An exciting day at the beach with your toddler is incredibly memorable. Most of us do not forget the first-time experiences with children. These fond memories make your life more exciting.

However, in order to have a fun day with your toddler at the beach, you need to be prepared to keep him or her comfortable. There are certain things that you need to pack for the trip without fail.

• Sunscreen: Keep applying sunscreen at the beach in order to prevent sun tans or reddening of the skin. Excessive heat may also result in the formation or rashes and other infections that could cause discomfort for your child. Before leaving for the beach, apply the lotion liberally on the skin as a precautionary measure. Topical creams are generally preferred so that it does not cause any adverse reactions on the tender skin.

• Take a portable umbrella or a tent if you are not looking to go to a resort kind of place. If the weather is at its extreme, you may want to bring your toddler under the tent of sometime in between the playtimes.

• Your little one is sure to enjoy playing in the sand and it is inevitable. You can even consider carrying a shovel for your toddler and allow him to enjoy digging the sand! But, make sure that he does not throw the sand on others as it could enter the eyes and cause irritation.

• Take some sand toys with which he can play. In case you want him to stay for sometime under the tent, you have to keep him occupied and entertained with enough activities as their attention span for a single task may not be for too long in the excitement.

• You can also fly a kite on the beach on a breezy day. Your toddler is sure to love it!

• Ask the child to collect colorful shells to take home.

• Carry hand sanitizers and soap then clean the hand before your toddler wants to eat something after playing.

• Carry lot of cooler drinks and water. Make sure that he has enough liquid to avoid dehydration. Fruit snacks, chips, quickie salads can keep your toddler from trying to consume salt water or experiment eating the sand!

• You can also consider buying a beach chair for your child if you plan to frequently visit the beach. These special colorful chairs for the babies are pretty exciting for them as they mimic their parents in the beach and pose like them!

• While playing in the beach, it is better to avoid salt water falling into the eyes as it could burn. Buy a float or a raft for your child to sit on and enjoy the ride on the waves.

• Make sure that you wear simple, easy to wash, comfortable dresses (preferably old ones) as you are sure to bring a lot of sand and dirt home!

Do not forget to carry a video camera to click pictures. A few years down the line, these fond memories could be a great entertainer for one of your lazy evenings!

Jonathan Pitts

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