Day at the beach tips please!

[Chilver]

Hi, we have managed to get a coveted booked slot at a beach for tomorrow and plan to go early and spend the whole day there. We will be taking a (lot of) picnic food and beach games as don't want to go into any local cafe/restaurant/supermarket! There will 2 adults, 2 kids (8 and 10) and a dog.

What are your best tips for a long day at the beach? What is the one item we shouldn't forget???

Talcum powder. Removes sand stuck to skin like magic

Freeze your water bottles the night before. Then you'll have nice cold water as they defrost and bonus is they keep food near to them cold too. I grew up with hot summers and we froze our water bottles every night before school.

Water for the dog?
Will toilets be open?
Hand sanitiser?
Beach shelter and picnic blanket?
Towels to wipe sand off before getting back in the car?
A book! I would LOVE to sit on the beach with a book tomorrow.

Extra bottles of water wet wipes earplugs something for the kids to do in the car on the way back

Make all the food today

Are you sure the dog is allowed on the beach? We went yesterday no dogs allowed.

May to September no dogs allowed

Although no I’ve seen dogs on the beach here (Suffolk)

A spade to bury the results of any toilet trips!

Coveted slot? Our beach is open to all. So are the public toilets. How are they doing it elsewhere?

Thanks all for the great suggestions!! Have started to prepare now so will add in your ideas.

@newphoneswhodis yes, dogs are allowed on a certain part of the each apparently. Thankfully, otherwise we wouldn't be able to go at all. Have got his water bowls, bottle and tennis balls all prepared!!

@Wolfiefan I too would love to sit on the beach with my book and dearly hope I get to do it. One if the reasons were going is because the 2 kids are killing each other in lockdown and we all need a change if scenery - i hope it will be enough to allow me 5 minutes of peaceful reading and not being referee!!

Not sure about toilets being open, that's my concern. If they are, ai am comfortable with them being relatively safe as they are open air ones (walls don't go to ceiling iykwim) so quick in and out with masks and antibac. Wild wees far out in the ocean might be ok though if not?

@incognitomum you have to book a parking space to limit people on beach - and they are hard to come by!

Enjoy your day OP! Can’t wait to do the same one day!!

As previous posters have said, talc to use on feet once you've come off the beach. Frozen water bottles to keep food cool/drink. Wipes. Sanitizer.

I like a bottle of cider on the beach in hot weather, but just the one. So that would be in my basket with a bottle opener.
A big umbrella if no shade is available.
Extra towels in the car for the dog.
Mine wear jogging bottoms type shorts or even joggers for on the way home and a t shirt/hoody for after they've taken their wet gear off.
Plastic bags for any rubbish/wet clothes
Ball games
Depending on the beach, a scavenger hunt
Hand cream/sun cream
Sunhats/glasses
Depending on the drive home (distance) I always keep a couple of drinks/snacks/cushion/small blanket in the car for the kids for on the way back. Drink/piece of fruit/small choc bar

Even a game or two like connect 4 or battleship if you're planning a whole day there.
And a flask of tea/coffee (even on a hot day in case kids get really cold from being in the sea)

We live within walking distance of our local beach and spend as much as time as poss there...
All the above tips are spot on!
I also usually have a little zipped bag to Keep car/house key in and mobile phone and some change for an icecream treat too.
Enjoy your day

Where is the beach? I live at the beach and currently there are zero people on it due to rain and wind and it is shortly due to be covered by the tide so that's it for today

Dogs are allowed on one of the beaches but not the other two and quite honestly, I wouldn't be picnicking on there! Yuk.

If it is like today you'll need en extremely sturdy windbreak, a coat and a hat and scarf. Gloves might be useful too

Poo bags, long line and hook for ddog.

Toilets are all closed at our local beaches-reports of human faeces being left in the sand on local FB pages.

I’ll be giving it a miss.

You BOOK the beach?

All open at ours and definitely didnt get busy! Even on the last weekend that was a scorcher.

We take a bucket in the car and a 5l water bottle. This means we can rinse and dry legs and feet before sitting in the car!

Talcum powder...removes sand

Spare clothes, towels
Beach tent or wind break
My kids take 2 x swimming costumes each as hate putting on wet ones

'A spade to bury the results of any toilet trips!'

Better tell the kids not to dig into the sand then!

Seriously OP, have you never been to the beach before. Just take what you normally would and add in hand sanitiser.

Elasticated waist maxi skirt that you can put over your whole body with just your head sticking out to get changed into a bikini under. Or wear as a skirt to squat for a wild wee if required so nobody sees anything.

poo bags for the dog (And any humans if there are no toilets). Take home and bin there.

and obviously a gallon of suncream plus rash vests etc, today is peak UV.

enjoy your day!

If it’s West Wittering then I’m pretty sure the toilets are open.