Going to the beach with a 12MO

Are you planning a beach day with your young toddler? Going to the beach can be so much fun and to make the most of it I always planned out the day. At 12 months my daughter was transitioning to one nap a day so it was key for us to hit the beach in the morning to get the most out of her first wake hours of the day. 

Before we left the house we would pack her swimsuit, water, snacks, sand toys, towels, diaper bag and her toddler beach chair. 

I always liked changing my daughter out of her onesie and into her swimsuit once we got to the beach. The beach we enjoy going to is about a 25 minute drive and we wanted her comfortable in her onesie during the drive.

Once we arrive at the beach I’d change my daughter and we would scope out a shady spot. After setting up a spot I always let my daughter play in the sand for a bit. I always embrace the mess with sandy hands, feet, arms and mouth! (Yes at 12 months my daughter still enjoys trying to eat the sand!) 

Crawling, walking, scooting and playing in the sand is so important for toddlers to experience different textures! From the small grains of sand to the ocean rocks, seaweed and sand covered leaves it was all so exciting for her to feel and touch and it was fun for me to see her explore. 

My toddler has always loved water. She enjoys baths, showers, kid pools and yes the ocean! We would lightly rub some sunscreen on her exposed parts of her body like her legs, back of her neck and her feet. Then we would hop in the water with her. 

Usually my husband or I will hold her and let her splash her hands and kick her feet. We’ll grab rocks with our toes and let her drop them back into the water. After about 10 to 20 minutes we get out of the ocean and dry off while eating some snacks! 

I usually keep my beach visits short by being out a maximum of two to three hours. It’s nice because in Hawaii we live by so many beaches so it isn’t a far drive for us meaning we can really get the most out of our day without having to drive long distances. 

After drying off and eating a snack, which usually consists of fruit, toddler corn puffs and water we’ll either go back in the water or just  continue drying off in the sand. 

I try to take my daughter to the beach at least once a week! Sometimes it will be first thing in the morning and other times we will go and watch the sunset after eating dinner. It all depends on the day and let’s be honest, her temperament at the moment! It’s always nice to plan a beach trip around her bath schedule. Because after going to the beach and taking a nice warm bath after getting home she is usually so tired it’s a nice calm night for everyone!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you were able to pull a few tips from my experience of going to the beach with a 12 month old!

-Kindly Kaile