Beach Bags

Ok so new update on how to pack a beach bag. But Warning before hand! The way my family packs for the beach it takes three regular sized people and a seven year old to carry!

I'm going to beak this down into the separate bags that we carry.

My Bag

• My personal Sunscreen, such as your facial sunscreen. This would also be the category for tanning lotions and oils.
• Two towels. One to lay on or put in your chair, and one to wrap up in or wipe out your eyes.
• My beach mat! It is straw with pink edges it rolls up perfectly and fits in my bag. I got mine at Target but IDK if they still sell them or not, try www.windycitynovelties.com/straw-beach-mats
• Plastic Bags or Sandwich bags to put pretty seashells in!
• A Book or a Magazine, or both! The Christy Miller Series, like I've suggested at the bottom of the page, by Robin Jones Gunn is a good beach read mainly because they take place on a beach!
• A Camera, this is my absolute best friend on the beach! Pictures help keep memories alive and lots of memories can be made at the beach. Another good idea is to buy a cheap waterproof disposable camera ($8.34 at walmart.com), you can take some really cool underwater pictures if you have the chance and if they don't end up working, it's not a big deal because it didn't cost an arm and a leg!
• Cell phones are good for taking pictures too, but they don't always end up coming out well. This is also always good for emergency purposes!
• Sunglasses, eyes need protection too!
• Lib balm, preferably with sunscreen so your lips won't end up burnt.

Beach Toy Bag

• Buckets! One of my favorite little kid things to do at the beach is to build sandcastles, so pick up some awesome looking building pieces (walls, turrets, castles). You also might want a regular bucket to carry water for the moat :) Try www.toysplash.com
• Shovels, how would you dig without them?
• Sifters, another really cool thing to do is to go out into the water and scoop a big pile of sand into a sifter. I have found everything from seashells, to LIVE sand dollars, starfish and crabs, to sand fleas! (And before you ask they aren't really fleas, they are tiny HARMLESS crabs that look like oversized fleas. They bury themselves in the sand and scurry around like crazy when you dig them up!) Just remember! You can keep the seashells, but put back anything alive!

Crab we found... and put back!

• Sand Molds, I don't use these a whole lot but they are pretty cute :)
• Frisbees are always fun! They don't take up much room so you might want to bring a few in case one floats away.
• Football, similar to the frisbee idea. It's just a fun thing to have around when you get board
• Boats. Yes, I know you will be giving me funny looks now, but I have a little brother! We make tiny ponds and rivers to float them in :)
• Goggles, I know most people can see underwater without them but salt water hurts your eyes a lot more than regular water.
• Boogie Board! This is my absolute favorite thing to do at the beach ever! Besides riding it (which is A LOT of fun anyway), I sun tan on it! I swim out past where the waves break (be careful when doing this, this point varies from beach to beach) and lie on my stomach, beautifully tanned shoulders and back! Just remember to lay on your back in the sun when you get back to land, you don't want an uneven tan!
• Blow ups... hmm what is my opinion on these? It's kind of mixed, they blow away very easily but are easy to pack and can be useful. I am not a big fan of beach balls, I don't really see any point in them because they just blow away, but this is just my opinion. I do like the blow up rafts though, they are another good thing to take out past the point where waves break and sun tan on. I also am quite partial to the arm band floaties, they work well for younger kids who can't swim very well.
• Kites, great for a windy day!

Catch All Bag

• Towels, towels, and more towels! This would be enough for my whole family of four so we need plenty!
• Sunscreen, and plenty of it! Lotion for initial coverage and spray sunscreen to reapply, my recommendation.

Cooler

• WATER! You absolutely need to stay hydrated since you will be in the sun all day, and water is the best way to do it.
• Soft Drinks, Energy Drinks, Juice. Even though water is the best way to stay hydrated, Its not my favorite thing to drink either. Feel free to pack these but drink in moderation and drink water too!
• Small Snacks. Something easy to grab for a quick boost of energy such as fruit, veggies, granola bars, crackers, chips, or hundred calorie packs

Misc.

• Beach Chairs, there a wonderful idea if you want out of the sand even for just a moment.
• Umbrellas, I love them! They are perfect when you need a minute out of the sun!

Like I said, we take A LOT to the beach. You don't have to take this much these are just suggestions. 

I Hope You Like Them! :)