For me, gone are the days of laying by the pool or beach drifting in and out of sleep, sipping on a diet soda and reading a good book cover to cover in one sitting.
Now my vacation days today are filled with anything but that. If there is one thing that makes me cringe it is the thought of taking both of my girls to the beach or the pool, or rather getting them ready.
This adventure takes some major planning. While on vacation, we plan ahead, so when we wake up in the morning we can immediately start mentally preparing ourselves, and also pack all of the necessities.
I’ll share some things I have learned over the years that I have found to be pretty useful when surviving the sand or the pool with little ones.
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Try to stick to one bag per adult, that way you have your hands free to wrangle your children. To me, the best pool/beach bag is from Lands End. If you are questioning what size, get the extra large. When I first got it I thought I would never fill it. You will fill it, and then some. It is like Mary Poppins’ bag… bottomless.
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Always pack baby powder. It will help tremendously with getting sand off of everyone and out of all the nooks and crannies. You will be so glad you packed this, and everyone will smell fresh after sweating in the sun for hours.
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Park it by a landmark if you are headed to the beach (or even the pool, if it's huge). This will be easier for everyone to fine home base if anyone wanders off, drifts while simming in the ocean, etc. Examples could be behing the lifeguard station, hear the pizza shop or by the jetty flags.
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Apply sunscreen before leaving the house. Welcome to the beach/pool, Kids! Now wait 15 minutes to play or get in the water so we can apply suncsreen. To avoid that, and attacting more sand while applying, just apply at home. The drive will give the sunscreen time to set in too.
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The beach is a great place to encourage your children's imagination (sand castles, imaginative play, etc.) but it is also a great place to try out some really cool beach toys! These are one that will always please the young ones;
Melissa and Doug Clicker Crab Toss and Grip
Quut Scoppi Sand Scoop Beach Toy
Before you head out to the beach or the pool, make sure you are prepared. It will make the day that much more enjoyable for all!