AIBU to ask for UK beach essentials and hacks?

[OverheardBreakup]

We are planning a UK holiday to Dorset in the Summer with 2 young kids (4 and 6).

Every year we go somewhere in the UK and get to the beach and realise we've forgotten something, not thought of something or sitting next to a very well organised family!

So I'm asking what are your UK beach 'essentials' or hacks for lasting all day there with young children. I'm aware of talc on sand and usually remember to pack that but I'm thinking specifically equipment that you have found invaluable or things that have just made the day easier.

I'm not a great beach lover at the best of times but my DH and kids (both boys) absolutely love it so I endure it (and do love seeing them all enjoying themselves!)

Hoping to be organised this summer!

Pop up tent for somewhere for DC to change/ eat/ time out of the sun
Wind breaker if setting up camp and a couple of folding camp chairs
Gel hand wash
Jelly sandals for paddling/ exploring
Cool bag for drinks
Books/ magazines/ comics
Obvious beach toys etc
Get there early to set up in a good spot (check tide times) access to nearby places for buying lunch or ice cream etc a bonus

Talcum powder for getting sand off

I think that’s a good list, though it’s quite a lot to carry, especially if you take your own picnic (as I would) rather than buying lunch out.

If you have a tent (essential) I wouldn’t bother with the windbreak.

I also wouldn’t bother with chairs. I do these days, but I’m in my 60s and I assume you’re not!

I would take one small book for myself but wouldn’t expect the children to read.

I’d take buckets and spades, a couple of fishing nets and perhaps a game of boules (light plastic ones rather than heavy ones).

Other than that I’d take towelling changing robes, towels or mats to sit on, plus suncream, and insect repellent. I’d also take a plastic bag to put wet things in and loo roll, in case the local loo runs out!

When my children were that age I used to put them in short wetsuits. It meant that they could happily go in and out of the water even on cool days and I didn’t have have to worry so much about sunburn on hot days.

Sorry - just seen you’re going to Dorset so ignore my post re a different area!

Do what the locals do. Go for a couple of hours towards the end of the day, and take the bare minimum.

You can instantly tell who the tourists are at the beach car parks because they're struggling under the weight of half the ASDA seasonal aisle...

I'm local and I go early. Parked up by 9am, back home at lunchtime away from the chaos.

It's still packed at 4/5pm on a hot day here.

Surely locals go for a couple of hours at the end of the day because they live there and have presumably been at work/school?

The OP will be on holiday. You want her and her family to stay in their hotel twiddling their thumbs and only go out after 5 in case people think they are tourists? That is a problem, why exactly?

Not a problem but makes life harder for themselves. I couldn't do a whole day on the beach with children that age. I'd be off to the crazy golf/local museum/castle/amusements/anywhere of interest locally for at least half the day and that would make the beach time far more enjoyable all round.

Wind breaerk. One of those proper old fashioned ones with striped tarpaulin between wooden poles

Makes sitting in the sun out of the breeze lovely. It's often the wind that's the mood killer, even on a sunny beach

Rent a beach hut .
They offen come with chairs etc
Just bring the food you can even cook in them .
Spend all week in it

No, in the holidays for example we might go for a walk/ visit something and then go for some beach time after that. Have a picnic tea. Some might have a BBQ but I'm allergic to carrying Too Much Stuff. At that time of day all the tourists are leaving to go and queue up outside the chip shop 😊

We have a blanket like this. Means you have a large area sand free to sit instead of just a towel.

Buckets, spades for sandcastles and rockpooling, little figures to bury, football, inflatables for the sea, towels, sandals (definitely recommend those sea shoes though as jelly sandals hurt with sand), wet suits (great for kids easy to change), small tent, hand sanitizer, headphones, your book, sunglasses, roll on waterproof suncream, hats, and a small brush (like dustpan & brush) to brush off the sand, clothes to change into, hair ties, lots of snacks in a cooler if needed, water bottles.

Wet suits and body boards were a game changer for me. If your DH loves the beach he can take your DC off and play with them in the water.

Agree with wetsuits to keep them warm in the water and then can just suncream the bits that show.

water shoes for in the sea

a much bigger picnic than you think you need as drinks and food are always a rip off at the beach cafes, and you can just buy an ice cream

beach tent for changing, napping and eating lunch out of the sun

High factor sun cream as it’s often windy in the Dorset beaches and you will think it’s not that hot, then they get burnt

lots of people have those trolley things you can load up and pull all your stuff from the car, brilliant idea when you don’t have a pushchair age child

full set of clean clothes to go home in, as if children are anything like mine, they will get changed in and out of swims suits/ wetsuits/ shorts and t shirt and everything including socks and pants will be all sandy, so I always had a change for the end of the day, especially if you want to go shopping or for food on the way home.

we have been to various Dorset beaches every year for my children’s whole childhood as my in laws live there so we have lots of knowledge of Dorset beaches if you want any ideas of good ones !

I know I'm not with the majority here.. but I hate wind breaks... Nothing worse then going to a beach and sitting down only to have a family come in front of you and set up a wall of windbreaks. That is exactly what multiple other families wanted to see at the seaside - a plastic sheet - Rather than the pretty sea.

Tents are smaller, sun umbrellas you can see through, etc. no problem. But I don't get the obsession in this country (maybe others but I have not really seen it) with having to create a mini army camp with full privacy and absolute boundaries on a public beach... Like it is their mini castle.

Anyway. For the op. If your boys like them, a few plastic diggers or buldozers. We had some for my son on the beach and the amount of other 3-5 year old boys who looked jealously until they were invited to join in was quite something.

Also a plastic sheet.. dig a hole, put it in, cover the edges with sand and fill with water. The water won't go away and now they have a mini pool to play with or build next to.

Yes please to suggestions!

We've got a 4 year old and 6 year old and I'm 7 months pregnant so recommendations for easy child friendly beaches would be wonderful!

Minimal is always the way. Sod lugging loads of crap from the car.

Travel towel each. Food bag. Sunscreen. Mask. Snorkel. Accept the sand, it's a beach. Alternatively try somewhere like Kimmeridge which has huge, warm, rock slabs you can lie on. Plus fossil hunting and amazing sea life.

I saw on Insta someone took little watercolour paint sets for their kids for a bit of quiet time between the swimming etc - might work well, depending on your kids!

The fitted sheet hack is good

My kids are beach babies and I love being by the water.

We have a trolley with wide wheels to pull along the sand as none of my kids are pram age and it carries all our crap effortlessly.

We get there after breakfast and will be there the entire day. Large sheet blankets, so everyone has somewhere to sit/lay, sun cream, toys (buckets, spades, a ball), bottles of water, book, sun glasses, spare towels to dry off, goggles, water wings, big baggy tshirts you don’t mind getting wrecked to throw over their swimming costumes and protect shoulders, Bluetooth speaker for music, sunshade umbrellas you can dig into the sand, pop up tent an absolute must. Water shoes if it’s stony or super hot.

I’ll literally be there until the sun goes down. Best place on earth sitting on the beach, watching people, listening to the ocean.

Blue tooth speaker?😮

@Flamingojune Yep, it’s never loud, and I enjoy listening to music.

I purposely pitch up far away from other people. And with the big beach blankets we are usually some distance around us.

If someone then decides they want to come and sit on top of me, they get the joy of music too.

If you're planning to eat on the beach (even snacks), you need a tent. Otherwise the seagulls will come and steal food out of your children's hands and they're vicious buggers.

No choice for them being forced into listening to your music if its a busy beach