Kids in Tow: Surviving the Beach

Growing up along the shores of Lake Michigan makes me a beach bum of sorts. Granted, Norwegian ancestry and buckets of SPF 50 go hand-in-hand, but the experience prepared me for road trips south of the Mason Dixon with my own family. When traveling with kids, of course you’ll want to remember towels, shovels, and floppy hats. But what should you bring when your trunk space is a suit case and you’re in a different country?

At a minimum, make room for these beach essentials when kids are in tow:

Socks. If wearing socks at a beach sounds counter-intuitive, consider the combination of hot sand and sensitive feet. Even in sandals, sand can burn the tiniest of toes. Socks are also a great way to ward off the sand that likes to sneak home with you in the distance between the last final “rinse off” and your rental car. Not to mention, socks are also a great way to combat friction blisters if your kids develop (especially in the heel, where straps tend to rub the worst).

Liquid Tears. Nothing makes a kid and their parents more instantly miserable than a foreign body in a toddler eye (well, any age eye, for that matter). Give a kid a shovel, add some wind, and sooner or later someone is going to come crying to mom. I like to keep miniature vials of liquid tears in my purse and beach bag just for this reason. Small enough to pass by airport security, simply twist off the top and squeeze the liquid into the inner corner of the eye (tell kids to keep their eyes closed during this part – when the eye is finally opened, the drop falls right in). Not to mention, liquid tears are more sterile than water or even spit.

Mesh Bag. Worth purchasing even in a tourist shop is a mesh, usually cloth, bag for gathering shells and other ocean treasures. Because the bag is breathable, both sand and water can drip or fall out on your way back to the car. I like to shake the bag for extra measure, hoping any hermit crabs will find the short drop to the beach less traumatic than a plunge off the hotel balcony.

Water. This sounds like a no-brainer, right? Even in Michigan, with plentiful opportunities to re-fill water bottles or purchase new containers for a few dollars, I can’t even begin to count how many “accidental” spills we’ve had over the years. My advice is to fill the bladder of a water bottle backpack (we use a CamelBak) completely full with cold water. Wearing the water source frees your hands and your kids’ hands and it greatly reduces the chance for spills and sand contamination. You may even want to consider two backpacks; one with an electrolyte like Gatorade and the other with water. And here’s the trick: make sure the kids actually stop building sand castles long enough to rehydrate. It’s easy to lose track of time at the beach—especially in salt water, make sure the entire family is replacing fluids.

Beach Toys. Before airlines started charging for extra luggage, packing a sand bucket and shovel from home was not too out of the ordinary. Today, every square inch counts. If you don’t feel like tucking underpants into plastic beach toys, consider getting creative once you arrive at your destination. We’ve re-used plastic cups from restaurants, plastic silverware (sporks make the best impromptu shovels), and even the occasional ice bucket or two (busted!). Consider collecting local leaves, nuts, and shells for sand castle embellishment; sneaking in an educational moment or two. Just don’t forget to recycle or return your makeshift beach gear before you pack to go home.

Julie Henning is the “Feed Me” and Geocaching editor with the online travel website Road Trips for Families. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband and three kids. Lake Michigan has fostered a love (and respect) for water; some day she’ll be a snow bird.