Ideas for Kids

Beach Hacks Every Mom Needs to Know

Comments (47)
  1. Penny says:

    I take rinse free bath wipes like you give sponge baths with. You find them where medical supplies are in the store. We use these to really wash off with the out door showers to feel cleaner before doing another activity or getting something to eat. When taking 5 grand kids to the beach it is easier for me then dragging everyone back to the room, everyone taking a shower, new clothes, fixing hair and for the teen make up. When we get to the car we use the left over water bottles to rinse feet and/or baby powder if not real bad.

  2. Amanda Fata says:

    My mother in laws beach must have, us a two liter bottle of Water in the trunk to clean your feet before getting in the car. Also I love to have a chapstick in my beach bag!

  3. Alison McGowen says:

    Take extra mesh laundry bags with you to the beach. The inexpensive ones in the laundry or ironing section at most stores will do just fine. They are great for traveling with and storing beach towels. Just grab the whole bag when headed down to the water. Also, they are fantastic for beach toys. You can dip the whole bag in the ocean to rinse them. Then carry them back with you clean and ready for the next day.

  4. Sarah Sawall says:

    great ideas! I have to ask, is that siesta key beach you all were at? looks familiar ;) thanks for the tips

    1. Passion For Savings says:

      No, Destin area.

  5. Bobbie says:

    We have several young grandkids who love the beach! But we didn’t always want to chase them around the waters edge. So we bought a large piece (8’ x 10’) of painters high grade plastic and took it to the beach. My son dug a shallow square smaller than the plastic and we lined the area with the plastic allowing for about 12” of overhang. We put sand on top of the overhang to weight it down so that the plastic would not fall into the “beach made pool”
    Then we made a game out of getting buckets of water and filling up our beach pool. The kids enjoyed playing in the pool for hours! When your done for the day, pull up the plastic rinse it off and fold it up for another trip to the beach!
    It has been such a hit that we have had to cut a larger piece to accommodate more kids and friends. Even the bigger kids get in on the action.
    Cheap, fun and totally doable!

  6. Emily says:

    Hi, I signed up to receive emails so I could get your Ultimate Beach Checklist. It directed me to your page of recipes for $5, but no checklist. Am I doing something wrong?? Thanks so much.

    1. Passion For Savings says:

      Maybe check your spam.

  7. Faith says:

    If you want to keep your blanket under the tent to have less sand then take a fitted sheet like full or queen, and just put the corners underneath the legs of the tent and the fitted part will wrap up the side of the leg and create a little “play pin” kind of thing so that sand doesn’t blow in, it has worked well for me and my family.

  8. Maria says:

    ENTER YOUR COMMENT ERE
    i use a pop up mesh laundry hamper to put the kids beach toys in…..just shake the hamper when finished playing and the sand stays on the beach….then when u get back to the house just hose off he toys he hamper and the sand and water will go right through and they will dry in there as well and will be at for next time!

  9. deejay says:

    my beach hacks (with a toddler): I use tarp instead of towel/blanket. its waterproof and can easily (bring small brush/broom) brush off the sand. Towels/blankies will just get wet from wet clothes and sand will stick on it.

    I bring 1gallon plastic tank sprayer ($10) filled with water and leave it in the car. Instant shower to rinse off dirty feet or sandy toddler right infront of your car.

  10. Faithlyn says:

    Awesome idea

  11. Carol Camden-Aguilar says:

    Love this! from THIS “glamma”, I wish I would of had these tips back-in-the-day but I do NOw for my little lovelies! I’m passing it on to my daughter, & mom aged friends. Great ideas!!! Thx so much!

  12. Shell says:

    Wow, I can’t believe people bring this much crap with them to the beach! Doesn’t that defeat the point of having a relaxing day?

    1. deejay says:

      sure….if you are single

  13. Stacy says:

    These are such great ideas! Can’t wait to use them. do you have any advice or great tips for a place to stay…right on the beach? (Without spending an arm and a leg?).

  14. melinda gail says:

    Thanks for the tips.

  15. Gaby says:

    hello! loved all your ideas by the way what brand And where did you buy the wagon? Ive seen many diferent Brands And different ones… thanks!

  16. Becca says:

    Nifty. And a load of great nifty comments too! I’m a mother of 7 (his, her’s and our’s)… We pretty much always brought an umbrella or tent, towels to dry off with and thin, cheap blankets to relax on. Lotion never stays long on my kids, but I still put it on whomever stood still long enough to get tackled! Always brought waters. Never froze them since we had a 24 pack typically, and warm water absorbs better into your body. Used our cooler for sandwiches and mayonnaise based salads (potato salad, macaroni salad)… Brought chips; rarely brought meltable items.

    Thankfully, the beach we go to, Old Orchard Beach, Maine is next to Palace Playland {amusement park} where my husband works, and we typically get huge discounts for food — and all locations give free cups of water now {save your cup for some locations}…

    Tip: put Quarters in an empty medicine bottle, so it’s at hand for meter filling.

    We don’t do the beach often any more, but the younger kids {2 left} and I go to the local swimming hole often. I use many of the same techniques and tricks listed, as well as what we did at the beach… Plus I bought a chair, as I’m allergic to the algae in fresh water, so can’t swim for long {bummer}; and an umbrella {huge 9 foot across bohemeth} ~ the kids sit on towels under the umbrella. I sit and read a good book, and snap pictures at times for them to remember their days or adventure!

  17. Stephanie Jenkins says:

    Also bring along the Meat Tenderizer!! It helps a TON with jelly fish stings!

  18. Trisha says:

    I like to freeze a wet washcloth in a ziplock bag. Toss it the cooler and you have an instant cold compress or a clean cloth to wipe salt water away from a small scrape or your face.

  19. Liberty T. says:

    All of your ideas are so great! I would love to know where you purchased your beach blankets :)

  20. sue says:

    ENTER YOUR COMMENT HEREsueBEST idea EVER: Bring a shower curtain liner and a good quality shovel. Dig a round “pool” in the sand, put shower curtain liner in to form a “pool”, weight edges down with sand and fill with water. Toddlers will love their own pool on the beach!!

  21. Keri says:

    My advice as a Floridian: I have never in my 30 years of life been to the beach with much more than a towel, a bottle of water, and sunscreen. As a child, I didn’t always have a bucket and shovel, so I used my hands to build or dig in the sand. I chased birds and crabs. I swam. I got salt in my eyes and sand in my mouth. I hunted shells and drift wood. I napped. It was great! For me, the simplicity of the ocean is the draw. Being weighed down by a bunch of stuff takes away from that. And what better way to save money than not to buy anything in the first place?

  22. Carol says:

    Be sure to dilute that Lavender Essential Oil before using. (in a carrier oil or lotion)

  23. Kim says:

    Carry a bottle of vinegar, regular white vinegar for those oh so ugly jellyfish stings. Works wonders.

  24. Veridian says:

    For beach toys we have used two systems. 1- a mini plastic container for storage with lid, we rinse off our toys a little and then throw them in the bucket. When we get back to where we are staying we get the water off the container from the wet toys.
    2- Our most favorite way is a super sized ikea bag (the blue ones, $.59). Those bags carry so much and if they get dirty you can always wash them with a spray hose. Sometimes we take two, one for dry things, other for wet things.
    We bring a couple of plastic grocery bags for garbage so we make sure we leave no garbage behind or mixed with our things.
    Day at the beach calls for sandwiches so we either make them before heading to the beach or just grab a loaf of bread and order some lunch meat and cheese from the deli.
    I already do the iced water bottles thing. Isn’t that awesome? I was so happy with myself when I thought I should do that a few yrs ago and have been doing this ever since.
    My husband loves that the kids wear brimmed hats so ears and necks are covered.

    Thanks for the great tips!

  25. cynthia says:

    Skip the wagon and invest in the folding chairs that also double as backpacks.

  26. Morgan says:

    Rebecca, there was really no call to be so rude. This was a mom posting ways to help other moms. Negative comments like that are just useless.

    On a side note. The caprison pouches, or any pouch drink actually contain a lot of bacteria. My daughter complained hers tasted nasty and there wasn’t much drink in there,but it was brand new. I cut the top off and was disgusted by what we found. A molded blob of gross was inside. I contacted the company, but have yet to hear back from them. Just be careful!

  27. Rebecca says:

    Stop with all the waste. Reduce reuse recycle. I see a lot of added trash for no reason in this post. Tupperware. Desirable drink containers. Appreciate the beach and the experience. If you want to eat sand free food – Don’t eat on a beach.

  28. Vicki says:

    LOTS of great ideas!
    I would like to comment on the tent…excellent idea, especially as a family with too many skin cancer scares. HOWEVER I try to live a life of treating others the way I want to be treated and blocking the sun and view of my beach neighbors may not actually be so neighborly. Umbrellas are bad enough…..
    Thanks for the opportunity to share one girls opinion

  29. Jen says:

    That looks like Siesta Key sand!! Love it!

  30. Andi Chan says:

    Love all your ideas! But as a Mom of 2 peanut allergic kiddos all your peanut products make me cringe. Remember all those peanut allergic kids when packing lunches Mommas especially for the park and theme parks. We have left in ambulances several times from coming into contact with invisible peanut residue in public play areas. No Fun.

  31. Tabitha says:

    I love the beach, but I can’t stand when I go to lay on my beach blanket or mat and the kids running around have kicked sand all over it. So a fitted sheet is the answer. Use a fitted sheet and put coolers/bags at each corner and pull the fitted sheet up and around the object in each corner. This will hold the 4 sides of the sheet up off the sand and then blocks all the sand being kicked around and covering your blanket or mat with gritty sand! Don’t forget to dust your mat or blanket with a bit of baby powder so the sand that comes up through the blanket doesn’t stick to u!

  32. Sandy says:

    These are great ideas. The only one I would caution about is bringing a tent to the beach. Check the rules/regulations of your destination first. We took our E-Z Up canopy to North Myrtle Beach last year and discovered they were not permitted on the beach. We ended up running to the nearest WalMart to purchase a beach umbrella instead.

  33. Christine says:

    Set the alarm on your cell phone to remind yourself when to reapply suntan lotion.
    Always bring benedryl cream.

  34. Kristina says:

    Fruit is my go to for portable snacks. Apples, pears, peaches, bananas, blueberries, even grapes, though sandy hands usually transfer to grapes, so wash in your water bucket first. Watermelon is good too if you have it prepped before hand

    1. Mandy says:

      I live a 3 minute walk from the beach, so I’m there a lot with kids. My best tip? Skip the salt! You can get dehydrated so fast while on a hot beach. Pack a ton of fruit and vegetables. You’ll get hydrated from that as well as from water and corn syrup free drinks. Water is ALWAYS best, though. Save the salt for when you’re hydrated and in an air conditioned building. Your body will thank you.

  35. Laurie says:

    Great tips! However, check with the beaches in the area you’ll be visiting on their restrictions for tents. I’m in Surfside, SC and they don’t allow them, anymore. They interfere with the siteline of the life guards. Umbrellas are permitted, though.

  36. Debra says:

    I live near the beach and my go to is filling gallon milk jugs with water. Leave them in the car then sit everyone down just before getting in the car and use them to rinse off their feet and beech shoes. Keeps the car and the house sand free

    1. Tricia says:

      thats a great idea thanks…

  37. Anna says:

    Buy the cheap red and yellow ketchup and mustard refillable bottles at the Dollar Tree. Fill with water and use to squirt one another, write words or draw in the sand, and wash off sandy hands. My kids love them, and you can get 2 for $1!

    1. Melissa says:

      Haven’t heard of that one. Great idea!

  38. Janet Dickens says:

    What is beach waves spray? Never heard of it.

  39. eunice says:

    I always buy beach toys at thrift stores kus they are way cheaper that at t dept store and u could find some better quality.

  40. Shannon says:

    Fill up a water bottle that squirts to clean those sandy bottoms before a diaper change.

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