long winter indoors it is nice to get out and enjoy the summer weather.

While the beach is great it can be a challenge with little ones. To help make beach trips easier on you here are ten things to take when you have babies and toddlers.

1. Beach Umbrella

As a must with little children and to give you a break from the sun, beach umbrellas are wonderful. Make sure you have a large one with a tilting mechanism so you can direct the shade accordingly. This will give you and the children a place to relax when you eat your lunch or rest from swimming.

2. Sunscreen

It is important to bring plenty of sunscreen with you to the beach. When children play in the water and sand it rubs off so you want to reapply every couple of hours they are exposed to the sun. Try a natural sunscreen that does not have any chemicals if you are worried or your child has sensitive skin.

3. Beach Chairs

While sitting on the sand is perfectly fine it is nice to have a chair along so you do not have to sit so low. A nice beach chair with reclining is nice to nurse your baby or enable you to get up fast to chase your toddler. You can pick one up at a drug store for pretty cheap in the summer months.

4. Baby Tent

If you love to go to the beach, than you will want a baby tent along in your vehicle this summer. They are small, convenient and perfect for keeping baby safe and sound. With an enclosed screen area they keep bugs from biting baby and give them a place to roll around and play with their toys.

5. Beach Toys

Once your child is more interested in the sand, beach toys are a must. They keep children busy for hours digging holes, making sand castles and colleting rocks or seashells. Be prepared to fetch many buckets of water for you little one as this is a great way for them to play and cool off.

6. Swim Diapers

The swimming diapers are a wonderful invention because they catch the solid mess but do not hold on to the water. Regular diapers become overly wet and can explode on your baby causing a huge mess of diaper filling. To avoid this mess pack a few swim diapers in your beach bag.

7. Towels

Make sure you pack a few extra towels when you go to the beach with little ones. Whether they need a place to sleep in the shade or a blanket to keep warm from the cool breeze, extras are nice to have along. Kids also have a tendency to get towels wet and sandy so it is nice to have an extra one to dry them off after the final rinse to get clean.

8. Swim Attire

While the typical bathing suits are great for little boys and girls they do not block much from the sun. Pack an extra swim shirt for the kids so they do not get too much sun exposure. This will prevent you from having to worry about sunburns. Also remember sun hats because those are a lifesaver too.

9. Floats

While boogie boards and life jackets are great to have along it is also nice to remember the baby floats. They are perfect for babies and toddler when you want to get a swim in yourself and need to bring them with you. Make sure your baby is sitting up on their own before you think about using a baby float without holding them in there.

10. Cooler

Packing a cooler with plenty of drinks, snacks, sippy cups and sandwiches is important for taking to the beach. A small cooler on wheels is a great accessory and you can find them at sporting goods stores along with all the other coolers. Be sure to add a few ice packs to the cooler so your food and drinks stay cold.

While there may be other essentials that you always take to the beach this list of items is important with little ones. Enjoy your trip this summer and have fun spending time at the beach.

By: Alexine