Family Day Out: How to do a Day at the Beach Right

The summer holidays might seem like ‘never-ending’ fun for children that have broken up from school, but that means parents need to find never-ending activities for them to enjoy! This can be a tough one if you find yourself having to plan activities as it won’t take long to exhaust local events, sleepovers and summer schools.

If you haven’t set your children the task of designing their own room to keep them occupied, why not take the little rascals for a day at the beach? The advantage of living in the UK is that you’re never too far from the coast, so that means donning your best shorts or summer dress and packing up the car for a great day out.

Below we have listed everything you should need for a great family day out to the beach, including food & drink, activities, clothing and any other accessories you will need.

Plan Ahead

First off, you need to plan exactly which beach you want to travel to. Most popular beaches will have their own car park and facilities like toilets so you can usually find details online of how to get there. Make sure to use an up-to-date sat nav so the route is a simple one. Alternatively make sure you have a road map and a good navigator!

Remember that most coastlines will be a little windier than in-land so make sure you take warm clothing such as fleeces, coats and hoodies just in case. You can also check what the weather is likely to do during your beach day - this will give you a good idea whether you can need to take coats and umbrellas or sun hats and sun cream (such as our Nivea Sun Lotion Spray).

Beach Essentials

There are countless beach essentials that you’ll want to pack but it can be tough to fit everything in the car! Have a look at our beach essentials checklist below to give you a helping hand:

• Sunglasses
• Sun cream
• After sun cream
• Beach Towels (to lie on)
• Extra Towels or Kids Poncho Towels (to dry off with)
• Flip Flops
• Beach tent
• Tent Pegs
• Windbreak
• Umbrella
• Beach Bag or Rucksack
• Water bottle
• Collapsible chairs
• Bucket & Spade
• First Aid Kit

B&M Top Tip: In addition, pack resealable plastic bags (or a dry bag) to keep valuables such as mobile phones, watches and cameras away from the sand and protected during your beach day.

Food & Drink

If you’re planning on heading to the beach for the day then you’ll want to pack at least a few snacks along with a good lunch too. Favourites such as sandwiches, crisps, pork pies, scotch eggs, sausage rolls, fresh fruit and yoghurts will not go amiss.

You will also need a picnic basket or preferably a cooler bag or box to keep your picnic food fresh. Why not try our practical and fun Oversized Unicorn Picnic Cooler Bag? It will certainly come in handy once you have some hungry mouths to feed. Remember to also pack a large enough picnic blanket for you all to sit on, so you can avoid sand getting in your sandwiches.

Another picnic essential is having plastic plates, cups and cutlery that you can pack easily and clean easily once you’ve arrived back from the beach. Think about packing plenty of water and even a sealable flask of hot water if you want to make a hot drink like tea or coffee too.

Last but not least, if the beach you are going to allows it (always check first), you can take along a disposable BBQ. They're perfect if you’re thinking of having a proper summer feast on a warm day - just make sure you pack enough burgers, hot dogs and any other BBQ favourites for all those hungry mouths.

Fun Beach Activities

The great thing about a day at the beach where children are concerned as that they will almost always come back exhausted after running round, playing games and swimming in the sea. Plan lots of fun activities to do while you’re there so you can make the most of your day (and perhaps have a quiet evening too!).

If you have sporty children or are sporty yourself, make sure to pack a football, rugby ball, cricket set or volleyball if there’s enough of you. The likelihood is it will take up lots of time during the day and you will have space on the beach to play.

There are also options like a frisbee or tennis ball if you just want to play catch, or if the wind is up why not take a kite with you? Our Pro Stunt Kite is ideal for a particularly windy day at the beach and makes for endless entertainment on a day out with children.

B&M Top Tip: For more ideas of days out for the kids, check out our previous post: Activities to Keep the Kids Busy During the Summer Holidays.

Have you had a great family day out to the beach this summer? Post all your best holiday snaps over on our on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages!

P.S. Once you’ve had your fill of beach days and summer activities it might be time to think about the new school term. Plan ahead and have a browse of our Back to School products to get sorted before September.