This post is sponsored by Aveeno Baby. All opinions are completely my own.
It’s almost officially summer! Here, where I live in Eastern Washington, it is all ready pool time. We are swimming almost everyday in our new saltwater above ground pool and can I just tell you? This is my very favorite time of the year! We have spontaneous pool party time and soon we will do trips to the beach weekly or more. Around here, we head to the Columbia River. I have my special park that everyone else has forgotten about and during the week we have it to ourselves!
With a 18 month old (all ready??!!!), it’s so nice to have baby’s beach bag ready to go at a moments notice. It’s just one less thing to think about when rushing out the door.
Today I wanted to share some of my beach baby essentials with you! I try to not bring too much stuff to the beach- bringing less means packing less to the and from the car. When you have a little one, sometimes it’s hard to contain all the “stuff”! I’ve whittled this list down to what I consider to be the bare beach baby essentials.
What I Pack in my Baby’s Beach Bag
Swim Diapers: I love Swim Diapers! I have used them with all my kiddos and man, they are so much better than the regular diapers when swimming. I am guessing they really are just absorbing most of the #1 and containing in #2- but these are essential for your baby’s beach bag! If you’ve ever used a regular diaper to go swimming, you know it grows to five times its size! Not ideal for swimming around! Swim diapers stay lightweight and my favorite feature is that they are made to rip off! Just tear the sides and its off! No fighting with a wet diaper.
Regular Diapers: After a long swim in the water, baby will be ready for a fresh diaper and a little nap if you’re lucky! I always bring a few fresh diapers (keep the rest in the car)- for after swim time. If baby doesn’t nap at the beach, he will inevitably fall asleep on the way home from the beach. Being in a nice fresh diaper will help keep baby asleep. 
Baby Wipes: I like to keep some baby wipes with me at the beach. As you know, they are not only good at wiping behinds, they are also amazing at cleaning hands, feet, faces, getting sand off everything….Keep these in a gallon sized ziplock baggie and you are good to go!
Sunblock: Ok you guys! As you know, I have been on a quest to lower the amount of chemicals we use in our everyday life. Sunblock is one of those items that are essential for summertime. I have tried different sunscreens and honestly, some of them just don’t work.
I have found a great solution! This AVEENO® Baby CONTINUOUS PROTECTION Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 50 is 100% Zinc-Oxide UVA/UVB Mineral Protection Sunscreen. It’s made with minerals to provide safe protection for baby’s (and all my family members) skin while hydrating it too. It is also hypoallergenic & has the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance! Wow- where was this sunscreen when my 11-year-old was a baby!
A few of the ingredients that I am trying to avoid are any parabens or phthalates. They are found in many cosmetics, shampoos and other beauty products, cleaning products and other items that you might not think of. They are plasticizers and effect the body in lots of different negative ways. Let’s just say, if you can avoid them when possible, do it!
I found this sunscreen in a twin pack at Walmart – I keep one with my pool and one in my beach bag! It would be a great idea to grab another twin pack and leave one in the car and one in the regular diaper bag for trips to the babysitter’s (or in our case, Nana’s house!). I love that with one already in my baby beach bag, I don’t need to run around looking for the sunscreen- just grab my baby beach bag and I know it’s already in there. Ibotta is offering a coupon to help you get stocked up for all those fun summer adventures you have ahead of you! Get it here!
Gallon Size Resealable baggies (for stuff I don’t want to get sandy or wet)- Hello! I know this seems like a no brainer, but I honestly didn’t do this for the longest time. I love that you can throw your phone and keys in one and it’s a sand/water-free makeshift purse. Since we started going to the river a few years ago, I keep a few extra in my bag in case of wet swimsuits, sand collection or catching guppies like my 11 yr old son loves to do. 🙂
Frozen Water Bottles- In the summer I keep a few plastic water bottles frozen in the freezer for spontaneous beach days. They are perfect for keeping food cold AND we always want to make sure everyone is hydrated! Especially baby!
Sippy Cup– Keep clean sippy cup in your baby beach bag and you will be so glad you did! Those hot days mean it’s really important to keep baby hydrated.
A FEW Baby Toys- When I say a few, I mean 1-3! There are so many things for baby to discover at the beach, bringing the whole toy box is a waste of time and effort! I keep a shovel, something for sand to be put in and a little car or something in my bag. Remember that you will be carrying all of your stuff to and from the car and less is more here! Grab some sticks or rocks, some shells…but keep it simple when tossing in toys. You will thank me later!
Baby Inflatable with Shade: I have used a few different baby inflatables. I love the ones with built in shade! Baby’s skin is sensitive and providing shade at the beach, in addition to sunscreen, is an easy thing to help prevent baby from overheating or getting a sunburn.
What are some of the things that you consider essential to your baby’s beach bag? I would love to hear about it!
Also, don’t forget to grab your $5 off Ibotta Coupon for Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection at Walmart!