3 tips for going to the beach with kids

The sun is shining and we're all dying to take a dip in the sea to cool down! Whether you're heading abroad or to the local beach with your little ones, there are lots to think about and organise. Check out our top tips before you begin your trip!

1.Getting There

The stress of planning a beach trip can make a school morning seem calm. You leave home with basically 90% of the house in various bags draped across your body thinking 'there must be an easier way' and you're right.

• Got a baby? Put as much as you can into a washing basket, it keeps everything in one space together, when baby is tired, lay a few towels inside and pop baby down for a nap in the basket. Make sure it's in the shade to keep baby cool.
• Choose your moment. Don't race to the beach with a picnic in hand as soon as the kids are up, plan to go early in the morning or later in the afternoon. You'll avoid the sun at its hottest and the beach will be half as busy! It will improve the safety of your trip.
• Taking a pushchair? Don't wrestle through the sand and pebbles, pulling a pushchair backwards is much easier!
• Choose space saving toys. Toys like Scrunch are fantastic for family beach trips; durable buckets and toys that fold up to fit in any bag!

2. Games and Activities

• Water bucket races! Who can get from A to B without spilling water from their bucket the fastest! The person with the most water wins.
• Sandcastle competitions! Pass over the bucket and spade and get building! Find shells to decorate and small sticks to draw detail in.
• The beach is a sensory play paradise! Find some shells, rocks and driftwood to create a sand sensory play session for your little one.
• Tug of war is bound to keep the fun going! Tie two towels together if you Don't have a rope. Draw a line in the sand and pull!
• Hopscotch, who needs chalk when you're at the beach! Draw a hopscotch grid with a stone, a stick, or your finger in the sand and play the day away!
• We're going on a shell hunt! Scour the beach for the best shells and take them home for a creative play session! If your little ones have a children's camera, let them capture the day's memories and frame them to be decorated with shells!

3. Sun & Sand Survival

• Take a fitted sheet, place something in each corner to stretch it out and raise the sides and you've got a perfect sand-free zone for younger children to play worry-free.
• Don't take the beach back home with you, baby powder or cornstarch will remove sand from fingers and toes ready for eating or jumping in the car to go home. Use this trick to avoid sand in your suncream!
• Avoid the hourly suncream wrestle with your kids and dress them like a surfer! Thin, easy drying clothes that provide UV protection
• If they do get a little sun touched, pop them in a bath with a few spoons of apple cider vinegar to take the sting out!