15 surprising beach hacks that will make family beach days a breeze

By Jessica Page – Little Fishy Swim

Before I had kids, heading to the beach was my happy place: a guaranteed recipe for some much needed me-time, solitude, quiet and bliss. And whilst I still love hitting the sand with my almost-three-year old, I wouldn’t say ‘ease’ or ‘relaxation’ are the first words that come to mind. If you’re a busy mama of little ones, I can almost see you vigorously nodding along.

Running my own kids’ and baby swimwear business means it’s now practically my job to get to the beach with little ones (tough life, I know), and I’ve certainly picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. So let me share some of the more surprising Mum hacks that have helped me turn my family beach days from stressful to sublime.

1. Create your own family beach closet in your car

When Summer really gets going and my family gets into full beach mode, I’ll try to keep a set of ‘beach essentials’ in the back of the car at all times. For those beach mamas who don’t love the clutter (or simply have a small boot), try this hack. Loop a fabric hanging shoe organiser over the back of your car seat’s head piece. Fill each space with your beach essentials: a big tub of SPF50+ sunscreen in one, a compact beach towel or mat, in the other, a hairbrush, plasters, baby wipes, talcum powder, spare swim nappies and more. That way, you’re ready to drop in on the sand whenever the mood, and weather, takes you!

2. Keeping a kids’ beach packing checklist handy

There’s nothing worse than arriving on the sand with all the kids on tow and realising you’ve forgotten baby’s swim nappy, your toddler’s water bottle or sun hat. I guarantee your beach day will end within 10 minutes, 30 mins max. I keep a screenshot of a kids’ beach packing list on my phone and a print in our laundry room – just featuring the essentials so I can quickly check them off and make sure I don’t forget a thing.

3. Choose swimwear for kids and baby that will make life easier

Yep, I would say this, but I promise quality kids and baby swimwear can make your day on the sand infinitely easier. Take the constant sun-protection worry down a notch by choosing good coverage kids’ swimwear with UPF50+ certification. Ever tried changing a nappy on the sand, or trying to pull a wriggling toddler out of their wet togs for a toilet emergency? Yeah, not fun. Kids’ bathers with features like snap stud bottoms and extended zipper pulls will make beach baby nappy changes and toilet breaks a breeze.

4. Snacks that stay refreshing all day

This one takes a little planning but I promise it pays off. I like to freeze some yoghurt pouches and drink bottles the night before a day in the sand. Pop them in your coolbox and they’ll thaw throughout the day, providing some essential refreshment when the heat of the sun gets a little much. Fruit slushies and iced drinks without the schlep over the hot sand… ideal to save both hassle and cents.

5. Pack for baby in a cooler bag

If you’re a breast or bottle feeding mama, having access to a cooler is especially important if you’re bringing pumped milk or formula down to the beach. Since you’re already carrying enough stuff, we recommend a soft cooler bag that can pack down small and fit under the pram or in your beach bag, along with some frozen ice packs to ensure milk stays fresh for longer. But since staying cool is so important for babies in the hot summer sun, why stop there? I pack a spare t-shirt or light onesie in the coolbox also, so baby can slip into something cool if they get overheated, plus some sun cream too, making that fresh lotion application a refreshing experience.

6. Double your beach towel or blanket as a handy storage unit

For those of you not shy of a needle and thread, I LOVE this hack. Pimp your current beach blanket or towel to include some much storage for your keys, to keep your phone dry (and in the shade!) and more. Simply turn up a 10-15cm hem on one side of a large beach towel and sew in little pocket dividers. One for drinks, one for lotion, one for sunnies, and one for keys, phones and valuables. Genius!

7. Choose space-saving kids’ beach toys

A kids’ beach day wouldn’t be a kids’ beach day without buckets, spades and plenty of sand toys. But my goodness do they take up a lot of space. Mama, you’re carrying enough already! Invest in kids’ beach toys that pack down small. We love buckets that flatten or toys made out silicone that scrunch down small (and are more sustainable than their plastic cousins too!).

8. Don’t forget your laundry bag!

Yes, your laundry bag deserves a place in your beach kit! Store your kids’ beach toys in one of those mesh laundry bags (the ones with holes in designed to wash your undies). Once it’s time to pack up at the end of the day, all of the sand will fall through the mesh as it dries, meaning it will have dropped out before you reach the car – not inside it!

9. Give beach thieves the slip, with a spare nappy!

I thought this one was genius when I first heard it, and have used it on many occasions to leave my valuables on my beach towel without a care in the world. When heading down to the water, or away from your pitch, wrap your valuables in a (fresh) nappy, and seal it inside a tied nappy bag. Even the most insistent of thieves will give your ‘dirty nappy bag’ a wide berth… just make sure you don’t fool yourself come the end of the day!

10. Create a baby crib in the sand

Your beach baby may struggle to catch some zzzs if they’re too hot out there on the sand. Skip hauling your bassinet on the shoreline, and dig a hole for nap time instead! The moister sand below the beach’s surface has avoided spending the day getting scorched by the sun, and by holding water will keep baby cool and get them comfortable for their nap. Just remember to put down a towel inside your hole and cover them a beach umbrella with some shade.

11. Make your pitch high visible from afar

I may at times have wondered whether I ought to attach a AirTag to my toddler, now that she’s confidently dashing off alone on her beachside ‘scavenger hunts’. There’s no bigger ‘heart-in-your-mouth’ moment a parent can experience on a crowded beach than the moment you can’t find your child. Kids do occasionally wander, and on a busy beach it’s often hard to spot where Mum and Dad have set up camp. Whilst I always recommend keeping your kids squarely in your sights, popping a colourful flag (or even hoist a bucket) atop your beach tent or umbrella will make it that much easier for your little wanderer to find their way back to you.

11. Invest in a clip on ‘pram fan’ to keep your baby cool at the beach

I got this tip from a friend who lives in the UAE and routinely battled 50-degree celsius days with her little ones. Invest in a little battery operated clip-on fan. You can attach it to the edge of your beach tent, your beach babe’s bassinet or just prop it next to them on a beach towel. I promise it’s a godsend if the sun’s hot glare all starts to get a bit much.

12. Magic the sand away at the end of the day

Anyone else seem to take half the beach home with them and the kids? I can relate, and I’ve got a hack for you. Keep a bottle of talcum powder and a soft-bristled brush in the pram or back of the car. The powder will pull all the moisture out of the sand, leaving the dry flakes to easily drop off (and you and the kids smelling lovely!).

13. Soothe kids sunburn by keeping a batch of aloe vera ice cubes in the freezer

Since I’ve already got you popping some beach gear in the freezer, here’s another handy ice cold hack. Whilst sunburn is, of course, always best avoided, if your kids develop pink skin whilst out at the beach it can really ruin the rest of your day. For emergencies I love to keep an ice cube tray in the freezer with some frozen aloe gel. Aloe vera will not only help draw the sting out the burn, but the ice cube will provide some much needed cooling on red hot skin.

14. Hack kids sunburn relief with menthol shaving foam

Kids spend a little too long down at the beach? Got a case of baby sunburn and don’t have aloe vera on hand? Perhaps Dad can help! It’s not the perfect cure, but applying menthol shaving foam on the affected area can provide a much needed cooling effect, relieving your little one’s discounted whilst the burn has a chance to simmer down a bit.

15. Quit being a packhorse and share the load

Sure, this one might not work with your younger babes, but Mama: your kids can carry some of their own beach wear! A compact towel, sunnies and bathing suit really needn’t weigh that much. Get your kids invested in carrying their own gear but letting them choose a cute little beach bag that can be kept ‘ever-ready’ in your hall, garage or laundry room. That frees you up to just focus on the ‘essentials’ like lotion, shade and snacks. Think that will never work for you? Then skip the hassle and go straight ahead to a beach cart. I promise you playing carthorse with a cart on wheels is much easier than playing ‘sherpa’ with 5,000 items slung across your back!

The Wonderfold Volkswagen Wagon in Bondi Blue features like the classic VW bumper, functioning headlights, and retro all-terrain XL wheels. The cart has two seats for little ones as well as ample storage space with pockets on all sides and a removable rear basket to hold all of your essentials

Jessica Page is a mum-of-one based in Bondi Beach, Australia, and founder of Little Fishy Swim, a sustainable kids’ and baby swimwear brand committed to preserving our oceans for the next generation. As a kids’ swimwear entrepreneur, she knows her way around a beach, and has become a bit of a professional at making family days on the sand run smoother.