Are you heading to the beach this summer? Here it is cold and rainy, so my longing for the warm, sunny days of the beach seems to have increased exponentially. In fact, as I am writing this a thunderstorm and torrential, January-like rain are sweeping across our house. Enough! I am waiting for the beach and long days of exploring.
In the summer time we go to the beach for at least ten days. What do we bring?
Water shoes allow your child to move in and out of the water easily. Get the kind that wrap tight to the feet. Sandals are wonderful, but they let the sand in. Bring sit-upons or a couple of beach towels to sit on while your child looks for creatures, and remember the water bottle too!
Invest in UV-protective sunglasses for your child. Some children’s glasses are cheap and do not have good sun protection. If you can afford it, give your small beach explorer a UV-protective sun and swim suit so that he can go in and out of the water and remain safe from the sun.
A basic beach guide like the Pocket Guide to Seashells is an excellent item to bring along in part of a pack. You don’t need a huge field guide, just something in case your preschooler wants to match up the shells and the rocks to see what they might be.
If you have a very avid explorer, items like a pocket recorder allow your child to record the calls of ocean birds. Bring an inexpensive digital or water camera to take photographs underwater or on the shore.
A magnifying glass and a container are good basic tools for exploring. You may also want to find a bug box, which is a box with a magnifying lens at the top. These are good for looking at small crabs up close without squishing them in your hands.
Binoculars allow your child to look way, way down the beach and see what he can see.
Of course, the most important things to bring out to the beach are your enthusiasm, your child’s enthusiasm, and your eyes and ears and fingers. These are the best tools for exploring, and everything else is gravy.
Are you heading to the beach this summer? What are you bringing along?