What’s in your beach bag?

[MotherWol]

This summer it looks likely that DH and DD (5) will be spending a fair amount of time on the beach, while I lie on the sofa feeding newborn DD2. Experienced beach goers, what’s in your beach bag that makes days at the seaside with kids easier or more fun? Are there any secret beach hacks I should know about?

Talc powder to remove wet sand. A dressing gown to come home in if they’ve been in the sea and a much bigger bag than you think you need.

Talc definitely!!

We’ve spent a week at the beach. The only things we had in our beach bag were towels, suncream and some bottles of water.

Lots of water!
Suncream
Battery charger
Sunglasses
Towel
Wet wipes
Plastic carrier bag or similar to put wet clothes in.
Sun hat.

Depends on child's age but consider:
Kite
Bucket and spade
Talc to remove sand
Towelling cover up or dressing gown
Net and bucket
Use suncream that's very waterproof and long lasting

Take I Spy at the Seaside for the dc
Search ‘fitted sheet beach’ on google images. It’s a genius idea!
Take along a bag for litter so you don’t have to take unnecessary trips to the bin. Take another bag for wet swimming clothes and towels.
Put sun cream in a ziplock bag (or similar) in case it leaks.
Freeze your drinks
Take spare towels to sit on for the car journey home!
Make a mental note (or one on your phone) of when everyone applies sun cream so you know when to reapply. Apply sun cream before you get onto the sand!
Grab a large bucket, fill it with water and half bury it in the sand by your cooler. Designate it the “hand washing” bucket which all sandy-fingered children (and adults!) must use before accessing the cooler.

Get a bracelet for your Dd which you can put your mobile number on or write it in permanent marker on the back of your DD’s hand. Just in case!

Separate bags for wet stuff and dry stuff!

This is why I love mumsnet! Bottle of talc has been found, poncho towel for DH has been ordered, and I love the idea of a hand washing bucket! I’m fed up of trips to the beach being spoiled by realising we’ve forgotten something that would have made our lives easier, this will be the summer we get it down to a fine art

Wet wipes
Gauze towels
Sunscreen
Lots of water
Snacks
Toys that can survive sand and seawater

Not in my beach bag as such but I find it easier to have a beach tent and a largish waterproof backed picnic blanket to sit on rather than taking 4 towels for each of us to sit on and another 4 towels to dry us

Has anyone got a good BIG beach bag that they can recommend, whilst we’re on the topic! Something that fits loads of stuff in rather than just being a beachy-looking shoulder bag that means you then need to also carry three extra bags to fit everything you need in!

“Has anyone got a good BIG beach bag that they can recommend, whilst we’re on the topic!”

We use the big woven plastic type supermarket bags. Waterproof, big, cheap and easily replaced. The M&S version has both short hand length and longer shoulder length handles which is particularly helpful.

@Howshouldibehave

Has anyone got a good BIG beach bag that they can recommend, whilst we’re on the topic! Something that fits loads of stuff in rather than just being a beachy-looking shoulder bag that means you then need to also carry three extra bags to fit everything you need in!

We just use a supermarket bag for life. If you are going to take body boards, wet suits and loads of stuff then some people use a pull along festival trolley.

I use an IKEA bag. Enormous.

I like these as they zip up www.rexlondon.com/red-retrospot-design-jumbo-storage-bag

I use an A4 ziplock bag for my wet stuff at swimming

Dock & Bay beach towels (take up less space)
Pop up tent / beach tent in case it’s very hot
Bucket & spades (selfridges were selling some silicone ones that fold so you can squish them in, brilliant)
Blow up beach ball / frisbee
Food/snacks/water in a coolbag
Sunscreen, hat
Change of clothes

I don’t use talc due to the cancer link but I take body powder it takes sand off so fast.